A college student in Arkansas is working as a waitress. A musician stopping through town leaves his phone number for her on his receipt. They have dinner together, fall madly in love, move to Paris for six months, and then get engaged.
No, this is not the plot of the most romantic movie ever made (though it absolutely could be). This is the real-life love story of designer Jane + her musician husband Andrew. And their Little Rock, Arkansas wedding? It was a vintage-inspired DIY dream full of flowers, colorful patterns, and an indie, folky charm.
“We always wanted a summer garden party wedding, but as Arkansas can be unbearably hot in the summer, our families convinced us to have the ceremony and reception inside,” the couple says. “We found the Dreamland Ballroom, a historical music venue in downtown Little Rock, and the wedding sort of came together around the venue.”
“The venue is listed on the National Register of Historic places and was built in 1916!” shares photographer Madison Keltner. “The third floor ballroom (where the wedding took place) hosted several famous musicians like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and Ray Charles!”
With event design by Eventology and planning help from Just Peachy, Jane + Andrew built a day that amplified the beauty + history of the venue while also creating a distinctly whimsical aesthetic that filled every corner of the wedding with their personalities.
And you better believe that endlessly creative designer bride Jane made her own dress! Her fabulously 50’s floral wedding dress was just one of the many elements she handcrafted for the day. And lucky for us she documented so much of her DIY wedding journey on her instagram, her Tiktok, and her Youtube channel!
“Our goal for the day was a genuine, heartfelt celebration with everyone we love, and so we tried to do as much as possible for the wedding ourselves,” Jane + Andrew say. “I think that helped it feel like a truly unique and special evening for us.”
“I actually made my wedding dress, my best friend’s dress, five flower girl dresses, and 650 feet of pendant banners for the wedding!” says Jane.
This patchwork dress was something she made to wear the day of the wedding – before the festivities. Oh, and she made her husband a shirt to match! We love it!!
Jane’s wedding hairstyles for short hair was so perfectly vintage!
“I always knew I wanted to make my own dress, and I designed it around the 1950s ‘New Look,'” Jane says of the famously Dior-inspired silhouette she chose for her wedding dress.
The Ceremony
This has got to be one of the sweetest guest book ideas we’ve seen: the couple dotted the pages with original artwork and then let their guests leave special messages throughout!
How many flower girls get to say they wore flower girl dresses that were handmade by the bride? SO CUTE how these kiddos’ looks referenced the shape + floral details of Jane’s wedding dress!
We’ve got you covered with our collection of the 144 Best Song to Walk Down the Aisle To if you’re looking for the right tune for this tear-jerking moment.
“It was a venue like none other,” photographer Madison says, “and it was so cool to see a wedding unfold in a theater type of room!”
Our Musical Choices
Processional"What a Wonderful World"Recessional"This Magic Moment"First Dance"Can’t Help Falling in Love"
So in love with the quintessentially 1950’s look of Jane’s handmade wedding veil. Shop this fingertip veil from Anthropologie to capture a similar vibe.
“My favorite part of the dress (and also the most time consuming) was over 1000 individually cut and dyed fabric flowers, sewn on with beads and sequins,” Jane shares. They were worth every moment!
Jane kept things funky by pairing her handmade dress with a pair of kitten wedding heels from notoriously quirky Canadian designer Fluevog.
A colorful hidden gem element of Jane’s wedding dress? “There is a 30 layer petticoat underneath the dress, to add a bit of flair!”
The Reception
“When Jane sent me inspiration for the day, the goal was a vintage almost Wes Anderson theme and the vendors did such a good job with it!” photographer Madison remembers.
This incredible welcome sign? Yet another DIY element created by Jane!
And just look at all of this incredible handmade pennant banner bunting! According to Jane’s Tiktok, she and her grandmother made these banners together ❤️
If you’re loving the botanical whimsy of Jane’s bridal silhouette, you need to see our roundup of fabulous floral wedding dresses.
Our Advice
Start early, enlist help if possible, and don’t overplan it! It is just a day, things will go wrong, and after it is all over, you get to be married and start life with your partner, which is the most special part of it all.
And rehearse the first dance.
Inspired by this lovely lavender look or this fun flower print vibe? Check out our collections of the best spring wedding guest dresses and summer wedding guest dresses to prepare for the spring + summer weddings on your calendar!
“The groom is part of a band from New York and plays the violin,” says Madison. “His band came all the way from New York to Little Rock and performed live music the whole night! They focused on the classics like Dean Martin and Nat King Cole.”
Take a peek at this charming Chicago elopement, this print-filled maximalist wedding, and this earthy glam LA wedding to see some of our other favorite examples of brides who dreamed up their own wedding dresses like Jane did!
Our Favorite Memory
While it is hard to choose, the most memorable part of our day were the parts we created ourselves: getting to wear the dress I had spent months making and hearing my husband play music for all of our guests.
All this AND an adorable blue polka dot reception dress?!
Congrats, Jane + Andrew! We loved every little detail of your vintage-inspired DIY Little Rock wedding. So much history + handmade charm! GWS wishes you the very best!
Wedding Vendors
Photography: Madisonkeltnerphoto // Venue: Dreamland Ballroom // Event Design: Eventology // Wedding Planner: Just Peachy // Bride's Shoes: Fluevog // Catering: Vibrant Occasions Catering // Cocktails: Southern Sippery
