Eleanor Henry & Dillon Howell
May 25, 2024 | Private Residence in Dumas | Caitlin Wilson Photography
Eleanor and Dillon are high school sweethearts. Meeting in ninth grade, they’ve been together ever since. Eleanor knew right away he was her forever.
“Since we started dating at 15 years old, I don’t really know life without him. It is so special to love someone through the different stages of life and still decide to choose them in the end,” Eleanor said. “I truly have loved him since I was 15, and I just knew I would not want to do any life without him!”
Dillon’s intent was always to marry Eleanor. Eleven years after becoming a pair, they made his dream a reality when they tied the knot at Eleanor’s childhood home in Dumas.
“I always wanted to spend the rest of my life with her,” Dillon said. “I think during senior year of high school or the beginning of college I knew without a doubt that we would get married someday.”
Wedding Vendors We Love
Planning & Design
Amanda Reed with Amanda Reed Weddings
Florist
Silks-A-Bloom
Rigging, Staging, Lighting, Drape Design, Dance Floor, Chandeliers, Custom Vinyl, Custom Production and Build Design
Central Arkansas Entertainment
Photo Credit: Caitlin Wilson Photography 
Photo Credit: Caitlin Wilson PhotographyPhoto Credit: Caitlin Wilson Photography
More Vendors
Venue: Henry Home; Ceremony: First Baptist Church; Makeup artist: Madison Domenick; Hair stylist: Nicole Riley; Photography: Caitlin Wilson Photography; Videography: A Little Long Distance; Rentals: White Door, Eventology, and Alchemy Event Rentals; Wedding dress: Vera Wang; Rehearsal dinner dress: Kim Kasas Couture; Linens: BBJ La Tavola and Nüage Rentals; Catering: Vibrant Occasions; Bartending: Loisrie Company; Cake: Shelby Lynn’s Cake Shoppe; Ceremony music: Arkansas Symphony Orchestra; Invitations: Shindig Paperie; Shuttles: AR Destinations; Photo booth: Hot Shots; Custom art: Chez La Mariée; Popcorn: Hill City Popcorn
Q&A
Q: What must-have vendor did you know you had to have?
A: “First things first, I knew I had to have Amanda Reed,” Eleanor said. “She is the best and I can’t say enough about how important it is to trust the people around you during this time of your life. I knew from the beginning of the wedding planning process it was very important to me to create those little details that left an impression on our guests!”
Q: What inspired your wedding look?
A: “Ralph Lauren meets English Garden Tea Party,” Eleanor said. “My favorite place in the world is New York City and I find myself drawing from the city for everyday style and inspiration within my own life. But I am an Arkansas girl at heart and we wanted to somehow create a world where my love for both could be showcased!”
Q: Tell us about the color palette!
A: “The overall inspiration for the wedding day is that I wanted the florals to feel like they were growing out of my parent’s backyard, that the gorgeous arrangements could have literally been cut right from their garden,” Eleanore said. “ Again, I always envisioned my wedding day being in my childhood home and I wanted the florals to embody the nature of being outside.”
Q: What is one of your favorite wedding memories?
A: “I was a Chi Omega and Dillon was a Sigma Chi at the UofA! So one of my most anticipated moments was singing ‘Shades’ with all of my Chi Omega sisters at my reception and having the men from Sigma Chi sing ‘The Sweetheart Song’ together. I have sung [that song] so many times at my friends’ weddings, and it was so special to stand in the middle of that circle and sing [it] with all of the Chi O’s that were able to attend my wedding!”
Q: How did you choose the location for your wedding?
A: “We always knew we wanted to get married in Dumas in my parent’s backyard because it was where we grew up hanging out together, and it’s where ‘we’ started,” Eleanor said.
Swan Lake
After trying on a Kim Kasas Couture dress with swan details on it (which she wore for her rehearsal dinner), Eleanor knew she had to incorporate swans into her wedding day. “The swans just felt like a perfect symbol for our wedding,” she said. “They just created this elegant and timeless symbol that just felt like our relationship.”
Family Tradition
Eleanor and Dillon tied the knot at the same church where her parents said “I do” and celebrated at her childhood home in Dumas.
