Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley

WINDOM PAUL & ROBERT MCCAULEY

April 22, 2023 | Private Residence | Jonesboro | Meredith Benton Photography

Robert knew he was going to marry Windom since they were in the second grade.

Born and raised in Jonesboro, theyโ€™ve known each other since they were babies. Their first real memories of one another are from first grade at South Elementary School, and in sixth grade, Robert was Windomโ€™s first boyfriend.

โ€œI would gush to my mother about how I would marry him one day,โ€ Windom said. โ€œWe dated off-and-on for almost nine years in our 20s. I have so many memories of realizing he was โ€˜the one.โ€™ Too many to count.โ€

Robert proposed to Windom over the July 4th weekend at one of their favorite places in the world, Greers Ferry Lake. Windom was told they were going to dinner at a local restaurant only accessible by boat. The two hopped on their boat and sailed across the lake.

โ€œMy hair was still wet from my shower, my nails were in need of a manicure and I was convinced we were getting engaged the following October,โ€ Windom said. โ€œInstead, Robert asked me to marry him right there in the middle of the lake. I donโ€™t remember all of the words he said, but I know they were the best Iโ€™ve ever heard.โ€

Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography
Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography
Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography
Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography

WEDDING VENDORS WE LOVE

Planner
Jessica Kersey of JLK Weddings

Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography
Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography
Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography

MORE VENDORS

Photography: Meredith Benton Photography; Florist: Zach Jones of Bearded Bouquet; Reception venue: Private residence; Ceremony venue: First United Methodist Church; Wedding dress: Maggie Louise Bridal (Memphis, Tennessee); Groomโ€™s custom jacket: Walker Brothers; Cake: Southern Confections; Catering: Chow at One Eighteen; Ceremony music: Bernard Raley, Alex Ditto, Hannah Bartholomae, Brian Henkelmann, Charles Askew, Mary Catherine Armstrong and Jacob Bushong; Officiant: Reverend John Miles; Band: Diamond Empire Band; Tents and rentals: Artents & Elegant Party Rentals; Beauty and skincare: Jaydn Moore and Megan Lamb of Esthetique, Amber Stone and Abigail Cook of Vanstone Salon, Hannah McFadden of Parlour 6022, Chelsea Guthrie of Boho Extension Co. & Salon and Taylor Kinsey of Onyx Med Spa & IV Lounge

Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography
Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography
Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography

Q & A

Q: What inspired your color palette?

A: โ€œMy favorite color has always been and will always be pink, and I just wanted to incorporate as many of our favorite things into our day as we could,โ€ Windom said. โ€œUltimately, I landed on โ€˜ballet pinkโ€™ for the bridesmaid dresses, and the rest of the palette unfolded.โ€

Q: What is your secret to wedding planning success?

A: โ€œAs clichรฉ as it sounds, I would say, โ€˜Make decisions that feel like you!โ€™ Iโ€™ve always said that Pinterest is my favorite form of social media, and as a 30-year-old with an art degree and an interior designer for a mother, that still holds true,โ€ Windom said. โ€œThough all of the inspo I had bookmarked was beautiful, my secret to planning wasโ€ฆfiguring out how we could make them feel like us. Even the tiniest of details, once they became sentimental, made the biggest impact.โ€

Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography
Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography

Q: What did you love about your venue?

A: โ€œOur biggest stressor was deciding where weโ€™d get marriedโ€ฆUltimately, the sentimentalist in me won out, and we decided to get married in our hometown of Jonesboro,โ€ Windom said. โ€œโ€ฆMy mother-in-law asked us if we knew of this man in Jonesboro who rented out his home for events. We did not. That afternoon, we were taking a virtual tour through photos and booked it! It was the biggest blessing in disguise. From that moment on, the homeowner was known as Uncle Chad.โ€

Q: Was there a special detail from your decor that sticks out to you the most?

A: โ€œOne of my favorite details from our wedding ceremony was including all nine of the littles in our family and welcoming all guests to bring their children,โ€ Windom said. โ€œMy most favorite detail of the reception was my wedding cake. A few years ago, our niece Ava doodled some butterflies that Southern Confection Pies transposed onto her birthday cake in icingโ€ฆThe minute I saw it, I knew thatโ€™s what we had to do for our cake: have little hands decorate it the way only little hands can.โ€

Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography
Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography
Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography

FAMILY AFFAIR

Windomโ€™s late grandmother bought her wedding gown, and she had lace from her motherโ€™s wedding dress made into a choker necklace. She also wore her motherโ€™s veil, and added a blusher to it from the lace of her motherโ€™s gown.

Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography
Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography
Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography

MORNING-OF FUN!

โ€œI took the โ€˜getting readyโ€™ moment a step further and turned it into a real party,โ€ Windom said. โ€œThe best part of it was watching my best friends from all over the countryโ€ฆbecome friends not just with each other, but with all the women in my family.โ€

Real Wedding: Windom Paul & Robert McCauley 147434
Meredith Benton Photography

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