Real Little Rock Wedding: CaLynna Sorrells & Stephen Nichols

CaLynna Sorrells & Stephen Nichols
June 1, 2019
Clinton Presidential Center, Little Rock

Every love story needs a good “wing woman,” and CaLynna Sorrels and Stephen Nichols’ story has exactly that. The two met during a social for their respective fraternal organizations in January 2016. They spotted each other from across the room, but it took CaLynna’s friend going over and grilling him about his life history, goals and aspirations before she gave CaLynna the green light. “We talked and he kept me laughing,” CaLynna says. “I thought he was smart and interesting, so I gave him my number and he called me the next day. We went on our first date the following Friday, and Stephen and I have been inseparable ever since.”

Stephen planned a surprise proposal at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas during St. Patrick’s Day weekend. He told her that they were going to dinner and to dress up because they would be going out after. The two walked to the wedding salon to get their show tickets for the evening. While they waited, they decided to go on a walk outside where CaLynna noticed some of their favorite songs playing. When they got to the courtyard, a stone display was set up with roses, candles and champagne. “That’s when I realized he was proposing,” she says. “He was so sweet, sincere and loving, and he asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes. I told him that he made the right decision, and that we were gonna have fun together.”

THE INSPIRATION

CaLynna describes her and Stephen’s love as modern, classic and romantic, and she wanted the wedding day to reflect exactly that. She’s always dreamt about having a tailored, classic, romantic and elegant wedding with clean lines. “The overall theme was ‘a romantic night of modern enchantment,’ which precisely describes Stephen and me,” she says.

The couple had their ceremony outside on the beautiful Clinton Center grounds. They were married under an arbor of draped fabric, ivory roses, hydrangea, ranunculus and orchids, all beneath a sparkling, silver chandelier.

After the ceremony, guests were treated to a cocktail hour filled with some of the couple’s favorite foods including pizza bites, mini tacos, buffalo chicken bites, roasted tomato crostini with shaved asparagus and fresh vegetable curry over sticky rice.

CaLynna and Stephen said their I Dos under a white arbor draped with flowing ivory fabric and a lush canopy of blooms.

HOW THEY CUSTOMIZED

The reception took place inside the Great Room, with the beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows offering an abundance of natural light. CaLynna especially loved the backdrop of Little Rock’s downtown.

Long, rectangular tables covered with shimmery tablecloths banked the room, with gold oval-backed chairs offering glamorous flair. And tall arrangements of orchids, roses and greenery helped transform the space.

The couple chose “At Last” by Etta James for the first dance song. “The richness in her voice and the timeless sounds—and the meaning behind her words—really captured how we feel about each other,” CaLynna says. “Stephen and I couldn’t wait to be together.”

VIDEO

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.