We had the privilege of traveling down to Eureka Springs, Arkansas to photograph John and Carody’s wedding about a month ago. It was quite an interesting town! In fact, I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s basically built on the cliff of a mountain in the Ozark Mountains, and there is absolutely no structure or grid to the layout of the town. It’s just build wherever you can get something halfway level! There is certainly a lot of character in the touristy town, and the same could be said for each of the venues they visited throughout the day. We started the day getting ready at the Crescent Hotel, built all the way back in 1886. Which is nuts. There were beautiful gardens there, and the terrain was surprisingly level (I’m pretty sure this was on top of a mountain). It was a great spot to do a first look with the bride and groom, and worked really well for the wedding party as well.
After we wrapped up photos there, it was nearly sunset, so we headed to the ceremony site—the amazing Thorncrown Chapel on the outskirts of Eureka Springs. It was designed by E. Fay Jones, the same architect that built the chapel at Powell Gardens near Kansas City. Its architecture was stunning and the ceremony began a dusk, so the photographic drama of the event deep in the woods was great!
The ceremony was short, and before they released the dogs at the chapel site, yes—literal man hunting dogs—we were on our way to downtown Eureka Springs and the reception venue, The Basin Park Hotel. The Basin was built in 1905, so it was another extremely old building with a ton of character. It suited John and Carody’s smaller wedding well and the guests enjoyed dinner and a night of dancing to celebrate the occasion. Amy Bates of Bates Events deserves a shout out, as she was instrumental in helping to put the day together, and she was terrific to work with as well.
John and Carody, thank you guys so much for having us be a part of your day, and taking us to new and unchartered territories! We wish you guys all the best!
