Planning a Wedding in Arkansas.

I’m not going to lie & say that planning a wedding in Arkansas is easy, well this applies to any place right? Haha! Okay.
Arkansas being the natural state, you think of being out doors & enjoying the views. There are so many natural hidden gems around that you don’t want to miss. However, in this beautiful state of ours, we also have some pretty amazing venues, and no, they aren’t just barns!

#1. Find a Venue/Set a Date!

Or in some cases, set a date & then pick a venue! – This has totally happened to me with clients before. Sometimes theres a date that means too much, so you can skip the venue & move to the vendor part too!

Sometimes venue’s don’t apply because you want to get married at a state park. Well, be sure to check with the state park for permits that may be needed (this is normal).

#2. Book your most wanted vendors!!!

I know investing money into Photographers, florists, planners & so on is a lot to do at once, but to be completely honest, booking your most wanted vendors is SUCH A BIG DEAL!!! Why is it a big deal?(your fiancé is asking huh?) Well, it’s a big deal because WE BOOK UP! Plain & simple. We. book. the. hell. up. – I’m just being honest here. There are couples that plan their day almost 18 months in advance, and with Covid being tossed into the mix, we are booking up even faster because other clients have rescheduled their dates!!! I mean realistically there are only 52 weeks in year… and I don’t know about you, but some of those are also for family bdays… holidays & just time off. Anywhoooo… BOOK.YOUR.VENDORS.!! .. oh & if you’re looking for a wedding photographer… Holler at yo girl!

#3. Gowns/Suits !

Typically wedding gowns take 6-ish months.. maybe more with covid.. BUT. It never hurts to do it early!!! Same with suits! I have clients that get custom suits, which also take a couple of weeks. Granted, its no wedding dress wait, but still! The last thing you want is to rush it or pay for rush fees! Go scope some stuff, dip your toe in the Wedding day waters & see what you think!!

#4. Get your marriage license!

This one you don’t want to forget. 😛 I mean, you kind of need it right? Be sure to go to your local court house to obtain this precious document, which is given to you right then & there. Your officiant will sign it to make it legal! Remember that in Washington County/Benton County, you don’t need to sign the actual license that is given to you. It isn’t like in the movies where you sign to make it happen. Nope. You signed when you walked into that court house & gave them your info!

Washington County Marriage License Info
Benton County Marriage License Info

#5. ENJOY the day!!

Lets be real here. Shit is going to happen because well… that’s life. But don’t forget to just ENJOY the day. I can’t tell you how many times I have photographed a wedding where the bride, or groom is so worried about the day / details of everything being perfect, that they end up frustrated & irritable. – Don’t worry! At the end of the day, this is about you being married to your person. The rest will happen as it happens!!!