Jon Yoder

Downtown River Market Urban Senior Session – Jack

Jon Yoder — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 22:15:14 +0000

Always a blast working with this family. Jack will be calling the hogs at at the University of Arkansas in the Fall. We had the best of times walking around downtown LR for this session. I just have an inclination that this guy will succeed in whatever he puts his mind toward.

Enjoy the photos!

Argenta Mugs Cafe North Little Rock Session

Jon Yoder — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 21:36:04 +0000

This was such a wonderful evening with these two. Breanna and Preston are the sweetest of people, always smiling from ear to ear and full of admiration for each other. We had a blast going between a few of their favorite date spots — first Mugs Cafe in Argenta, then Little Rock’s river trail and walking bridge, and finally, Loblolly, an all time favorite spot of theirs.

These were some of their first date spots and hold a lot of good memories of where it all started. Enjoy!!

Bride Sara

Jon Yoder — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 22:59:18 +0000

A few favorites from Sara’s bridal session! We met up in Searcy which still has a special place in my heart for where I first started as a photographer. Sara made for quite the stunning bride!

Heritage Acres Wedding – Sara & Christopher

Jon Yoder — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 21:29:00 +0000

This isn’t the most timely of wedding posts, but this is a favorite wedding of mine and I wanted to highlight it here on the blog. Sara and Chris are such fun and bring big smiles to everyone around them with their colorful personalities. The wedding day all took place at Heritage Acres, which is a beautiful venue with owners that really care about their clients and about providing a smooth experience for everyone that comes through their doors.

Thank you Sara and Christopher for having me there to tell the story of this incredible day! They shared this about their experience:

We have been so impressed by the extreme talent of Jon. He is one of the most talented photographers we have ever encountered. We’ve been to many weddings since ours, but in our opinion, no other photographers can compare to his incredible skills. He was so organized and prepared. He went above and beyond the usual role of a photographer on our wedding day, he even helped us stay on schedule!

Houston’s Venue Northeast Arkansas Wedding – Caitie & Ben

Jon Yoder — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 16:30:57 +0000

I’m convinced that thankfulness is something that can be felt just like a cold winter’s breeze or the freshness of an early Spring day. It’s something that can be sensed without being named.

Caitie and Ben are an example of this to me. This year turned out to be quite a difficult change from the thought of an exciting new decade of twenty-twenty (maybe I’m just weird to really think this is the coolest sounding year) to what it became, but that didn’t stop the excitement that Caitie and Ben had to finally be married.

The whole wedding was beautiful, from all the details to the beaming flower girls and ring bearer to romantic candle-lit atmosphere, but what shone brightest was the joy, anticipation, and thankfulness that Caitie and Ben had for each other, to have each other and to be married along with their dearest family and friends.

And that’s something really special to always hold on to. These two are very blessed to have each other and I am very blessed to have been a part of this.

Big thanks to all the people that made this wedding so amazing:

Venue: Houston’s
Florist: Generations Floral Company
Videographer: James Bickham Visuals
Cake: Abby Cakes
DJ: Spencer
Makeup: Hope Mitchell
Hair: Tamra Edwards

Downtown Little Rock Elopement – Mahala & Jim

Jon Yoder — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 21:19:29 +0000

Mahala and Jim had the most wonderful downtown Little Rock elopement that no pandemic could stop. A few of the plans had to be adjusted due to getting married in maybe/hopefully the strangest time we’ll witness, but Mahala and Jim had a beautiful Saint Patrick’s Day wedding among family and I don’t think it could have been any more perfect. These two are two peas in a pod and I know they have a lot more wonderful adventures in store.

The Europe Experience

Jon Yoder — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 23:11:49 +0000

While I’m stuck on traveling, I thought I’d finally post about one of my favorite trips ever, an impromptu trip to France and Switzerland.

The story starts at a nice family gathering in the Smoky Mountains, a popular destination for Yoder vacations for our yearly family vacation attempts. I had been thinking about the next place I’d like to travel, and mentioned questioningly to my mother if she’s like to travel to France to visit my sister Felicia who was studying there (in the culinary/pastry arts). And…she answered yes without any hesitation!

