Congratulations, Maddy & Michael on their incredible cliffside elopement. Photography by Dakota Chasity.

So tell us, how did you meet the love of your life?

He was the new kid that walked into Mrs. Henderson’s 6th grade class and sat right next to me. He looked slightly miserable and I was little scared of him at first. Later on we became really good friends and have been ever since.

Was there a moment you knew they were the one? Tell us how they won your heart.

It was on April Fool’s actually. We had been talking for about a month and then he was telling me about the Harry Potter website where you can find out your house, patronus and etc. His was a dolphin and mine was a swan, and after we were taking all the quizzes together I felt something I had never fully experienced before. I wanted to live life with him everyday. I wanted to hear his voice everyday. I wanted to be with this man for rest of my life. I had experienced an absolute true love moment with him over HP, and I wouldn’t change one thing about our journey together, even after almost 4 years of marriage.

Tell us the story of the proposal ❤️

Well he actually didn’t. He was on his first deployment overseas and after talking non-stop everyday from March to November, he asked me if I wanted to get married. I was overwhelmed by the question, but the next day there wasn’t a doubt in my mind. We finished our paperwork and were officially married December 12th. Getting married on online sounds very unromantic, but it was perfect for us. We had our “elopement” 3 years later 🤍

What is the name of your dress? Did you have any customizations?

Fleur

What was most important to you when choosing your wedding dress

I wanted it to feel right! I’m a simple person and wanted something that looked like me. Comfortable, timeless, and simple with subtle detail. The Fleur dress was one of two wedding gowns that I feel in love with. Even after watching ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ for years, I never liked any of the gowns like I loved the Fleur gown when I first laid eyes on it. It was the ‘Maddy’ gown!

What aspects of your wedding were most important to you when you were planning?

We had spent majority of our relationship long distance, so I think having our ceremony with just us two was the most important. We didn’t want any distractions, or decorations … just us and the mountains (and a lot of wind). We wrote our vows. Well I wrote mine, and he said his from the heart. It was so special to share that moment after all we had been through together. We loved each other more than the day we got married. The last thing that was important to me personally was to have an amazing photographer to capture our special moment with us. She made the experience unforgettable! We felt incredibly comfortable in front of the camera with her and couldn’t stop talking about life & family. We loved her!!! I’m so happy we finally had “our day”.

Did your wedding have a theme or a specific style?

Not really! I wanted us to look timeless and feel comfortable. I picked the dress I wanted and he picked the suit he wanted. We also both got our first pair of “Tim’s” for our 3-mile hike. Gotta hike in style right?! I love gold pieces, so I wanted that the reflect in my jewelry, along with texture. We were in the mountains, so why the heck not have textured earrings!

What advice do you wish you could go back and give to yourself when you were in the early stages of planning?

Triple, DOUBLE-CHECK a good Airbnb/hotel. We almost popped a tire trying to get to ours and the water stopped working the next day. Then when we moved to a hotel our fire alarm was going off 10 minutes before we hand to leave for our ceremony, and we got locked out of our room. It was a hot mess to say the least, but we laugh about it now. Make sure you’re staying in a stress-free environment and pack good snacks 😬

Let's show your wedding venue some love! What is the name of your venue, and why did you choose it for your special day?

It was an amazing trail in Kingston, Arkansas. There was this cliff at the end of the trail and it looked like the closest thing to Heaven to me. It was breath-taking. 

What was your favorite moment of the day?

I have two favorite moments. When Michael was telling his vows, and holding my hands. The other was when we just stood there staring at the rest of the forest. The sun was just setting and the wind was absolutely crazy. I loved every moment of it, even if it meant eating some of my hair and almost losing my veil.

How did you feel spending the day in your wedding dress?

He loooooved how my booty looked in it 😉 My dress was so stretchy, yet hugged all my curves in the right way. I loved the long sleeves, and the length was perfect. I hope to keep this dress in my family for generations.

Who was your photographer?

Dakota Chasity, @dakotachasity, dakotachasity.com I wish everyone could meet this special soul & kind human :)

Would you like to shout out to any of your other vendors?

Just our photographer 🤍

What has been the best part so far about being married?

Just spending time with each other. We laugh a lot & I couldn’t imagine a day without the man in my life.

Maddy is wearing Fleur with nude lining and a 10 in sweep train.

Rachel Ferreira