Azel + Anthony’s Kindred Barn Wedding in Mulberry, Arkansas
Vendor Credits
Photography: The Kindred Collective Samantha Daniels
Wedding Planner: Meredith Events
Venue: Kindred Barn
Flowers: Kindred Blooms
DJ and Lighting: 385 Events
Catering and Bartender: Zapata's Mexican Grill
Cake: Confectionately Yours
Videographer: OliKing Films
Rentals: RSVP Event Rentals
Officiant: Scott Karnes with Pleasant Valley Church of Christ
Hair/MUA: Kari Wein Hair & Makeup
Read more on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings ➤
Q & A with Azel
Q. How did he propose?
We went to Dallas, TX for a weekend getaway after a stressful week to relax and simply to be in each other's company. On the way there, Anthony wanted to stop by this small town where they were having a sunset hot air balloon festival. I absolutely love hot air balloons. We watched them as they set up the balloons and fire them up when it got darker. Anthony asked someone to take a picture of the both of us with all the balloons and while they were taking pictures, Anthony asked me how much I loved him and if it was enough to want to spend the rest of my life with him. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, and the rest was honestly a blur because we were so excited and happy. We celebrated with In-n-Out Burgers. And it was perfect.
Q. Did anything interesting or funny happen that you would like to share about your wedding day?
Something that was a nightmare at the time was that one of the groomsmen told us he wasn't able to make it three days before the wedding. Less than a day after we found out, my younger brother flew in to town for the wedding. We decided to pick up the tux for Anthony (groom) and while we were there, asked if by chance my brother can try on the tux for the other groomsmen. Miraculously, he fit the tux PERFECTLY and we asked him then if he wanted to be our groomsmen to which he answered yes. He fit in with the rest of the groomsmen so well and was pretty much the life of the party. We loved that it all worked together for him to be a part of our wedding.
Q. What is your favorite memory of your wedding day?
My favorite memory is getting to have all our most beloved family and friends sharing a meal together and just being there. With family scattered all throughout the world, it really did mean so much that they were there celebrating and that they were celebrating us and our love. We had family from Canada, Italy, England, and different states and sharing the day and even the week with them was a dream.
Also another favorite memory were all the little small windows of time that we were able to spend time with each other. During the first look and taking our portraits right after the ceremony. We loved that we had those times to ourselves to just soak in the meaning of the day and to just bask in each other's presence around the beauty of the fall scenery.
Q. Do you have any budget saving tips or advice for other brides-to-be?
A budget saving tip I have to offer is to definitely do research with small businesses in the area. Most our vendors were small businesses, some where just starting out and they were the best decisions we've made. They pour their hearts out in their craft and they offer some of the best prices out there in the wedding industry.
Another advice is that when picking your vendors, make sure they are people you vibe with. Choose the ones that are excited for you and to be working with you. Your vendors are who will be working to advocate for what you want on your wedding day so its important that they are easy to talk to and that they know what you want. Wedding planning can be so stressful and discouraging sometimes, but every time we talked to our planner, florist, videographer, DJ, etc. they honestly sparked back up that excitement because they were so happy for us and so encouraging. The passion they have in doing what they do shows through our meetings. We always rest assured that we were in good hands and that is the feeling you need throughout your wedding planning process. So pick your vendors wisely, trust your gut in those initial meetings/phone calls, and don't make any rushed decisions.