April 14, 2007, 10:30 a.m. Park Hill Baptist Church, North Little Rock
Photographs by Lance Johnston Photography, Conway
VENDOR LIST Cake: Cates Creations, Benton Florist: Inspired By Nature, Wedding Dress and Accessories: B and B Bridal, Little Rock Bridesmaid Dresses: J. Crew Flower Girls dress: J. Crew Tuxedo: Paul Morrell Formalwear, Little Rock Caterer: Simply the Best, Little Rock Music: The Willow Duet Nancy McGraw, violinist and Keith Klosky, violist
Vision of Elegance During the planning, Janet and Brad’s goal was a classic and simple wedding ceremony and reception. “We wanted it to feel personal and intimate,” Janet says, “and we wanted our friends and families to feel special.” Janet selected a Maggie Sottero douppioni silk strapless gown with a soft sweetheart neckline enriched by ruching on the bodice. The slim A-line skirt was delicately sprinkled with crystal embellishments. “I was looking for something simple; nothing with a big skirt or lace or lots of elaborate beading,” she recalls. She loved the dress she found at B & B Bridal. It was simple, classic and beautiful. “I think it even made me look tall, which is saying a lot for a 5-foot-tall girl!”
A Colorful Twist Janet chose brown and pink for her signature wedding colors. For her bridesmaids, she selected simple sheath dresses from J. Crew in a rich chocolate brown. “I was concerned about having brown bridesmaid dresses in April, but brown is now so much like black รขย” classic at any time,” Janet explains. For her bouquet, Janet selected pale pink peonies (beautiful and friendly, not too formal), white French tulips and lily of the valley. Her bridesmaids carried bouquets of French tulips. The light pink flowers in the bouquets accented the chocolate brown perfectly and helped bring a springlike feel to the occasion.
Whimsical Farewell After a traditional ceremony at Park Hill Baptist Church, Janet and Brad joined their guests at Trapnall Hall for their reception. According to Janet, “This location was just perfect! It is just so quaint and intimate.” When it was time to leave, friends and family members lined the sidewalk and filled the passageway with bubbles. Janet remembers the moment fondly: “About the second step, the heel of my shoe caught on the bottom of my dress, causing me to stumble. Luckily, I was arm in arm with Brad so he was able to hold me up! Once we cleared the steps, I took off both shoes and just carried them in one hand as Brad and I waved to our family and friends.”
Surrounded with Love While the day was full of magical moments, Janet and Brad remember most the wonderful feeling of being surrounded by people they love, most of whom traveled from out of town for the event. The ceremony included many family members and friends, among them Janet’s niece, 5-year-old flower girl Anna Rose Hamilton, and her 3-year-old nephew, Andrew Hamilton, who served as ring bearer. Janet’s best advice? “Planning a wedding is full of lots of crazy but important! decisions, but at the end of the day, the most important thing was that I got married to my favorite person and all of our friends and family got to share in the celebration.”
Classic Confections Janet flipped through dozens of bridal magazines and gathered samples of wedding cakes she liked. This helped her explain her vision for a simply classic cake to the staff at Catering Creations. The traditional white cake was accented with white and pink flowers to match the bride’s bouquet.
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