FEATURED WEDDING – February 2010

Clay and Rachael Metcalf

1.2.10

It all started Sept. 18, 2009, for Clay and Rachael Metcalf. After a picnic and a hike by the Buffalo River in Arkansas, Clay told Rachael he loved her.

Rachael knew something was different about that day. “He had never told me he loved me before,” Rachael said. She and Clay had decided not to say “I love you,” until they were engaged.
With his mother’s engagement ring, Clay proposed to Rachael, and their wedding plans began. The couple wasted no time with preparations and set a date only four months away. They were married Jan. 2, 2010.

Rachael was still going to school in Fayetteville, Ark. so her mother helped her finalize many of the plans for her wedding, which was held in Little Rock, Ark. In no time, plans were made to host the wedding and reception at the Junior League of Little Rock, 401 Scott St.

Rachael said she and Clay had wanted an outdoor wedding that fit their personalities more but were thrilled with the elegant look of their wedding.

The Junior League provided a spacious room that held all 350 guests, as well as a room downstairs where the guests waited for the reception to start.

Rachael said she had one requirement for her 12 bridesmaids: they were not required to buy a bridesmaid’s dress. Rachael chose to clad her attendants in black, giving them the choice of what to wear. Each dress was different. She didn’t want to burden them with buying expensive dresses.

With 12 bridesmaids, Rachael felt she was surrounded by love on her wedding day. The girls helped Rachael with her hair and makeup. To top off the day, Rachael wore her mother’s wedding dress.

With the help of Cathy Hendrixson, Rachael’s seamstress, the 1980s-style dress was converted into a tasteful halter gown. Along with removing the sleeves, Hendrixson also shortened the train of the dress and created a fuller skirt.

Clay wanted to add a bit of his own casual style to the wedding as well, which is why he chose to pair his tuxedo from Men’s Warehouse with Chaco sandals. “Clay is a very humble person, but he is secretly a prankster,” Rachael said.

He and his groomsmen sported the sandals at the wedding. Rachael laughed, saying it was a bargaining chip she was willing to give in to if it put Clay in a tuxedo.

Rachael and Clay chose white slipcovers for the chairs. It was a detail she said was thought of late in the process and she was pleased when Party Time Rentals was able to deliver a quality product. “The chairs looked so chic,” Rachael said.

Party Time Rentals also provided draping to block off the on-site kitchen during the reception.

To add a little color to the wedding party, Rachael wanted her bridesmaids’ bouquets to be an array of color, which is exactly what Cabbage Rose Florists delivered. The bouquets were a mix of oranges, purples, blues and reds. The florist, located in the Heights in Little Rock, also provided a variety of floral hairpieces for Rachael. Her mother had worn a flower wreath on her wedding day, and Rachael wanted something more understated, but still wanted flowers for her hair. She said she was pleased with the end result.

Rachael turned to a trusted photographer to capture her wedding memories. Melisa Smock, owner of Photography by Melisa, photographed the wedding and reception. When she was in high school, Rachael had gone to Smock for her senior portraits. Rachael said it was an easy choice to make. “We already knew and trusted her ability,” Rachael said.

All of the elements came together and made for a memorable wedding for Rachael and Clay.

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