Happy Memorial Day dear friends! 

Although we have been staying in, and staying home

 it seems that love is still in the air !  

It has been tough on so many of our brides to reschedule

 their wedding but I think it has made us all 

appreciate the little things so much more. 

My cup runneth over &  I can't wait to get back
to doing what we love ....in sharing

 a very special day with couples 

who pass through our gates. 

I have had time to appreciate some of the lovely pictures from weddings past 

and all of the little details that make our weddings so memorable. 

We have had the honor of sharing in the day of Health Care Workers, 

First Responders and Military Heros...never knowing how different 

their life, and ours would be.

In discussing with our upcoming brides I think they all have come to 

realize "quality over quantity" for it is the pictures 

that you have to keep your memories alive after the day is over.

 A great photographer is priceless. 

It is all the little details...Focusing on what 

is really important in planning your day

No matter large or small, organizing a wedding

 is most important for your important day! 

  Flowers, Cake, the dress, the food, 

the décor and transportation…all needing a clear sense of your vision, 

so it won’t look like it is just thrown together. 

Planning time is never wasted time!

Love is patient love is kind, it always protects, always trusts,

 always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

                        1 Corinthians 13:4 7-8

And the two shall become one.

                        Ephesians 5:31 

I look forward to the weddings in our future  
and we will appreciate all of these days a little bit more.

Lori Sparkman Photography

I hope you are all okay, I hope those you love

are safe and well, and I hope you’re 

weathering this storm with your family. 

What an unprecedented time.   

My cup runneth over & 

Wishing you a joy-filled Memorial Day weekend ...hugs! 

Be sure to join us on Instagram too!   https://www.instagram.com/aldasmagnoliahill/

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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

The Wedding Prayer

A wedding prayer by Robert Lewis Stevenson.

Lord, behold our family here assembled.

We thank you for this place in which we dwell,

for the love that unites us,

for the peace accorded us this day,

for the hope with which we expect the morrow,

for the health, the work, the food,
and the bright skies that make our lives delightful;

for our friends in all parts of the earth.

Amen

Love 

bears all things, 

believes all things

hopes all things

endures all things

love never fails. 

1 Corinthians 13:7

 From this day forward
You shall not walk alone.
My heart will be your shelter,
And my arms will be your home.  

Above all else, love each other deeply.
1 Peter 4:8

Savor This Moment

Savor This Moment

 Embracing the special moments of Your Wedding Day

A sundown kiss  

 

“There are many wedding pictures that will catch your eye,

but only a few will tug on your heartstrings…look for those moments.”

A very special mother steps in for the "Father Daughter Dance" 

            Today I am sitting here waiting on a client to walk in my door and I will share my peach tea with her as we begin to plan her wedding.  The flowers, the cake, the dress, but there are a few things that will make this wedding different from any other. Ever.

             I love weddings and have my dream job as a planner for that special once in a lifetime day.  Weddings are such an affirmation and hope for the future …a lot goes into the planning of that day!  Social Media is full of wedding day visual decorating ideas, dress inspirations, hairstyles, color palettes, and tasty options for a reception.  As a wedding planner for over ten years, I have ten years worth of ideas as  a lot can be seen and noted, but not all treasured

memories can be pictured on Pinterest…some things are just felt with the heart.  

These are the things that only your wedding will possess.

The "we did it" moment walking back up the aisle is all smiles ...so sweet holding hands!

 What is missing from all these resplendent Instagram and Pinterest ideas, is the heartfelt tangible sentiment that is the most important part of a wedding…things to make a wedding like no other…your wedding, your family, and your new husband!    I have been a silent witness to these sweet personal moments…sometimes tearstained; ideas that make wedding day, a wedding of their very own that is sentimental, meaningful and heartfelt.  

Revel in the fact that there has never been a wedding like yours

 and embrace just what will make it memorable.   Savor those moments.