Kerri Boling & Zachary McGee
August 25, 2018
Inn at Carnall Hall & The Big Red Barn, Fayetteville
When it came to the proposal, Zach McGee’s master plan almost didn’t happen. During Christmas 2015, Zach and Kerri Boling had plans to go on a cruise with Zach’s family. But Mother Nature had different plans. A massive storm cancelled flights and shut down airports all across the country on the day of their flight. At the last minute, they decided to charter a plane to Florida so they could catch the ship. With only 30 minutes to spare, they boarded the cruise ship and Zach’s proposal plan, which he’d meticulously planned for months, was still on.
Zach hired a florist to decorate a section of the ship and his mother and grandmothers kept Kerri busy while Zach was setting up. Kerri was surprised with a beautiful floral display and a video Zach made that featured their favorite songs and pictures from their relationship. “Zach’s parents, brother, grandmothers, and grandfather were there to witness our engagement,” Kerri says. “Having our family present to witness our engagement was very special.”
THE INSPIRATION
The Inn at Carnall Hall was where Kerri and Zach had their first date after attending a Razorback football game. The couple chose to say their I dos at the Inn, since it was such a memorable spot during their courtship. For the reception, a family friend’s private venue called The Big Red Barn was the perfect space to celebrate.
The inspiration behind their theme was Southern classic mixed with customized elements to show off their personalities. Before the ceremony, the couple decided to treat their guests to sweet tea and strawberry lemonade. The servers carried custom butler towels featuring Kerri and Zach’s wedding crest. The drinks were served with linen napkins and drink stirrers that also featured the crest. Since the Inn is already such a beautiful venue, Kerri wanted the decor to complement the space. Ivory drapings framed the Inn’s porch with floral “tie-backs.” And each guest received a fan to use during the outdoor ceremony.
HOW THEY CUSTOMIZED
Kerri grew up watching her mother and grandmothers sew, so it only made sense that she’d want to have a voice in the making of her own wedding gown. She reached out to Nardos Imam at Nardos Design in Dallas to create her very own one-of-a-kind wedding dress. Kerri was involved in every step of the process, from the design all the way down to picking out the silk and lace. Kerri also had her reception dress custom-made by Shelley Kelley in Jonesboro. “It really meant a lot to me to be so involved in the process of creating my beautiful dresses,” Kerri says. “My favorite part of working with Nardos and Shelley was being able to pick out my lace and know where the lace was made.”
• • •
Not to be outdone, Zach decided that he wanted a custom tux. He went to Walker Brothers in Rogers for a custom tuxedo made from black twill fabric imported from Italy with notch lapels and formal details. The tux was personalized with the couple’s wedding crest underneath the collar and in the interior of the coat.
For the reception, Kerri and Zach wanted to stick with their Southern classic theme, with a few added features for guests to enjoy. When the guests arrived at the Big Red Barn, they were treated to a cocktail hour on the venue’s patio. Guests sipped quintessential Southern cocktails as they mingled and played cornhole in the yard. The couple also had Trey O’Dell from season 10 of “The Voice” serenade guests during the cocktail hour.
The barn doors to the reception opened to reveal large floral arrangements, a champagne tower and a white dance floor with a watercolor version of the couple’s wedding crest. The seated dinner featured delectable Southern comfort foods. During the reception, besides the five-tier, 60-inch cake, Kerri and Zach decided to serve miniature pies in their favorite flavors. Two weeks before the wedding, they decided to add a late-night snack. “Burton’s Creamery brought their ice cream truck to serve our guests several different options and flavors of ice cream and ice cream sandwiches,” Kerri says. “We are so happy that we decided to do this. Our guests are still talking about the ice cream truck!”
VIDEO
THE DETAILS
| WEDDING VENDORS WE LOVE | |
|---|---|
| Ceremony venue | Inn at Carnall Hall, Fayetteville |
| Photography | Lela & Lyla Photography |
| Event planner | Amanda Reed Weddings, Springdale |
| Florist | Tanarah Luxe Floral, Little Rock |
| Furniture rentals | Hank's Event Rentals, Little Rock |
| Wedding pies | Fork & Crust, Fayetteville |
| Bridesmaids attire | Tesori, Fayetteville |
| Rehearsal dinner venue | Inn at Carnall Hall, Fayetteville |
| Custom butler towels | Paper Supply Co., Little Rock |
| MORE VENDORS | |
|---|---|
| Videographer | Jessica Whalen Films, Bentonville |
| Rentals | Eventure's Party Rental, Fayetteville |
| Linens | BBJ Linen of Skokie, Illinois |
| Lighting | Lightworks Events, Fayetteville |
| Cakes | Shelby Lynn's Cake Shoppe, Springdale |
| Ice cream truck | Burton's Creamery, Fayetteville |
| Catering | Catering Unlimited, Springdale |
| Drinks service | Koon's Saloon, Fayetteville |
| Ceremony music | SMP String Quartet via Smoothman Music Productions, Springdale |
| Cocktail hour DJ | Trey O'Dell, Fayetteville |
| Reception band | Backroad Anthem, Fayetteville |
| Invitations | Shindig Paperie, Fayetteville |
| Ceremony dress and veil | Nardos Design, Dallas |
| Reception dress | Shelley Kelley, Jonesboro |
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