Mary “Kelly” McCarty from Helena and William Matthew “Matt” Ransom from Little Rock were married in a rustic fall wedding at Whisperwood Ranch in Ferndale, Arkansas.
- Wedding date: Oct. 29, 2011
- No. of guests: 200
- Ceremony/reception venues: Whisperwood Ranch in Ferndale
/ Bridal Inspiration /
“Because we were getting married outside in the fall, I wanted a rustic shabby chic feel to the wedding. I wanted it simple with amazing details! I wanted neutral colors (khaki, browns, off-white), but also wanted to use fall-ish colors everywhere too. Mrs. Becky Clement – of Inspired by Nature – did such an amazing job figuring out what I wanted and making it so beautiful and perfect!”
/ Location, Location, Location /
“Whisper Wood Ranch is where Matt grew up and one of our favorite places to be. It’s so beautiful year round, but especially during the fall, so we knew we wanted to get married there in October. We totally lucked out on the weather.”
HOW THEY CUSTOMIZED
“I loved, loved, loved that our flower girls wore cowboy boots. They carried baskets that said ‘here comes the bride’ and ‘km + mr’ – I ordered these off of Etsy.com.
My nephew, who is very into ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ was the ring bearer. His boutonniere had a little toy Lego Jack Sparrow in it. He thought it was so cool!
Lining the aisle were tree stumps with lanterns on them – very simple, but pretty. There were also hay bales with slip covers on them for seating scattered around the ceremony and reception area.
We wanted the food at the reception to be simple, not fancy, but really good. We served fried chicken (my aunt’s special yummy recipe), macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, fruit salad and rolls for dinner along with cake and chocolate cupcakes (Matt’s mom’s recipe).
There are a lot of kids in my family, so we had a kid’s area with blankets, snacks, games and activities.
WAYS THEY SAVED
I had lots of great people helping me plan our wedding. We really tried to think “out of the box” on how to save money. Whatever idea we came up with, we always tried to think of ways to do it cheaper…. For example, we bought plates from the Dollar Store (all over the state) instead of renting. We sold them after the wedding. We tried to use things that we already had instead of immediately buying or renting them. I actually registered for a few gifts that we used at the wedding!
Also, my cousin’s wife actually gave me her wedding dress (Monique Lhuillier from Lowes in Brinkley). I loved it, but wanted to make a few small changes to it. I had an amazing seamstress, Connie at Natural Steps, who worked with me to make the dress uniquely mine. It was extra special! I also added an amazing belt from Proposals.
What one detail truly made the wedding yours?
“Along with me working with dogs everyday (I have a pet sitting/dog walking business), Matt and I have three dogs who are our world. I really wanted to incorporate them into our wedding (they are big dogs who can be a bit rambunctious at times, so having them “in” the ceremony was not an option), so I had different colored beverage napkins made with each one’s picture on plus a group photo. I LOVED them!”
THE DETAILS
- Photography: Photography by KES Weddings, Little Rock
- Event planner: Shelia Vaught
- Bridal Boutique: Proposals Boutique, Little Rock
- Bridesmaids attire: Proposals Boutique, Little Rock
- Wedding stationery: Molly’s Paperie, Little Rock
- Jeweler: Sissy’s Log Cabin, Little Rock
- Florist: Becky Clement – Inspired by Nature
- Caterer/Drinks: Catering an Affair to Remember, Little Rock
- Rentals/Lighting: Confetti’s Party Rentals, Little Rock
- DJ/Band: The Blue Silk Band, Memphis, Tenn.
- Groom/groomsmen attire: Jos. A Banks (ties from Greenhaws)
