Ashley and Blaze are Las Vegas natives that were planning an intimate elopement in Hot Springs, AR because his grandparents lived in the area. Ashley had visited the Northwest Arkansas area only one other time for their Engagement photos (check them out here), but she loved it’s natural beauty from the start. Hint: Blaze selected the wedding venue!

Since their ideal location was Hot Springs, Blaze selected the breathtaking Anthony Chapel in the Garvan Woodland Gardens. Funny enough, the original plan was for the ceremony to be in the famous Treehouse in the gardens. But the weather had other plans for that day - it rained cats and dogs! Thankfully, there wasn’t another ceremony scheduled in the chapel that day, so Ashely and the Gardens staff graciously agreed to change the venue from the Treehouse to the chapel.

Anthony Chapel is quite a bit larger (like, a lot!) than places like the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel and since the guests were the bride’s parents and two siblings and the groom’s grandparents, the chapel looked even more spacious than normal. But what the ceremony lacked in quantity of guests, it made up for in love. Ashley and Blaze had written their own vows, and I’d be fibbing if I said I didn’t tear up when they were reading them to one another.

By the end of their ceremony and family photos, the rain had cleared and left us with a beautiful gray sky, giving all the foliage a luminous quality. We walked all over the grounds and were given our own special golf cart driver.

Congratulations, Ashely and Blaze!

If you’re looking for a beautiful place to elope, I would highly recommend considering the Anthony Chapel. The glass windows of the chapel let in so much light, filling the room with an ambient glow throughout your entire ceremony. There are stunning lines from the architecture that make for perfect picture locations, along with the double doors that open into the chapel. The staff is also so friendly! This wedding venue should certainly be on your list of places to discover.