Wedding date: April 30, 2011
Bride: Lauren Francis of Springdale
Groom: Justin Eoff of Springdale
Ceremony/Reception venue: Lake Wedington Lodge, Fayetteville
The love story: Justin and I met when we were 11 and 12, but the sparks did not fly at the time because my roller skating got in the way of his basketball game. Later, when we were 21 and 22, I was invited to an Eoff Brother's show, of which Justin was the drummer. During intermission, I left my chair and he came and sat down in it. Naturally, I thought he sat down to flirt with my friends. He swears this is not true. Later that week, he sent me a message on MySpace asking if I would come to another show. After that show, I received another MySpace message asking me on a date. We have been inseparable ever since (5 years)!
What was your overall inspiration? I wanted a sweet, simple, homemade wedding. I pieced together pictures from different weddings … starting with a picture of a bouquet. I loved the colors and loved the flowers. I built everything around it.
What were the interesting personal touches and unique details? I ordered the most adorable pennant banners from Etsy.com/Shop/JumpUpAndDown. My mom and I borrowed tons of mason jars to put candles in…we purchased vintage vases at flea markets...my dad built the six cake stands at all different heights with logs…and my mother made all of our paper goods, including the invitations and CD covers.
What one detail truly made the wedding yours? We said from the very beginning that we wanted to have fun on our wedding day, and we wanted our guests to have fun. I think we achieved this, and this is what made our wedding completely "us.”
How did you customize your wedding? I feel as if everything was customized, because I handpicked everything we used!
How did you save money? The decor was very minimal. It consisted of mason jars (borrowed from friends and family), votive candles (coupons at Hobby Lobby), pennant banners (Etsy), small antique vases (family and flea markets), Christmas lights (after-Christmas sale at Home Depot), and flowers (bought in bulk and arranged by family). Our cakes were made by a lady in our church.
What were the highlights of your wedding day? I loved our "first look." We had been told that it would calm our nerves and prepare us for the ceremony and that was so true! I was much less nervous walking down the aisle. And I loved hearing people say that the wedding was so “us!”
The Details
Wedding dress: She Said Yes, Rogers
Photographer: Photo Love Photography, NWA
Florist: Flowerama of NWA, Bentonville
Rentals/Lighting: Eventures Party Rentals & Event Planning, NWA & Little Rock
DJ/Band: Left of Center, Little Rock
