MADISON GARDNER & BOBBY MEEK
October 7, 2023 | Inn at Carnall Hall | Fayetteville | Erin Wilson Photography & Films
Madi and Philip met in Memphis during Memphis in May, but they didn’t officially hit it off until they ran into one another in Little Rock. They realized they shared mutual friends, and decided they wanted to hang out with one another again soon.
“When it came to dating, I was extremely picky,” Madi said. “However, when I started hanging out with Philip, things were just different. I was immediately drawn to how he treated those around him. He was always including my friends in anything we did and had such a great relationship with his family.”
The couple got engaged on Mount Sequoyah and immediately started planning the wedding of their dreams. Luckily for Madi, her best friend, Gretchen Larkan, is an up-and-coming wedding planner in Central Arkansas! She asked Gretchen to help plan her wedding while also being a bridesmaid, and the two had so much fun planning the wedding of Madi’s dreams.
Instead of getting married in a traditional church or wedding venue, Madi and Philip wanted to share their love of Fayetteville and Razorback Pride with their guests by tying the knot on Old Main. Go Hogs!
WEDDING VENDORS WE LOVE
Florist
Silks-A-Bloom
Reception venue, catering and bar
Inn at Carnall Hall
Custom watercolor
Watercolors by Korry Jones
Wedding dress
Unveiled Bridal Collection
MORE VENDORS
Planning and design: Gretchen Larkan Events; Photography and videography: Erin Wilson Photography & Films; Cake: Shelby Lynn’s Bake Shoppe; Live painter: Kristen Hess; Rentals: Eventology; Linens: BBJ La Tavola; Entertainment: Diamond Empire; Production and lighting: Lightworks Events; Strings: Cello by Austin; Tent: Intents; Vinyl: The Dance Floor Man; Signage: AC Collective Co.; Invitation suite: Hobart Printing; Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bella Bridesmaids; Bridesmaid’s jewelry: Gresham Jewelry; Groom’s attire: Harper and Jones; HMUA: Adriann Duncan, Kalie Rylee, Paige Ghahremani, Catherine Schmidt; Photo booth: NWA Photo Booth
Q & A
Q: What was your favorite moment of the day?
A: “When the band turned on the Arkansas fight song, we were completely surprised by the Razorback mascots storming the dance floor,” Madi said. “Ending the night on stage by singing [my] go-to Karaoke song, 'Goodbye Earl' by the Chicks, to all of the guests.”
Q: Why did you decide to tie the knot on University of Arkansas’ front lawn?
A: “We chose Fayetteville because it is where Philip and I both attended college and we both are big Razorback fans,” Madi said. “Our ceremony took place on Campus at Old Main, which was really special since we both had classes in that building and we both had never seen a wedding take place right on campus before!”
Q: What personalizations did you plan for the wedding day?
A: “To kick off the wedding weekend, my planner and her team delivered guest gift bags to those all over the NWA area,” Madi said. “We wanted our guests to know how excited and thankful we were that they traveled to Fayetteville just to celebrate with us.”
Q: Was there a special detail from your decor that sticks out to you the most?
A: “[Since] our wedding was outdoors with an open-air tent, it was important for me that the guests were able to enjoy Inn at Carnall Hall,” Madi said. “When they stepped into the tent, they entered an elegant, traditional wedding experience. Silks-A-Bloom did a beautiful job and went above and beyond adding the perfect detail to our reception.”
LATE NIGHT SNACK
“At the reception, we had late night pizza and grilled cheese passed out to our guests along with personalized Coke bottles that had ‘The Meek’s, October 7, 2023’ personalized on each bottle,” Madi said.
OLD MAIN CEREMONY
“Since Madi and Philip are big Razorback fans, they decided they wanted to have a never-seen-before wedding ceremony on the University of Arkansas’ front lawn,” Madi said.
