Real Arkansas Wedding: Parker Schmidly of Fort Smith & Hunter Henry of Little Rock

Parker Schmidly & Hunter Henry
June 30, 2018 • Little Rock
The Grandeur House

Hunter Henry of Little Rock and Parker Schmidly of Fort Smith are a match made in Razorback heaven. The two met at Lake Ouachita the summer before Parker began her freshman year at the University of Arkansas. Hunter, a former Arkansas Razorback tight end, now plays in the NFL for the LA Chargers. Parker says she knew Hunter was the one after discovering how genuine he is. “He was such a light on our college campus and it did not take me long to realize that,” she says.

The two dated for three and a half years before Hunter popped the question. Parker was about to start her senior year of college when Hunter asked her to come to an interview with Bo Mattingly, a local sports reporter, at the Razorback practice fields. Parker remembers being nervous about being asked a question she wasn’t prepared for. Little did she know, Hunter was planning on asking her the question. Hunter proposed during the interview and Parker realized that the interview was just a part of his master engagement plan. “After Hunter proposed and I quickly said yes, Hunter had a party planned with all of our closest family and friends for us to celebrate,” Parker says.

THE INSPIRATION

When it came to wedding planning, the couple knew they wanted a bright and cheerful color palette for a summer wedding. The final design was filled with garden-like florals in shades of coral, fuschia, gold, green and white. Parker and Hunter loved that The Grandeur House provided a white backdrop to customize. Plus, the large space is one of the only venues in Arkansas that could accommodate their guest list of 600.

To bring their vision together, the couple had a custom monogrammed crest designed by a graphic artist on Etsy. The crest was printed on everything from the invitations and the programs to the dance floor and the cones that late-night fries were served in.

Parker wanted asymmetrical floral and greenery installations to serve as a backdrop for their vows. Greenery-covered trellises were positioned by the banquet tables and colorful centerpieces filled with peonies, garden roses, ranunculus and roses adorned each table. The couple’s wedding cake was staged beside the staircase, which was decorated with florals that seemed to grow up the wall.

HOW THEY CUSTOMIZED

The couple’s families made the ceremony even more special by sharing their talents on the big day. Hunter’s dad Pastor Mark Henry officiated the wedding while Parker’s grandfather Charles Schmidly played the piano prior to the ceremony. Her cousin Henri Schmidly played the harp at the beginning of the ceremony.

Guests enjoyed the custom doughnut wall (which was refilled throughout the night) decorated with custom acrylic signage from Paper Supply Co. of Little Rock. Paper Supply Co. also created painted acrylic signs and gifts for each place setting with Parker’s favorite bible verse from 1 Peter 4:1 — “Above all, love each other deeply.”

The couple says their most worth-it splurge was the 12 South Band from Nashville. “They performed all night long and never took a break,” Parker says. “It was too fun.”

MUSIC TO OUR EARS

FIRST DANCE

“ILYSB (Stripped)”
LANY

FATHER/DAUGHTER DANCE

“My Little Girl”
Tim McGraw

MOTHER/SON DANCE

“A Song for Mama”
Boyz II Men

THE DETAILS

See this Real Wedding as it appeared in the print edition of ARKANSAS BRIDE

Discover more inspiration in Arkansas Bride’s Real Weddings section.