The reason this yes was such a surprise to me was because my mom has mostly been a homebody for the entire length of my life and hasn’t done much outside of motherly things and keeping the five of us kids alive. So going on a trip half way across the world with her was a bit unheard of. That surprise of a yes and the opportunity to adventure with my mom to a place that I had been wanting to go to for a while immediately took my Europe travel plans from tentative to planning and looking at dates to make this happen.

From that first moment of clarity to planning to going to so many beautiful places, this really turned into one of my favorite times. Switzerland might be my favorite place that I’ve been so far with its expanse of mountains and remarkably quaint chateaus.

Below are a few of my favorite photos from my trip, starting out with my favorite swimming spot in the world, to cute scenes from right outside our airbnb, to my sister’s graduating class, and so many beautiful sights from Yssingeaux, Lyon, Geneva, and the French/Swiss alps. Hope you enjoy this little time capsule!

Seattle & a Free Mind

Jon Yoder — Sat, 11 Apr 2020 02:07:36 +0000

Life has been a bit of a whirl these days. After a pandemic unlike anything seen before on my years of walking on this planet, I’ve successfully unglued my face to the flickering of the news and am seeing more light at the end of the tunnel.

All time time quarantined has really put me in the mindset of wanting to get out and see the world again in a fresh light. Since staying away from people cuts off most of my favorite travel ideas, I thought it would be a good time to jump into my travel time machine and go back to one of my favorite trips of 2019, in the beautiful Emerald City of Seattle.

My talented sister lives there so I did a bunch of traveling with her and then I also did a bit of solo traveling and visiting some good people.

All You Need To Know About Central Arkansas Wedding Venues [Updated April 2021]

Jon Yoder — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 21:02:00 +0000

Congratulations! You’re in the wedding planning phase! Or helping a loved one plan their big day. Weddings are wonderful opportunities to bring together your favorite people and your favorite things all in one day, but the process can feel quite overwhelming. I’m a firm believer that *all* parts around getting hitched should be enjoyable, so that’s one of the reasons I put together this guide. If you’re looking to have your wedding here in Central Arkansas, this is a nearly comprehensive guide of all the venues we have around Little Rock, Conway, Russelville, Hot Springs, Searcy, Cabot, and everywhere in between.

This search can be quite a big task, and the big wedding planning websites include so many irrelevant results or sketchy options with very few details to wade through.

This is why I set out to create a comprehensive guide for all you need to know about finding a wedding venue in Central Arkansas, Little Rock, and all of our lovely little surrounding cities.

Venues Categorized by area:
Budget Weddings, Eloping in Arkansas, and DIY options
More Planning Resources

Comprehensive Map of Central Arkansas Wedding and Event Venues ->

Little Rock’s Wedding Venues

Arkansas’ capital city offers a myriad of great options for weddings at all price points, close access to the airport, and plenty of food and accommodation options for a wedding party and guests spending time outside of wedding day activities. Wedding venue styles in Little Rock range from the more rustic to modern and everything in between.

OUTDOOR VENUES in Little Rock:

The Castle on Stagecoach
Moss Mountain Farm
Alda’s Magnolia Hill
Marlsgate Plantation
Trapnall Hall (for smaller weddings)
Grandeur House
Goodwin Manor
Cold Springs
Edgemont House
An Enchanting Evening
Angelo’s Garden
Always and Forever Wedding Barn & Events
BoBrook Farms
Faulkner Lake Orchard
Stonebrook.meadow (barn)
Tanglewood Landing (barn)

Many of these outdoor venues have options for inside weddings as well, but the ones below are known more for their indoor setting.

INDOOR VENUES in Little Rock:

Loft 1023
Clinton Library
Noah’s event center (permanently closed Feb 2020)

RECEPTION VENUES in Little Rock:

CHURCHES:

Getting married in a church is an age-old option that is still a great way to do a wedding. I’ve listed the most popular churches around downtown, but there’s certainly many others to choose from. Holding the ceremony at a church and then a reception at a separate venue is the most popular combination for churches and leaves opportunity for more customization and potentially some savings in budget.

