Front Porch Wedding

Front porch weddings might be trending as the coronavirus seems to take hold and cause a lot of couples to rethink their wedding as originally planned. 

 Recently we hosted a "Plan B" wedding for a very special Magnolia Hill bride who is a hero in her own right as a member of the National Guard.

“The National Guard is fully involved at the local, state, and federal level in the planning and execution of the nation’s response to COVID-19,” 
a National Guard Bureau spokesperson said in the release.  

“At the national level, Guard members are training personnel on COVID-19 response, identifying and preparing National Guard facilities for use as isolation housing, and compiling state medical supply inventories,” the release continued. “National Guard personnel will provide assistance to the states that include logistical support, disinfection/cleaning, activate/conduct transportation of medical personnel, call center support, and meal delivery."  

Our hero National Guard bride Maria and her fiance´ Santiago, chose to go ahead and postpone the wedding with all friends and family to instead,  have a simple sweet Front Porch Wedding.

 We rallied around our "hero" and gave her an intimate wedding with only parents and immediate family to watch safely from a distance. 

On the table a Bible 

and hand sanitizer...what a sign of the times!

The Arkansas National Guard has soldiers and airmen on state active duty performing a variety of missions in support of the Arkansas Department of Health, the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

The groom nervously twirls the ring and awaits for his bride...

Beautiful Maria arrives with a handful of white roses and the marriage license in hand. 

Vows and rings are exchanged on the front porch under Buddy's direction.

Photographer Lori Sparkman graciously 

agreed to catch it all even if from a distance 

with her camera and artful eye. 

Mr. and Mrs..."You may now kiss your bride!"

To bless the new marriage ceremony, a basket of white doves were released ...

Family stood nearby with their cameras 
ready to snap and capture the dove release. 
 All Less than 10 people!

Buddy signed the marriage license on the front porch and made it all official.

Since our 102 year old home is on the 

National Historic Register, 

I wonder if this is the first wedding

 on this southern style front porch. 

 It surely is under these conditions! 

 Arkansas Guardsmen are supporting 12 active missions as part of the state’s COVID-19 response efforts. 

Glancing down at new rings...

Hugs from dad

Our hearts were full as this couple bursting with love 

got married on our front porch.  

Monday morning back to work protecting us all...

 Watching this wedding from afar and 

knowing that this member of the National Guard 

can pull off a stunning wedding 

in a Sunday afternoon...all on the front porch. 

Congratulations ! 

“‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord,

 ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.’

Jeremiah 29:11