Since 1990, Arkansas Bride has been the No. 1 resource for Natural State brides planning their big day. It’s not only the biggest bridal magazine in the state, but it is also the best online tool for soon-to-be newlyweds in search of vendors and inspiration. The magazine is published twice a year, with Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter issues. The editorial content includes a guide to 700-plus Arkansas wedding professionals, inspiring Real Weddings, styled shoots, beautiful floral and fashion shoots, and so much more!
Read our latest issue here!
Rachel (Bradbury) Pitre, Publisher
Over the past 18 years, Rachel’s expertise has helped make Arkansas Bride the state’s biggest and best wedding resource. Above all, she loves helping wedding professionals make a name for themselves — working with vendors to come up with creative ways to showcase their unique styles is her forte. “From its inception, our purpose has been to showcase these vendors and remind brides that you don’t have to bring in any out-of-state vendors to pull off a truly exceptional event.” Rachel knows this first-hand, as she tied the knot to John Raymond Pitre in timeless Southern fashion in October 2016. Her secret to success? “Know that you may NOT be the right fit for every customer. Embrace it. Appreciate it. Your job will be more rewarding if you aren’t trying to be everything to everybody.”
rachel@abpg.com (501) 455-9266
Katelyn Allen, Editor
After interning with our team in 2020, we made things official by bringing Katelyn on full-time in March 2022. Working on multiple magazines is no easy feat, but she enjoys every moment of it. Her favorite aspect of the job is getting to work alongside Lindsay so the two can bounce ideas off of one another and get creative. She married Carter Shields at Anthony Chapel in Hot Springs in Feb. 2023. In another life, Katelyn would be an editor or publisher for romance novels. Katelyn’s advice to other Arkansas brides is to plan the wedding that you want. “There will be family members, friends and other people who will continuously tell you what they think is best,” she said. “I did this and ended up stressed, tired and resentful of my wedding day. After a tearful heart-to-heart with Carter and our families, we decided to scratch the 400-plus guest list and planned the small wedding we’ve always dreamed of!”
kallen@abpg.com (501) 455-9332
Meredith Lehman, Art Director
Meredith began working for Arkansas Business Publishing Group in December 2021 and has designed many publications over the past several months. She brings positive energy to the team and is a hard worker, not to mention her design skills and keen eye for detail are unmatched. According to Meredith, her most worth-it wedding splurge would be hiring an awesome photographer. “You’ll be looking at these photos for the rest of your lives,” she said. “So I think it’s definitely worth it to hire a photographer you know will be able to capture the moments you want.” One of her favorite wedding trends right now is champagne towers at the reception. Her advice? Your wedding day won’t be perfect, so don’t stress! “If things don’t go exactly as planned, it really isn’t the end of the world, because at the end of the day you’re marrying the love of your life and that outweighs anything that doesn’t go according to plan,” she said.
mlehman@abpg.com 501-372-1443
Brandy Hubener, Senior Account Executive
Brandy Hubener has been a part of the team since 2008. As our senior account executive, she has helped wedding professionals across the state reach brides with custom ad campaigns in print and online—helping local wedding businesses thrive. She recently relocated to Bentonville and is now Northwest Arkansas’ go-to for marketing their wedding businesses. The secret to success Brandy shares with her clients: “Make yourself heard and noticed. First impressions are crucial – consistency is also.” In 2026, Brandy and her husband are celebrating 25 years since tying the knot. You may recognize her husband, Chris, who often assists Brandy at Bridal Fairs, photo shoots and more. We consider him an honorary member of the Arkansas Bride team!
bhubener@abpg.com (501) 455-9327
Bliss Smith, Account Executive
Bliss began working for Rachel as her assistant in 2019, and quickly proved how much of an asset to the team she is! She was promoted to Account Executive in 2021 and has been selling Arkansas Bride ads ever since. Bliss’ vibrant and easy-going personality has brought so much life to our team. We feel very lucky to have her and love seeing her smiling face in the office every day. Bliss got engaged in 2019 to her long-time best friend Griffin in Deer Valley, Utah – also the spot where they tied the knot nearly 3 years later. In 2022, Bliss and Griffin planned the wedding of their dreams inspired by “The Sound of Music” which was featured in Inside Weddings later that year. We love Bliss and are glad she’s working on our team!
bsmith@abpg.com (501) 455-9330
Sophie Williams, Account Executive
swilliams@abpg.com (501) 455-9330
Shelby Carter, Account Executive
scarter@abpg.com (501) 327-9330
Sophie Baker, Online Content Specialist
sbaker@abpg.com
Colby Valentine, Ad Coordinator
If Colby’s name sounds familiar, that’s because he’s no stranger to our world. Before joining us full-time, he worked as a talented makeup artist with Belle & Blush, lending his artistry to some of the beautiful editorial features and covers you’ve seen in CSP and Soirée. His creative eye and attention to detail made him a standout collaborator, so when the chance came to bring him on board, we jumped at it. As of September 2025, Colby has traded his makeup brushes for spreadsheets as our Advertising Coordinator, managing accounts A–K. Colby continuously impresses everyone with his organization, perfectionism and humor, not to mention his kindness and great energy.
cvalentine@abpg.com 501-372-1443
Rosa Calhoun, Ad Coordinator
Rosa has worked at Arkansas Business Publishing Group since February 2022 and began working as one of our Ad Coordinators in October 2022. She brings a light and positive attitude to the team, and always brings a smile to our faces. After meeting at work in 2014, Rosa started dating her now husband, Justin Calhoun, in 2015. Justin got down on one knee and asked Rosa to spend the rest of her life with him on a dinner cruise in Charleston. They tied the knot at The Country Club of Arkansas on May 20, 2017, and Rosa wore her favorite color, lavender. “I DIY’ed my entire wedding and would 100% do it again,” she said. She wants brides to trash the garter and bouquet toss and encourages everyone to not take themselves too seriously when wedding planning. Her advice? “The wedding is just a few hours of one day in your very long life, and you probably won’t even remember it!”
rcalhoun@abpg.com (501) 455-9332
Brock Walker, Courier
If you’re one of our Arkansas Bride partners, you’ve likely been met by Brock’s smiling face on more than one occasion. Brock joined the team in 2015 after delivering flowers for eight years, and has been cheerfully delivering copies of Arkansas Bride (and other ABPG publications) to locations all over the state. He loves his job. “Being out in the community interacting with customers is one of the great benefits of my job,” he says. “The different people and great smiles, really adds sunshine to your day. Being out in the world, you never have a dull day!” Brock loves weddings too. He says go simple, that roses are his favorite and that he prefers a DJ to a band. “It’s a beautiful thing to find your soulmate and be able to show the world your love for one another on your wedding day.” So be on the lookout for Brock each June and December — he comes bearing the latest issue and a contagious smile.
bwalker@abpg.com (501) 455-9305
