Samantha Pugh & Jason King
Feb. 14, 2026 | Venue 10 in Maumelle | Raegan Buckley Photography
After her mother’s wedding, Samantha and her best friend, Brynn, continued the celebration at Brewski’s, their local dive bar. Jason had just retired from the NFL and was taking pictures with fans in the bar. Her best friend planned to ask Jason for a picture while introducing Samantha. Within seconds of introduction, Jason asked Samantha if he could buy her a drink and told her she “would have much more fun if she were with him instead of her current date”. Blushing, Samantha declined, and they parted ways. Their immediate connection made it clear they wanted to meet again. Fate brought them back together a few months later at the University of Arkansas versus Texas A&M game.
When COVID-19 struck and the remainder of Samantha’s senior year of college at the UofA was converted to virtual education, she made the trip home to Little Rock. At the time, her mom was undergoing chemotherapy treatments against late-stage ovarian cancer, so she decided to stay at Jason’s house for a while. Despite the closures in Little Rock, Jason and Samantha quickly discovered they enjoyed each other’s company so much that they decided to spend the rest of their lives together. They made things official on New Year’s Eve in 2020, and the countdown to the altar began!
Wedding Professionals We Love
Venue: Venue 10
Bridal gown: Unveiled Bridal Collection
Drapery and Vinyl Dance Floor: Central Arkansas Entertainment
Florist: Tanarah Luxe Floral
Wedding cake: Dempsey Bakery
More Wedding Professionals
Planning and design: Made by Meridyth and VIPG Designs; Photography: Raegan Buckley Photography; Videography: Zach Kelley Photography; Jewelry: Cartier and Danwerke Jewelers; Groom’s tuxedo: J Duke & Co.; Rentals: Eventology; Catering: Crave Catering Co.; Photo booth: Picture Perfect Photo Booth; Marquee letters: Alpha-Lit Little Rock; Music: Mega DJ Co.; Bar: Chasin Lynn LLC
Q: What moment of the day do you wish you could relive over and over again?
A: “[We] wish [that we] could relive [our] first look over and over again,” Samantha said. “It felt like so much stress was built up until this moment, then once [we] were able to see each other, all felt right.”
Q: What part of the day sticks out to you the most?
A: “When we looked at each other, whether it was under the chuppah, during our first dance or our private dinner, it was so calming to look each other in the eyes and feel like we were the other people in the room,” Samantha said.
Q: Was there something about your day that felt very unique to you guys?
A: “We loved incorporating Jewish traditions within our wedding ceremony and reception (the chuppah, breaking of the glass, the hora), but most of all we loved honoring those closest to us that couldn’t be there,” Samantha said.
Q: How long was your engagement?
A: “Our engagement ended up being about one year and two months long,” Samantha said. “We immediately hired our planners and found our venue, then hired our photographer soon after.”
Q: What advice do you have for other couples planning their wedding day?
A: “Take as much time as you possibly can to truly soak in the feeling of how many people are there on the biggest day of your life to celebrate and love you,” Samantha said. “Also, it’s about you and your husband/wife. This is not the day to be a people pleaser! At the end of the day, you’ll be married, and that’s all that will ever matter!”
A Day of Love
Jason and Samantha requested florals that paid a loving tribute to Valentine’s Day, featuring a breathtaking majority of pure white roses. Samantha enjoys holidays and finding reasons to celebrate life. When she and Jason realized that Valentine’s Day would be on a Saturday in 2026, they knew it was the right day to tie the knot!
I Did it My Way
After the loss of Samantha’s mom and Jason’s grandfather, she decided to incorporate their two loved ones on their wedding day with a ring. Samantha gifted Jason with a pinkie ring that her mother gave her before she passed, inscribed with “I did it my way.” “[I] gave Jason this pinkie ring in hopes of representing both [my] mother and [his] grandfather being with [us] as [we] said [our] wedding vows to each other,” Samantha said.
