Kati Mallory Photo & Design

Anne-Claire and Chris Owens have taken their planning prowess across the country (and abroad) and continually elevate the industry in The Natural State.

Becoming a wedding planner was always the dream for Anne-Claire Allen Owens—there’s a bin of very old wedding magazines she collected as a teen under her bed as proof! She graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in hospitality management before returning to her hometown of Little Rock to work with the Peabody Hotel Group for four years.

She formed Anne-Claire Allen Planning & Design in 2013, and her husband Chris joined her full time in 2017. Since then, the two have planned weddings all over the United States and even abroad in France and Italy.

“Unlike most planning companies, we are a husband and wife team,” she says. “By having both a female and male perspective, we are able to really connect with both our brides and grooms in a unique way while working to each of our strengths in both design and logistics.”

In addition to the full-service and destination wedding planning services Anne-Claire Allen Planning & Events offers, the company also offers brides a few à la carte services for bridal showers, welcome parties, rehearsal dinners and send-off brunches, so that every aspect of the day can be tastefully managed.

Anne-Claire knows that it’s easier to get into the mentality that spending more results in a larger/better product, but that’s not always the case. By working with a full-time planner, you’ll have someone who understands your needs and your budget to get you the result you want, while guiding you through the areas to splurge and save.

“By hiring a trusted planner, you have a leader to guide you through the entire planning process (much like hiring a general contractor if you were building a house),” she says. “This allows the bride, groom and their families to step away from the laborious parts of the big day and enjoy every moment. Knowing the hours of hard work that our team provides on any given wedding, I cannot recommend hiring a planner more.”

Jo Johnson Photography


We’re dying to ask Anne-Claire…

If a bride gave you full reign to design the day however you wanted, what would you do?

“We are dying to coordinate a ‘destination unknown’ type wedding for a small wedding—guests are told what to pack, where to be and the rest is a complete surprise! Transportation would be provided and the bride, groom and their guests would be swept away to a magical weekend full of very memorable moments from start to finish! Who’s in?”

What are some color palettes you’re dying to try for a wedding?

  • “Texture-heavy neutrals”
  • “Mixed hues of yellow”
  • “A pairing of teal, turquoise and French blue! Oh yeah!”

Where do you find inspiration?

“Surprisingly, not the wedding industry—in an effort to keep our designs unique while timelessly classic, I tend to lean into our travels, interior design and even pieces of art.”


THE RESUME

Company: Anne-Claire Allen Planning & Design
Based in: Little Rock
Signature style: Timeless celebrations full of monumental memories.
What they offer: Full-service and destination wedding planning



No matter your budget, there’s a planner out there who is ready to make all of your wedding dreams come true. Find out more with IN GOOD HANDS: Your Comprehensive Guide to Event Planning & Design in Arkansas.