Leah Horak and Dr. Andrés Vargas Estrada met while working in a lab in Iowa a little over two years ago. Andrés was finishing his Interventional Cardiology fellowship and Leah was an Interventional Radiology Technologist.
“We joke because we first met one another showing nothing but our eyes, due to the hat and mask we were required to wear during the procedures,” Leah says. “So essentially, my eyes are what won him over.”
Andrés proposed last December at Leah’s family home in Iowa. He took her outside on Leah’s parents’ 3.5 acres and dropped down on one knee. The two tied the knot at Heritage Acres on Nov. 16, 2019. Read on for more about this beautiful outdoor fall wedding showing off all the Natural State has to offer.
About their venue choice: “We originally were looking into destination weddings in the mountains of Colorado or Utah, until we came across our venue. It was absolutely everything we wanted with the mountains still in the background! With neither of us being from Arkansas and also not knowing what our future holds, we thought it would be such an amazing landmark for us to begin our marriage in our first home state as a married couple.” — Leah
On her gown: “I went in with an open mind and tried on different dresses; form-fitted, cinderella poofy, open-backed, etc. I didn’t want to regret not trying on a certain style. I ended up really liking the trumpet style on my hourglass shaped figure. I chose one with lace and beading throughout, a sheer backing, and off-the-shoulder wide straps. I also knew that I wanted a super long train with an even longer veil.” — Leah
On defining their wedding style: “Andres and I both have always liked the vintage/rustic, Chip and Joanna Gaines-like style. So when we saw our venue, we fell in love with it right away and just ran with that. It was even better having Jessie’s expertise in the décor process.” — Leah
On the florals: “The owner of our venue, Jessica Toups, has amazing style. I told her I wanted a variety of different flowers and colors to match our theme and to just run with whatever she wanted to create. Needless to say, she did an incredible job and the florals turned out to be one of my favorite parts of our wedding day.” — Leah
On the ceremony set-up: “We wanted our ceremony to have a jaw-dropping view and we were not disappointed one bit. Our ceremony was outdoors and simple with minimal floral on the bench pews, the real “pop” was the beautiful floral on the arbor we stood in front of while we said our vows, along with the mountains behind it.” — Leah
And the reception style: “We wanted it to match the theme of our ceremony, with the worn paint look from the pews that also matched our tables. The beautiful ivory linens and touches of gold here and there on our china. It was very elegant and was the perfect amount of space. The second floor was a beautiful way to capture the day at a different angle for our photographers and guest.” — Leah
On the desserts: “Our cake was four different layers. Each layer was made of different sizes and flavors. The frosting was ivory-colored with a laced floral design, dressed with our florals throughout. We also had blush-colored macarons that were arranged on a two-tier tray beautifully placed next to the cake. Another thing which we added last minute and were so thankful we did. They went like hotcakes!” — Leah
On what she loves most about her husband and her favorite moment of the day: “I love how caring and selfless my husband is. He always puts the ones he loves above himself and always goes the extra mile for his patients. He is driven and is always working on being the best version of himself. My favorite moment was when it was just Andres and me in the bridal suite reading our vows to one another in private before the ceremony. We were able to just relax and enjoy each other right before saying our I Do’s.” — Leah
Leah and Andrés Highlight Film from Erin Wilson Photography & Films on Vimeo.
The Details:
Photography and videography: Erin Wilson Photography and Films
Planning: Jessica Toups with Heritage Acres Venue
Florist: Tipton & Hurst and Heritage Acres Venue
Furniture rentals, linens, glassware, silverware and china: RSVP Event Rentals, Fort Smith
Lighting: Heritage Acres Venue
Cake, groom’s cake and macarons: Custom Cakes by Michelle Mayer
Caterer: Blue Willow Catering
Drink service: Sodie’s Wine and Spirits, Fort Smith
DJ: DJ Brock Entertainment
Invitations: Shine Wedding Invitations
Wedding dress and veil: Always & Forever, Fort Smith
Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal
Groom/groomsmen attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Hair and makeup: Alexus Peters with Roots Hair Salon, Fort Smith
Vintage Car: Thomas Shanks, Fort Smith
Rehearsal dinner venue: Kasper’s, Clarksville
Violinist: Sarah Kelly
Cellist: Rod Phillips
Officiant: Seth Alexander with Hedgeway Church
