Ashley and Micaiah

I remember getting the inquiry for Ashley and Micaiah’s wedding in January 2022. I was super excited for several reasons. Not just because they sounded like a super fun couple but because we really seemed to hit it off, once Ashely returned from Uganda.

We decided to schedule their engagement session for late September at Crystal Bridges with a more formal outfit and more relaxed outfit. Ashley’s beautiful white dress was originally going to be her wedding dress! It was perfect to for the late summer vibe of the Crystal Bridges trails. Did I make them dance? Of course! I also made them hold hands a lot just in general be adorable and possibly a little embarrassed to be seen in public with me! (We do what we have to do for the art!)

Their second outfit was super precious, it was also where I learned that Micaiah worked at the coffee shop that they were planning on getting married at! (He totally had coffee on his shirt but it worked out, you never saw it! We took advantage of the monochromatic outfits put up against the beautiful ivy on the parking deck. Let me tell you, I’m a sucker for a good parking deck, so we of course, made our way to downtown Bentonville and played on the parking deck there and the alleyway by the little neighborhood market there.

All in all a great time! The vibe from the day was amazing and I was even more excited about their upcoming wedding and Ashley’s upcoming bridal session.

After deciding that we wanted to go somewhere off the beaten path for the her session, we decided that White Rock Overlook was the place we wanted to go. We stopped on the main way up to the overlook to do some portraits in a more wooded area. We definitely ran into people who were off- roading and might have had a few moments of anxiety when it came time to actually get into the woods. It had been a little rainy in the few days leading up to the session, and we did NOT want to get anything on Ashley’s dress literally weeks out from her wedding.

I am horribly afraid of heights, but when it comes to White Rock, I’m ready to literally sit on the edge of a mountain to get the shot that the overlook is known for.

Priceless.

Ashley had a cathedral length veil that the wind just… chef’s kiss… tossed all over the place. Talk about dramaaaaaa It was perfection.

The portraits we got that night, were totally worth the flat tires I ended up getting, haha!

Then the big day!! The weddinggggg dayyyy!!

I was so excited! So excited in fact that I totally wasn’t paying attention to my speed and got pulled over less than a mile away from the venue. Ended up NOT getting a ticket because the office asked me where I was going and because I have NO chill “uhimonmywaytophotographaweddingohgodimsosorry” sooo he took pity on me and released me with just a warning. (and I'm pretty sure something else happened that was more important because I could tell he got a call on his walkie - ear piece)

Made it to the venue and started taking photos of all the fun details and tried to get an idea of how it was all going to flow together. I had never been to a wedding like theirs before and it was just stunning.

Micaiah’s dad officiated the wedding and fun fact! Micaiah’s family is close friends with a good friend of mine from high school! I had no idea until my friend reached out! How small is the world getting friends?! Love it!

Anyway all of the sisters (literally both Ashley and Micaiah have sisters for days ) went down the aisle and finally it was time for Ashley

The sun was shining just right, the wind stopped blowing for a few moments, and everything seemed right in the world.

After a beautiful and intimate ceremony they kissed and danced back down the aisle! We had a great time during their cocktail hour, I forced them to take photos of each other, we all danced and laughed. Then they went into the reception and straight into their first dance.

They had wicked wood fired pizza and ricks bakery, as well as coffee and drinks from the coffee shop. The dancing was wild and the music was perfect. Overall. An amazing time.

I did make them hang out in the sparklers for a few seconds longer than normal but I couldn’t resist!

I am so happy and honored that I was able to be a part of their special day/s. I love the relationship that we have as we bonded over the time we spent together. Thank you so much Ashley and Micaiah for trusting me with these moments.

Thank you so much to the vendor team that really helped bring the day together.

Planning : Amanda Tannehill Wedding Planning

Venue : Old Pine Coffee Roasters

Florals : Ollie Marie's

Catering : Wicked Wood Fire Pizza

Cake : Rick's Bakery

Rentals : Randal Events

Dj: DJ Ty Walker

Hair: Lauren Treats Hair

Make Up : Aesthetics By Shelby King

Dress and Veil : Grace Loves Lace(Peaches and Grace)

Shoes : Dolce Vita(Noel Heels)

Invitation Suite :Minted Weddings (Classy Type)