Meredith Benton Photography

Emily Kate Davis & Nick Beyer
May 25, 2019 / Fayetteville
Private Residence

Emily Davis and Nick Beyer go way back. The two met at a church retreat when they were 12 years old and became instant friends. From middle school to high school to dating in college, they’ve shared each season of life together. After 12 years of being best friends and falling in love in the process, Emily says it has always been Nick.

On Emily’s 23rd birthday weekend, Nick took her on a birthday breakfast date and walk along the Buffalo National River. While walking, Nick read his proposal letter from a leather journal that he had first given her when he asked her to be his girlfriend.

“For the three years in between, we mailed letters in our leather-bound journal back and forth from Alabama to Arkansas,” she says. “He got down on one knee and I said YES!!! We cried tears of joy and squeezed each other tight.”

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

THE INSPIRATION

Emily knew exactly where she wanted to have her romantic and timeless wedding — her parents’ farm in Fayetteville. It was the perfect place for the couple to gather 320 of their closest people to celebrate with.

“Something about a tented reception at the home of the bride has always seemed southern and romantic to me; we got to make our event space ours,” Emily says. “Watching the tent go up at the beginning of the wedding week and watching rentals get dropped off from my bedroom window was one of the sweetest parts.”

She filled the day with white and ivory blooms with a touch of color. Peonies are a favorite of the bride’s, so they were a must. Emily Kate’s bouquet was filled with ivory majolica, Versilia rose, cafe au lait dahlia, spirea, begonia foliage, maidenhair fern, eucalyptus and ivory tweedia. She loved her bouquet so much that she has it drying upside down at her parents' home.

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

HOW THEY CUSTOMIZED

After the ceremony at Fellowship Bible Church, guests were greeted at the farm with a champagne and sparkling rosé tower. Throughout the cocktail hour, the couple served passed hors d’oeuvres and wine as guests found their seats from the escort cards hung with monogrammed wax seal magnets (which guests could take home with them). The wedding party entered the reception with the traditional New Orleans Second Line song. By the end of the song, the new Mr. and Mrs. Beyer had their guests parading behind them waving their handkerchiefs and dancing.

COLOR STORY

For the rest of the reception, Emily envisioned a very “Father of the Bride” May evening, and that’s exactly what she got. Romantic string lights created a courtyard feel under the stars and Tanarah Haynie with Tanarah Luxe Floral designed a gorgeous floral ceiling installation over the dance floor. The couple brought in their favorite ice cream from a creamery in Mountain Brook, Alabama and artist Kathrine Hess painted the scene of dancing all night long.

“Seeing Nick for the first time on our wedding day was something else,” she says. “It was special beyond words. We fully embraced the other, hugged, cried and prayed on the beautiful prayer kneeler that he built for our home. Just about the sweetest, most thoughtful gift of all time. I love that heart of his.”

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

“Watching the tent go up ... from my bedroom window was one of the sweetest parts,” Emily says of having the wedding at her parent's home.

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

Meredith Benton Photography

VIDEO

WEDDING VENDORS WE LOVE

PHOTOGRAPHY
Meredith Benton Photography

PLANNING
Amanda Reed Weddings

FLORIST
Tanarah Luxe Floral
Little Rock

WEDDING DRESS AND VEIL
Tesori
Fayetteville

BRIDESMAID DRESSES
Tesori
Fayetteville

REHEARSAL DINNER VENUE
Sassafras Springs Vineyard & Winery
Springdale

RESTROOM TRAILER
Arkansas Portable Toilets
North Little Rock

MORE VENDORS

Venue Private residence
Videography Jessica Whalen Films
Tents Arkansas Event Tents, Siloam Springs
Furniture rentals Hank's Event Rentals, Little Rock
Randal Events, Fayetteville
Linen BBJ Linen
Lighting Lightworks Events, Fayetteville
Aisle runner The Original Runner Co., Livingston, New Jersey
Stage Stage King, Rogers
Caterer Catering Unlimited, Springdale
Drink service Koon's Saloon, Fayetteville
Cake Cakes by Linda, Springdale
Groom's cake Shelby Lynn's Cake Shoppe, Springdale
Coffee ice cream The Ice Cream Club, Davie, Florida
Band Mustache the Band
Ceremony music Andrew Chu and Russel Dorch
Invitations Shindig Paperie, Fayetteville
Live event artist Kristen Hess
Groom/groomsmen attire Walker Brothers, Rogers and Fayetteville
Jeweler Israel Diamond Supply, Tulsa
Hair Catherine Schmidt
Makeup Glo Limited, Fayetteville
Transportation Pinnacle Car Services, Rogers
High Society Event Rentals, Fayetteville

Meredith Benton Photography


See this Real Wedding as it appeared in the print edition of ARKANSAS BRIDE

Discover more inspiration in Arkansas Bride's Real Weddings section.