CHAD TAYLOR & MYRON YANCY
May 6, 2023 | The Venue at Oakdale | North Little Rock | Stephanie Parsley Photography
Chad Taylor and Myron Yancy met after Chad’s home burned down in a fire and he was in search of some much-needed clothes! Their mutual friends set them up so Chad could borrow clothes, and the two hit it off.
“We ended up talking on the phone for 3 hours the next day and made an official appointment for him to come get new clothes since all of his were fried crispy,” Myron said. “After getting him set up with a few key wardrobe items, we set a date to go have dinner.”
Although Chad doesn’t remember a particular moment he realized Myron was the one, he said that Myron continues to show he is “the one” every day by being a loving and generous person.
Myron, on the other hand, remembers down to the date he realized Chad was the one! Two weeks after they met on March 30th, Myron realized he wanted to continue to experience Chad’s love.
“When I watched how you cared for your friends at Kelleigh’s and when you grilled for us, “ Myron said. “I just knew I wanted to experience more of your love and thoughtfulness.”
WEDDING VENDORS WE LOVE
Planning and design
Gretchen Larkan Events
Venue
The Venue at Oakdale
Rentals
A Perfect Bloom Florist & Wedding Rentals & Party Time Event & Rentals
MORE VENDORS
Photography: Stephanie Parsley; Catering/Bar: Boulevard Bread Company; Entertainment: Adrienne Collins & The Party Jammers; Rentals: Eventology; Production/Custom Vinyl: Central Arkansas Entertainment; Myron's Tux: Zegna, provided by Bauman’s; Chad's Tux: Provided by Munro; Hair: Summer Collins of Bloom Salon; Late Night Snack: Whataburger
Q & A
Q: Where did the inspiration for your florals come from?
A: “We didn’t want flowers to be the focus of the wedding, so we went simple but elegant,’ Chad said. “We used all white flowers, incorporating hydrangeas, orchids, roses, calla lilies, tulips and campanulas. For our cocktail hour, we had a large display with tall glass cylinders filled with bouquets surrounded by candles and delicious finger foods. On our dinner tables, we kept it simple with votives in mercury glass vases and floating candles surrounding mint julep cups filled with white roses. Of note, our friends and family helped us make the flower arrangements. We purchased our flowers from Sam’s Club.”
Q: What is your secret to wedding planning success?
A: “We really wanted to focus on the love we have each other and our wonderful friends and family,” Chad said. “ All of our wedding decisions were based around this…and having a wonderful time! We wrote personal, individual notes for every guest, thanking them for their impact in our lives and coming to celebrate with us. We just thought this was more meaningful than a party favor.”
Q: Tell us about your wedding looks. We love your suits!
A: “Myron's custom tuxedo was a gorgeous black peak lapel,” Chad said. “It was made by Italian vendor Zegna and provided by Bauman's men’s store. Instead of a boutonniere, Myron wore a brooch of Chad’s late mother, Bettie.”
A: “Chad wore a distinct custom charcoal peak satin lapel tuxedo,” Myron said. “It was made and gifted to him by Atelier Munro.”
Q: What detail did you know from day 1 of wedding planning you wanted to include in your wedding day?
A: “Delicious food. Boulevard Bread catered for us and they were amazing,” Chad said. “It was a big event and they really knocked it out of the park. We had Fried chicken, red beans and rice, shrimp and grits. (late-night honey butter chicken biscuits from Whataburger). Of note, we didn’t even have a traditional wedding cake! Instead, we served bite-sized desserts also made by Boulevard, including carrot cake, coconut cake and apple crisp, and they were DELICIOUS.”
Q: What was your most worth-it splurge?
A: “Instead of a rehearsal dinner, we had a Welcome Party and the Railyard,” Chad said. “All of our guests were invited to join us Friday night for a casual pre-party! We decided to hire a local band, Dazz and Brie, and they made the evening so incredibly special.”
Q: Where did you go on your honeymoon?
A: “We went to Greece, and I want to give a special shoutout to Anna Dilworth at Jet Set World Travel,” Chad said. “Crete was enchanting, as was the Staff at the Domes Noruz in Chania.”
ROARING ‘20S INSPIRED WEDDING
“The dress code was black tie optional,” Chad said. “We wanted something classic, Great Gatsby-meets-New-Year’s-Eve but in the spring. Our save-the-dates, invitations, menus, a huge champagne wall seating chart, and tablescape were all in this color scheme.”
A SPECIAL THANKS
“We want to make special note of our wonderful photographer, Stephanie Parsley, as she did a fantastic job of capturing every special moment,” Chad said. “We made such a connection with her and her partner, Hank Hawkins; they are now great friends of ours! A local artist with deep ties to Little Rock (and a great friend of ours), Crystal C. Mercer, generously loaned us a marvelous piece of work “A Garden Wedding” straight off her living room wall.”