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (the prettiest outdoor area of the churches)
Immanual Baptist
St. Edward Catholic Church

Hot Springs Wedding Venues

Not only a historic and bustling touristy town, Hot Springs is also of of Central Arkansas’ most popular wedding destinations, bringing in couples from all over. Hosting one of the natural state’s most popular chapels and having a nice selection of unique venues to choose from, this is another great town to look into for your wedding planning.

Starry sky portrait at the Barn at Lost Creek

Garvan Gardens (weddings I’ve photographed here)
Hamp Williams Building — mostly used for receptions
The Barn at Lost Creek (example wedding reception)
Royal Ridge Wedding
Hot Springs Country Club (example wedding)
Homestead at Williamson Estate
Cross Iron Cottage
The Barn at Richwoods (a bit far from Hot Springs/LR, but a favorite)
The Barn at Glazypeau Farms
Ausley Family Farms

Searcy Area Wedding Venues

This is the place that I spent my first ten years in Arkansas and my introduction to the South, so I know it all too well. Searcy is a pretty wonderful town with some wonderful people, a budding food scene, and has a few great spots for weddings and many more for engagement sessions. I’ve photographed so many wonderful sessions and weddings here. This being a smaller town, I’ve included the surrounding areas as well.

Wedding Barn & Event Center (example winter & summer weddings)
Camp Tahkodah / HUT (example wedding, or see all weddings/engagements that I photographed there)
Cypress Meadows Plantation Barn (example wedding)
Harding University / Cone Chapel (might be mostly for students/alumni, but felt I should include it since it’s one of the more popular venues in the area) (example wedding)
Sunset Ridge (example wedding)
Camp Wyldewood (more of a DIY venue)

Conway & Conway Wedding Venues

Tighter Budget, Elopement, or more Affordable Wedding Venues in Arkansas

Arkansas has some beautiful venues, but most of the ones listed above will cost a pretty penny. That may be worth it for most people, but there are certainly plenty of options for more various budgets. These options below will take a bit more planning, but may be just what you’re looking for.

Outdoorsy / DIY locations

Petit Jean State Park (Camp Mitchell being one popular spot to get married here)
Mount Magazine State Park
Mout Nebo State Park
Camp Tahkodah (1.5hrs northeast of LR)
Camp Wyldewood (Searcy)
Camp Takoda (camp in LR)

These locations won’t have some of the same amenities as full service venues, but when you’re out in nature, decorations aren’t quite as necessary if the surroundings are beautiful. On the other hand, you might have to rent chairs, figure out transportation, restrooms, or other things that a more expensive place might have.

More Resources for Wedding Planning

A Photographer’s Guide to a Perfect Wedding day is a guide to wedding planning that I put together with some tips on how to put together your ideal wedding day without all the stress. (more resources coming soon!) Finding a wedding planner that is trustworthy and can take on the specifics and details that you’d rather not have to deal with can also be a wonderful step toward making wedding planning more enjoyable.

With anything, make sure you’re doing due diligence with the venues and vendors that you choose for your wedding. I did my best to only include reputable venues, but I can only vouch for a handful of these, so make sure you do extra research and read as many reviews as you can find before signing any contracts.

If you’re looking for a photographer or have something you’d add to this guide, feel free to contact me here or comment below. You can see more of my work on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Good luck and happy wedding planning!

More Wedding Planning Resources

Let’s chat! I’d love to hear from you.

Drop me a note from my contact page, or at hello@jonyoder.com

Shelby Farms Park Engagement Session – Jamie & Cabot

Jon Yoder — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 20:56:50 +0000

I’ve known these two wonderful people for a while now and they are truly some of the most uniquely wonderful and kind souls that I’m blessed to be friends with. When Jamie texted me to break the news of their engagement, I might have done a little happy dance and re-read the text a few times to make sure this was truly happening. :)

Jamie and Cabot chose Harding’s School of Theology in Memphis as one of the first location for photos since that’s where they got to know each other and where all this magic started. After that we went to Shelby Farms, which seriously blew me away with how many pretty and unique locations it had within a few minutes drive.

Looking forward to their wedding coming up soon! These two are truly the real deal.