1

Apr

2025

Jessica and Michael’s Earth Toned Destination Wedding in Arkansas by Melly M. Jones Photography

By Boho

Today’s wedding sees us celebrate plants and greenery within a wedding, with this earth toned destination wedding in Arkansas. Jessica and Michael were married on 12th October 2024 in Arkansas in the south of the US. When Jessica and Michael first locked eyes across their local grocery store where they both worked as high school juniors, neither could summon the courage to approach the other. Thankfully, a mutual friend stepped in to exchange their numbers, and the rest, as they say, is history. The day was captured by Melly M. Jones Photography and planned to perfection by Katie Gill.

The Proposal 
Their journey to marriage began during an exploration of Utah’s National Parks. “Mike planned a trip to explore, hike, and sightsee during its cooler off-season in the winter,” Jessica recalls. During a day spent discovering Zion’s breathtaking vistas, they hiked to the upper emerald pools for lunch. There, with a waterfall providing the perfect backdrop, Michael asked Jessica to be his wife.

The Ceremony 
For their wedding venue, destiny intervened through social media. “We found Anthony’s Chapel on Instagram while mindlessly scrolling one day,” Jessica shares. “It was the first place that truly caught both of our eyes, so we did some research and planned a trip to visit a week later. We knew as soon as we walked up to the chapel that we had found our spot.”
The magnificent Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Arkansas, known as “The Natural State” in the Southern United States, served as the perfect ceremony setting for this destination wedding. With its soaring windows bringing the outside in, the chapel has become a sought-after venue for couples from across the world looking to exchange vows surrounded by natural beauty—a fitting choice for this nature-loving couple. The ceremony was made even more personal as Michael’s father officiated the heartfelt exchange of vows.

The Reception
Following the ceremony, guests made their way to the charming Chittum Venue at Forest Lakes for a reception that perfectly balanced elegance with comfort. Wedding planner Katie Gill ensured that every detail aligned with the couple’s vision.
“Because this was a destination wedding where many of our guests had not met prior to the big day, we tried to open up the entire weekend to wedding festivities for those who could join us,” explains Jessica. “We wanted celebration, comfort, and camaraderie to be the focal point of our event so we could spend the entirety of our wedding day with the people we love the most.”

Flowers
For a couple who describes themselves as “houseplant collectors and caretakers,” their floral choices reflected their everyday passions. Magnolia Belle Floral created arrangements that emphasized the couple’s desired palette of earth tones with prominent greens and gentle browns.
“We’re not flowery individuals,” Jessica notes. “We wanted our floral aspects to reflect our everyday life.” One meaningful exception: lily of the valley blooms were incorporated to honor Jessica’s grandmother who had passed away seven years earlier.

Food 
While many couples feel pressured to serve elaborate wedding meals, Jessica and Michael prioritized what would truly please their guests.
“Going into our meeting with the caterer, Vibrant Occasions, we were unsure of what type of food we wanted to serve,” Jessica remembers. “We had not been impressed with the food at weddings we had attended in the past, and we knew that one of our main priorities would be to serve our guests a good meal since everyone had traveled so far to be here with us.”
After discussions with Vibrant Occasions Catering, they settled on a southern comfort food theme featuring BBQ chicken breast, brisket, vegetables, mashed potatoes, and macaroni.
“At the end of the day we had decided that you don’t have to have a fancy meal just because you’re having a wedding, but a simple filling meal goes a lot further,” Jessica says. Their choice was vindicated when they noticed nearly every single one of our guests going up for second, and even third servings.

Wedding Cake 
The couple’s cake from Taste of Eden struck the perfect balance between elegance and simplicity: three ivory tiers accented with small green eucalyptus. Each tier offered guests a different flavor experience with strawberry on top, vanilla in the middle, and chocolate on the bottom. For those craving additional treats, cupcakes were available alongside dramatic bananas foster and s’mores action stations.

Playful Touches
To help their guests (many meeting for the first time) break the ice, Jessica and Michael provided tabletop games during cocktail hour and the reception. “We loved seeing friends come together to act silly with people they barely knew,” Jessica shares.
Crown Entertainment’s DJ Nolan kept the energy high throughout the evening, while Melly M. Jones Photography captured both still photos and video of the joyous celebration.

Honeymoon 
Though their wedding may be behind them, Jessica and Michael have another adventure to anticipate: a honeymoon in St. Lucia planned for winter 2025, where they look forward to relaxing on the beach, exploring whatever beautiful amenities the island has to offer, and tasty food.

Advice for other couples 
For couples currently planning their weddings, Jessica offers practical advice: “Booking your wedding further out, i.e., 2 years instead of within 1 year of getting engaged, allows more time to set aside money so you don’t have to cut back on anything. You only get married once so you want to give yourself enough time to pay for the wedding you want to have.”

 

 

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