WINDOM PAUL & ROBERT MCCAULEY
Robert knew he was going to marry Windom since they were in the second grade.
Born and raised in Jonesboro, they’ve known each other since they were babies. Their first real memories of one another are from first grade at South Elementary School, and in sixth grade, Robert was Windom’s first boyfriend.
“I would gush to my mother about how I would marry him one day,” Windom said. “We dated off-and-on for almost nine years in our 20s. I have so many memories of realizing he was ‘the one.’ Too many to count.”
Robert proposed to Windom over the July 4th weekend at one of their favorite places in the world, Greers Ferry Lake. Windom was told they were going to dinner at a local restaurant only accessible by boat. The two hopped on their boat and sailed across the lake.
“My hair was still wet from my shower, my nails were in need of a manicure and I was convinced we were getting engaged the following October,” Windom said. “Instead, Robert asked me to marry him right there in the middle of the lake. I don’t remember all of the words he said, but I know they were the best I’ve ever heard.”
WEDDING VENDORS WE LOVE
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Jessica Kersey of JLK Weddings
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Photography: Meredith Benton Photography; Florist: Zach Jones of Bearded Bouquet; Reception venue: Private residence; Ceremony venue: First United Methodist Church; Wedding dress: Maggie Louise Bridal (Memphis, Tennessee); Groom’s custom jacket: Walker Brothers; Cake: Southern Confections; Catering: Chow at One Eighteen; Ceremony music: Bernard Raley, Alex Ditto, Hannah Bartholomae, Brian Henkelmann, Charles Askew, Mary Catherine Armstrong and Jacob Bushong; Officiant: Reverend John Miles; Band: Diamond Empire Band; Tents and rentals: Artents & Elegant Party Rentals; Beauty and skincare: Jaydn Moore and Megan Lamb of Esthetique, Amber Stone and Abigail Cook of Vanstone Salon, Hannah McFadden of Parlour 6022, Chelsea Guthrie of Boho Extension Co. & Salon and Taylor Kinsey of Onyx Med Spa & IV Lounge
Q & A
Q: What inspired your color palette?
A: “My favorite color has always been and will always be pink, and I just wanted to incorporate as many of our favorite things into our day as we could,” Windom said. “Ultimately, I landed on ‘ballet pink’ for the bridesmaid dresses, and the rest of the palette unfolded.”
Q: What is your secret to wedding planning success?
A: “As cliché as it sounds, I would say, ‘Make decisions that feel like you!’ I’ve always said that Pinterest is my favorite form of social media, and as a 30-year-old with an art degree and an interior designer for a mother, that still holds true,” Windom said. “Though all of the inspo I had bookmarked was beautiful, my secret to planning was…figuring out how we could make them feel like us. Even the tiniest of details, once they became sentimental, made the biggest impact.”
Q: What did you love about your venue?
A: “Our biggest stressor was deciding where we’d get married…Ultimately, the sentimentalist in me won out, and we decided to get married in our hometown of Jonesboro,” Windom said. “…My mother-in-law asked us if we knew of this man in Jonesboro who rented out his home for events. We did not. That afternoon, we were taking a virtual tour through photos and booked it! It was the biggest blessing in disguise. From that moment on, the homeowner was known as Uncle Chad.”
Q: Was there a special detail from your decor that sticks out to you the most?
A: “One of my favorite details from our wedding ceremony was including all nine of the littles in our family and welcoming all guests to bring their children,” Windom said. “My most favorite detail of the reception was my wedding cake. A few years ago, our niece Ava doodled some butterflies that Southern Confection Pies transposed onto her birthday cake in icing…The minute I saw it, I knew that’s what we had to do for our cake: have little hands decorate it the way only little hands can.”
FAMILY AFFAIR
Windom’s late grandmother bought her wedding gown, and she had lace from her mother’s wedding dress made into a choker necklace. She also wore her mother’s veil, and added a blusher to it from the lace of her mother’s gown.
MORNING-OF FUN!
“I took the ‘getting ready’ moment a step further and turned it into a real party,” Windom said. “The best part of it was watching my best friends from all over the country…become friends not just with each other, but with all the women in my family.”
