KATHERINE ELIZABETH & HAYES ALLEN WALLACE
August 26, 2023 | Clinton Presidential Center | Little Rock | Heather Jenkins Photography
Katherine and Hayes met at the University of Arkansas in 2016 during their finite mathematics class. The two realized they shared mutual friends and their friendship bloomed from there!
“I realized that Hayes was the one after talking to him in class,” Katherine said. “It sounds silly, but there was just something about him that made me feel very at home.”
Katherine and Hayes discovered they had more in common than mutual friends. Her grandmother was his family’s travel agent, and their grandfathers were colleagues professionally, not to forget that Hayes’ dad and Katherine’s uncle grew up playing tee ball together. What a small world!
“It almost seemed too good to be true, and every time we talked, my feelings grew stronger and stronger,” Katherine said. “I knew from that point on, there would never be a time that Hayes was not a part of my life.”
WEDDING VENDORS WE LOVE
Photographer
Heather Jenkins Photography
Gown
Tesori
Florals & design
Bella Terra Estate
Venue
Clinton Presidential Center
Catering
Clinton Presidential Center Catering
MORE VENDORS
Planner: B. Jane Events; Videography: Patrick Hawkins of Crown Entertainment; Ceremony Venue: St. Edward Catholic Church; Invitations: Shindig Paperie; Save the Dates: Minted; Tuxedos: The Black Tux; Jewelry: EVM Jewelers; Cake: Sweets by Logan; DJ, photo booth and lighting: Crown Entertainment; Rentals: Eventology; Makeup: Regan Johnston; Hair: Dazzle with Brazil; Veil and Alterations: Berna Perdue, Tailored to You; Transportation: Arkansas Destinations
Q & A
Q: What is your secret to wedding planning success?
A: “While I am an extreme perfectionist, one thing I kept having to tell myself during wedding planning was that while the little things matter, not everyone will notice the way the flatware is arranged on the table,” Katherine said. “And instead focus my time and energy towards the things that mattered most to me: the music, food, and making sure to pencil in our timeline to enjoy time with our guests.”
Q: What inspired your color palette?
A: “The two words that I used to describe our wedding ‘vision’ from the beginning were classic and timeless,” Katherine said. “I wanted our wedding to just be a timeless, classic event that we would look back on in the years to come and be a crisp, clean vision.”
Q: Tell us about the venue. Why did you decide to get married here?
A: “Growing up Catholic, I always wanted to get married in a beautiful church, and when we decided to get married in Little Rock to be close to family, St. Edward was the perfect choice for us,” Katherine said. “Knowing that we were going to have a ‘split-site’ wedding made our search for a reception venue a little more difficult, as I knew I wanted a place that the girls and I could get ready in on Saturday morning…The Clinton Presidential Center was the logical choice, as it offered great food, drink and a stunning Great Hall space. It was the perfect space to make our own, and being able to see the river at night was the cherry on top.”
Q: Tell us about your florals!
A: “I lucked out in the flower department, and my mother-in-law was our florist,” Katherine said. “Our flower varieties included tulips, four rose varieties, Fresia, Hydrangea, eucalyptus, calla lilies, and orchids (to name a few!). We had bud vases that lined the room and window sills in the foyer and had a mixture of Harlequin stand arrangements, table arrangements, and candles on each table. My bridal bouquet was a mixture of roses, hydrangeas, and a few other varieties, and the bridesmaid bouquets were a slightly smaller version of my bouquet.”
Q: What is a compliment you've heard from guests about your wedding day?
A: “Everyone said how delicious the food was and they were pleased with the portion sizes, and a common compliment was that one of the bartenders made the ‘world’s best old fashioned,’” Katherine said. “There were lots of amazed faces at the florals when people walked in as well, and lots of tears were shed during my dad’s speech at the wedding.”
Q: What surprised you about planning a wedding?
A: “One thing that I wish I had known before starting the planning process was the extent of time that some things would take to complete, and that ‘decision fatigue’ is a real thing,” Katherine said. “As someone who is an operations manager by trade, I thought that wedding planning would come somewhat naturally to me, but I was very surprised that at a certain point, I felt like I had decision fatigue and had to enlist the help of family and friends to help me execute a few of my visions.”
FIRST LOOKS
Katherine’s favorite moments of the day were her first looks with her dad and Hayes.
“The look on both of their faces when they turned around was absolutely priceless,” Katherine said. “Lots of tears were shed, and those are two moments I will forever cherish.”
WORTH-IT WEDDING DAY SPLURGES
“Both our photographer and videographer had a ‘second shooter’ and they worked so well together and captured moments from our big day that we will always cherish,” Katherine said, “Especially some family photos of our entire extended families that meant the world to us and our families.”
OUR FAVES
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The whimsical florals.
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The hand-painted champagne bottles!
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Katherine’s embroidered handkerchief for her grandmother.
