NWAWI June 23 Issue

on the cover

Caitlin Murdock and Ross Carver were married on January 14, 2023, in Bella Vista, with a reception at The Apollo on Emma (page 7), DJ services by Dancenhance Entertainment (page 14), Bartending by Tie 1 On NWA (page 3), and photos by Taryn Lynn Photography.

*For a full vendor list, visit our website!

Deadline

NWA Wedding Ideas

Missy Elzey, Founder Monty Muehlebach, Owner

Layout & Design: Jason D. Nida

Distribution team: Bonnie Sutton, Whitney Montgomery, Advertising Helpers, Michelle McGuire, and Zoe Vallance

Wilson Photography

Caitlin Murdock & Ross Carver

January 14, 2023

One weekend in February 2016, Ross and I were introduced by some mutual friends. We were both 16 years old; I was a sophomore and Ross was a junior. It was a weekend to remember... especially with my car engine blowing up. I ended up having to call my parents to inform them that I was in fact driving around after being told that I could only drive to my friend’s house for the night and then straight home... sorry Mom and Dad.

We began dating in March. We dated long-distance my senior year of high school, which was hard. In college, we both played sports, and with our schedules being different and our schools in different states, we ended up going our separate ways for one year. We soon figured out that we couldn't stay away from each other, and we decided to take another chance in May 2019. We quickly learned how to manage the difficulties of the distance and could not be happier that we took that chance on us again.

With Ross following his dream of playing baseball, we dated long-distance for almost 3 years with some breaks in between baseball season, holidays, and trips to see each

other. One weekend in February of 2022, I was visiting Ross for what I thought was a late birthday celebration. He had dinner planned and mentioned going to Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs. However, the weather had different plans, and decided Arkansas needed snow that weekend. Ross had to change plans within a day’s notice as the Gardens closed due to the inclement weather. On February 5th, he drove us to his grandparent’s property because he said, “I have a surprise before we go to dinner.” Once we parked, he put a blindfold over my eyes and walked me over to a special spot. He had a blanket set out with flower petals, a basket with 2 glasses, a bottle of champagne, and a photographer ready for him to propose. On the way to dinner, he asked that I stay off my phone because he had another surprise waiting for me. We walked inside the restaurant where our family and close friends were waiting to surprise us.

We were still long-distance for part of the year that we were engaged. We had lots of Facetime dates that involved talking about wedding plans. We chose The Apollo on Emma because of how unique it was,

and Heidi became a big part of why we loved it. She made everything come together wonderfully! The distance finally came to an end after we got married on January 14, 2023. It was a beautiful day with a gorgeous sunset that we will never forget. Our wedding day could not have gone more smoothly thanks to the best vendors that went above and beyond for our special day.

DJ // Dancenhance Entertainment

Reception Venue // The Apollo on Emma Photographer // Taryn Lynn Photography

Bartender // Tie 1 On NWA

*For a full vendor list, visit our website!

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