Katie Forbis & Tyler Roth
May 24, 2025 | The Ballroom at I Street In Bentonville | Miles Witt Boyer
Katie and Tyler met at a karaoke bar in Memphis during the holiday season in 2023. His best friend was dating her cousin at the time, and their alma mater’s were playing one another at the Liberty Bowl that season.
Although Katie’s father passed away six months before the couple officially met, Tyler put so much thought and detail into incorporating him into their lives wherever the two went. Katie’s father had a memorial tree in a park across from the Bentonville library near a gazebo, and the couple would often visit it together.
The night Tyler proposed, he asked her to meet her there before going to dinner. Little did she know, he had decorated the entire gazebo with flower petals and candles. “It was the most perfect and personal proposal, exactly where it was meant to happen,” Katie said.
Photo Credit: Miles Witt Boyer
Wedding Professionals We Love
Planning, design, rentals, stationery and florist: Ovation Weddings NWA
Venue: The Ballroom at I Street
Wedding dress, groom and groomsmen suits: She Said Yes Bridal
Photo Credit: Miles Witt Boyer
More Wedding Professionals
Photographer: Miles Witt Boyer; Ceremony venue: Mildred B. Cooper Chapel; Videographer: Dave and a Camera; Catering: Carmelita Catering; Bartender: Mint2Mix; Cake: Shelby Lynn’s; Signage: Accents by Ovation; Live Artist: Nicole Hardeman; DJ: Ozark Mix, DJ Rev; Musicians: Smoothman Productions Jazz Quartet; Hair stylist: Ace Hair Co.; Makeup artist: Reagan Johnston; Rentals: Alchemy Event Rentals and Kindred Provisions; Guestbook phone: After the Tone; Dance floor: Dancenhance; Stationary: Shindig Paperie; Photo booth: Ozark Pix; Transportation: Pinnacle Car Service and Dynasty Transportation; Golf cart service: A to Z Golf Carts, Bella Vista; Welcome party venue: Bar Kapu at Motto, Bentonville; Rehearsal dinner venue: Bentonville Taco & Tamale
Photo Credit: Miles Witt Boyer
Q&A
Q: What was your favorite part of the planning process?
A: “Honestly, the relationship that we formed with Brooke made the whole thing so easy and seeing the way she made our dreams and vision come to life better than we could have imagined,” Katie said. “The first time we met, I shared my Pinterest board with generic inspiration for the overall look and theme. She took it and nailed it. She made the whole process stress-free, and we actually got to enjoy the parts of planning that other people might find stressful.”
Q: What personalizations did you incorporate?
A: “We had a giant crossword puzzle with fun facts about us and our relationship and guests were able to fill it in and learn more about us,” Katie said.
Q: What advice do you have for couples?
A: “If you can, find a planner that you really connect with and trust,” Katie said. “They will make the planning process so much more enjoyable. Also, try to remember that at the end of the day, what matters most is that you will be married to the love of your life … Try not to sweat the small stuff. I promise your guests will remember the love, not the logistics. ”
Q: When you look back at your wedding, what part of the day sticks out to you the most?
A: “The weather! It was the week after we had all those horrible storms and multiple tornadoes came through Northwest Arkansas,” Katie said. “It was projected to rain all day, and as much as we tried to ignore the weather leading up to the wedding, we couldn’t help but be just a little sad that it wasn’t going to be the sunny day we had dreamed of. It ended up raining the night before and into the morning, but it stopped [the morning] after the girls got to the ballroom to get ready. The sun ended up coming out, and it was 75 degrees with not a cloud in the sky [for] the rest of the day. We distinctly remember walking around outside after finishing our couple’s shots and we were just so amazed by how perfect the day turned out to be.”
Photo Credit: Miles Witt Boyer
Butterfly Release
“Tyler and I did a private butterfly release after our first look to honor my dad,” Katie said. “It was a good way to hold space for the grief that was obviously present surrounding my dad not being there, but also just such a sweet and intentional time for the two of us to feel connected before the chaos of the night really started.”
Photo Credit: Miles Witt Boyer
Tenderhearted Tuba
Not only does Katie associate butterflies with her father, who passed away six months before the couple met, but she also associates the tuba instrument with him. Brooke Smith and Katie made sure that the band incorporated a tuba in their sound to honor her father.
