June 16, 2007, 7 p.m.
The Cathedral of St. Andrew, Little Rock
Photographs by Photography by Melisa, Little Rock
VENDOR LIST
Cake: Mickeys Special Affairs, Little Rock
Florist: Chris Norwood and Anna Zink, Tipton & Hurst, Little Rock
Wedding Dress and Veil: Low’s Bridal, Brinkley
Bridesmaids and Flower Girl Dresses: Proposals, Little Rock
Tuxedo: Paul Morrell Formalwear, Little Rock
Caterer: Country Club of Little Rock
DJ/Band: The Wavetones from Oklahoma
The Perfect Dress
Like many brides, Meredith’s quest for the perfect dress was a long one. “On our third trip to Low’s Bridal, my mother and I took Luke’s mom with us to make it more fun,” recalls Meredith. “During that visit, I narrowed it down two or three dresses. I had always envisioned a traditional lace dress, so the Tomasina quickly stood out as my favorite. When they showed me the matching veil, it was a done deal!” According to Meredith, the best thing about her dress was the fit. “We had a muslin form fitted to my body and sent to the designer so that no fit alterations were necessary.” Meredith’s eight bridesmaids wore sand dune-colored Vera Wang lame gowns with ruched bodices and floor-length back sashes. Her flower girl wore an ivory dress with a champagne-colored sash to match the older girls. At the bridesmaids’ luncheon, Meredith presented a classic circular pendant to each attendant.
Chocolate Cheesecake Delight
Luke chose his favorite dessert, cheesecake, for his groom’s cake. Mickeys Special Affairs made two sample cakes for him and he selected a combination of both. The end result was a beautiful tiered New York-style cheesecake with a chocolate crust and a chocolate glaze with strawberries. Because the layers of a cheesecake are not very tall, two cheesecakes were stacked for each layer of the groom’s cake.
Vibrant Spring Colors
One of the first discussions Meredith had with wedding coordinator Kristin Herring was about color. She knew she wanted lots of bright colors, especially oranges, pinks, bright corals, and green. For the bridal bouquet, Meredith wanted big, full, open flowers, and the skilled staff at Tipton Hurst designed a cream and pink bouquet of peonies, hydrangeas, open roses and lisianthus. Her bridesmaids carried bouquets of roses, tulips and lisianthus in shades of hot pink, coral and orange.
An Indoor Garden Party
For the reception, the ballroom at the Country Club of Little Rock was transformed into a brilliant formal garden setting with beautiful cloths, overlays and chair cushions in bright pink. Chris Norwood and Anna Zink of Tipton Hurst draped grapevine interspersed with hot pink bouganvillea in between the existing crystal chandeliers and moss-covered votive chandeliers used specifically for the occasion. “I love the vibrant colors,” says Meredith. “It was a joyous occasion, and I think the flowers really reflect that.”
Time to Party!
Meredith and Luke chose to have their photos taken before the ceremony so they wouldn’t miss a minute of the party! After the ceremony, a bus immediately transported the entire wedding party to the reception at the Country Club of Little Rock. There, the staff met the guests with white wine and cranberry spritzers (non-alcoholic) so that any thirst was quenched without having to wait in a bar line. As they entered, guests were treated to the music of the Quapaw Quartet of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Once the party was in full swing, Meredith and Luke enjoyed a night of dancing with their friends.
Grand Confectionary Display
Meredith saw a photograph of a cake in Martha Stewart Weddings and fell in love with it. “I took the photo to Mickeys and they had actually made the cake a couple of weeks before our appointment,” explains Meredith. “They were able to show us digital photos of the cake they’d made, and it was exactly what we wanted.” The gorgeous cake featured alternating layers of strawberry and white cake with cream cheese frosting. It served not only as a wonderful dessert, but also as a focal point of the room.
