Hillary Dunklin & Stewart Hornor
July 11, 2020 / Humphrey
Five Oaks Duck Lodge has been in Hillary Dunklin’s family for years. She grew up across the street and it was home to many special events throughout her life. “From annual dove and duck hunts to gatherings with some of our favorite people, Five Oaks has always been a place where sweet memories have been made,” she says. It only makes sense that Hillary would meet the love of her life at the place that held such a special place in her heart. She met Stewart Horner at Five Oaks in December 2017 when his family joined hers for a New Year's Duck Hunt.
Planning During a Pandemic
In April, Hillary received a call from her planner saying that the invitations would be delayed because the print shop had to shut down. A few weeks later, her parents told her that the couple’s original venue was closed until September and her family’s church in Stuttgart (where they planned to have the ceremony) was going to livestream until August. After brainstorming with many people and running through many possibilities, the couple decided to get married where their love story began—at Five Oaks Duck Lodge.
THE INSPIRATION
• • •
The couple decided to get married behind Five Oaks underneath the gazebo. Tanarah Luxe Floral covered the gazebo in beautiful florals, and inside the gazebo, the TLF team installed a floral and Angel Vine cross. They created an altar with various arrangements and a family candelabra to hold their unity candle.
Placed at each guest’s white chateau chair, there was a beautiful wedding program shaped like a book with a light pink satin bow. TLF laid down white carpet flooring over the stone walkway, which was used as the aisle.
The reception was held under an enclosed, air-conditioned tent to help stave off the Arkansas summer heat. Guests enjoyed appetizers, cocktails and live music in the tent as the newlyweds took pictures. The reception featured a beautiful dance floor with a watercolor, monogrammed crest, and a large floral chandelier was suspended above with acrylic rods, festive ribbons, twinkle lights, and pink, green and peach blooms.
HOW THEY CUSTOMIZED
One of the stand-out details of the day included Hillary’s two-piece bridesmaid dresses. She spotted the idea on Instagram and incorporated her favorite color, hot pink, for the skirts that she found on Dessy. One of her close friends is a fashion designer in Connecticut and she designed the ivory high-neck tops for a beautiful mix-and-match look.
The couple’s wedding cakes also included elements of Five Oaks. Once their original plans changed to a much smaller guest list, the couple decided they didn’t need their original cake. Hillary’s mom and sister surprised her with a new wedding cake that featured a few elements from the original. The bottom layer included a watercolor design featuring Oak trees and rice stalks since Hillary’s father was a rice farmer. The second tier had watercolor mallard ducks in flight and the top tier featured the couple’s crest.
There were various sentimental props throughout the evening, including large letter straws that spelled out “The Hornors,” custom duck calls featuring the couple’s hashtag and hot pink light-up crowns. The newlyweds also served custom slushies similar to 7-Eleven Slurpees to tie in their July 11 wedding date.
After the reception, the couple left in Stewart’s 1979 Land Cruiser. Stewart and his dad had purchased the Land Cruiser together years ago and have spent many hours working on it together.
After a whirlwind planning period that resulted in a beautiful wedding day, Hillary says the ups and downs reminded her of the true meaning of marriage and why the couple were getting married.
“I would encourage brides to learn how to let go of things that you cannot control,” she says. “This was a sweet lesson that my father patiently reminded me of throughout the planning process. We can plan all we want, but at the end of the day, there are elements that we simply cannot control.”
The tables were adorned with two uniquely patterned linens that included pops of pink. Tables alternated between a lush floral runner and a taller arrangement full of pink and green blooms. Each place setting included an ivory and gold monogrammed napkin with the couple's new three-lettered monogram and an acrylic duck-shaped menu card featuring that evening’s menu.
THE DETAILS
| WEDDING VENDORS WE LOVE | |
|---|---|
| Photography | Erin Wilson Photography and Films |
| Planning | TLF Event, a division of Tanarah Luxe Floral, Little Rock |
| Florals | Tanarah Luxe Floral, Little Rock |
| Groom’s wedding band | Wilkerson Jewelers, Stuttgart |
| Envelopes and envelope liners, programs, cups, napkins | The Social Type, Little Rock |
| MORE VENDORS | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Five Oaks Duck Lodge, Humphrey |
| Videography | Sunflower Films |
| Tent, chairs, china, glasses | Mahaffey Event & Tent Rentals, Memphis |
| Linens | Party Tables, Little Rock |
| Spark cannons, lighting, dance floor, monogram on dance floor | Central Arkansas Entertainment, Little Rock |
| Cake and groom's cake | Blue Cake Company, Little Rock |
| Caterer and drink service | Pine Bluff Country Club, Pine Bluff |
| DJ/Band | E-Train with RAM Entertainment, Memphis |
| Ceremony music | Arkansas Capital String Quartet |
| Invitations | Eberle Invitations |
| Calligraphy | KGH Calligraphy |
| Wedding dress | Ivory & White, Mountain Brook, Alabama |
| Bridesmaid skirts | Dessy |
| Bridesmaid tops | Zoe Baker with Zoe Annette Designs |
| Groom/groomsmen attire | Jos. A. Bank |
| Engagement ring and bride's wedding band | Mr. John Parrish, Searcy |
| Hair | Jessica Jacobs, Stuttgart |
| Makeup | Autumn with Artistry by Autumn, Stuttgart |
| Mallard duck acrylic menus | 5 by 7 designs, Addison, Texas |
| Jewelry for wedding party | Hazen Jewelry |
| Custom monogram | Claudia Engle |
| Custom monogrammed dinner linens | Donovan Design Linens |
| Custom bar menus | Rebecca Green Design |
| Custom duck calls | Rich-N-Tone Calls, Stuttgart |
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