When you think of a destination wedding, what comes to mind? Hawaii? Maybe Mexico? Perhaps Bali? How about Arkansas? That’s exactly what it meant to this New York City couple . They decided to bring all of their friends and family from the east coast to enjoy a good ol’ southern barbeque at the Pratt Place Inn and Barn in the Natural State, the bride’s old home sweet home. It just goes to show, destination can mean just about anywhere! And thanks to Benfield Photography we have a gallery full of images of this adorable Arkansas affair!
Click here to see the entire image gallery!
From the Bride… When Jonathan and I started planning our wedding, the list of possible wedding venues was all over the world (Literally!), but each time we’d mention a destination to one of our friends it seemed they would always say “what about Arkansas?”- my home state. We met as students at the College of William and Mary and currently live in New York City, so most of our friends are from the East Coast and had never had the pleasure of visiting the Natural State, so with that in mind we began looking into a destination wedding in Arkansas. A couple of my friends back home mentioned Pratt Place Inn & Barn and as soon as we pulled up the driveway to Pratt Place we knew we had hit the jackpot. A goregous Inn with a big red barn = perfect for a fun Southern barbeque.
I love sharing fun facts about my home state so I couldn’t resist creating an Arkansas themed celebration -especially since this would be a first time visit for the majority of our wedding guests. We introduced our destination by mailing Save the Date cards in the shape of Arkansas, which were absolutely adorable and a huge hit! To continue our Arkansas theme the guests’ escort cards were outlined by the state and each table was named after a famous Arkansan (President Clinton, Johnny Cash and Sam Walton, just to name a few) and included a brief biography of the person. We had vintage glass piggy banks that we found at a local antique store on the head table and Arkansas shaped cookies for wedding favors. The bbq dinner menu was displayed on a super cute “swine & dine” poster and wine from local Arkansas wineries was served. And, I have to mention our tables. They were stunning…burlap linens with a lace overlay and mason jars galore and tall arragements of baby’s breath and white larkspar. Simple and elegant just like the Natural State!
Jonathan and I loved every single detail of our wedding but our very favorite detail was the vintage fireplace mantel displaying pictures of our family members, past and present. It was such a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by the beautiful faces of our families! (A big thanks to our wedding coordinator for finding the mantel!)
Wedding Photography: Benfield Photography / Wedding Cakes: Rick’s Bakery / Catering: Catering Unlimited / Floral Design: Jules Design / Music: Mr. Cabbagehead and the Screaming Radishes / Rentals: Festivities / Invitations & Paper Goods: Ashley C. Tucker / Wedding Coordination: J.Bailey Occasions / Wedding & Reception Venue: Pratt Place Inn and Barn / Videographer: NiLo Production Company / Bridal Gown: Lazaro / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Groom’s Attire: Custom by Lord Willy’s