Real Eureka Springs Wedding: Amelia Coates & Riley Marquis of Dallas

Amelia Coates & Riley Marquis
October 15, 2017 • Eureka Springs
Thorncrown Chapel & 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa

You know what they say — the best romantic relationships begin as friendships. That couldn’t be more true for Seminole, Oklahoma natives Amelia Coates and Riley Marquis. The two met on their first day of kindergarten back in 1997. And in typical teenager fashion, their mutual attraction sprung up out of nowhere during high school and they’ve been together ever since. “It’s hard to say when exactly we fell in love because everything moved so rapidly,” Amelia says. “We experienced that wild, crazy love unique to young relationships, and over time it grew into a love even deeper and more meaningful.”

When it came time to propose, Riley had the tough job of having to surprise someone who knows him better than anyone. Plus, the two had already been ring shopping together. Nonetheless, Riley pulled it off while her best friend was in town celebrating Amelia’s birthday. “I thought we were going to take some fun pictures together, but Riley came out of nowhere and dropped down on one knee!” she says. “After an impromptu engagement session, we went back to my apartment rooftop where all of my best friends and our families were waiting to celebrate with us. It was absolutely perfect!”

The Inspiration

Known among her friends as a voracious reader, Amelia is especially fond of fantasy novels. When she and Riley toured Thorncrown Chapel, she felt that it had the same ethereal and regal beauty she had read about in her favorite books. This sparked the idea to draw inspiration from books like “Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter,” and to create a day that felt effortlessly magical.

Since Amelia and Riley currently reside in Dallas, they had never been to Eureka Springs prior to wedding planning. Once Amelia discovered there was a Victorian haunted hotel with a ballroom, she knew exactly where the reception would be held. “We loved introducing our guests to Eureka Springs and fell in love with this quirky mountain town during the planning process,” she says, “I’m looking forward to going back to celebrate our anniversaries!”

How They Customized

Amelia and her wedding planner wove the fantasy theme throughout the wedding by including Amelia’s own vintage fairytale and children’s books for the centerpieces. They also used tiny pumpkins with monogrammed ribbons as place cards, and flowers displayed in bell jars to channel Cinderella and Beauty & the Beast.

For dessert, the couple served a cake bar with three custom, fall-inspired flavors: Vanilla bean maple, salted caramel, and chocolate hazelnut with coffee buttercream.

Because this was a destination wedding, Amelia says the wedding wouldn’t have been theirs without their friends and family who traveled to celebrate them. The couple included their family and friends in every detail — Amelia’s grandfather officiated the ceremony and her childhood best friend sang as she walked down the aisle.

Instead of doing a first look, the couple opted to see each other for the first time during the ceremony. It ended up being one of Amelia’s most memorable moments from her wedding day. “Once I locked eyes with Riley, I couldn’t see or hear anything else,” she says. “It was magical!”

The Details

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