What's your best tip for a bride planning her wedding?

Hire a wedding planner. Having a professional wedding planner is a huge help, and it allows you to keep things simple on your side. Amanda Reed from Bates~Reed Brides was incredibly knowledgeable on all the nitty gritty details, which saved me tons of time and energy. All I had to do was tell her what we were looking for and she made it happen just like that! Plus, the wedding day is a breeze because you don't have to be the correspondent for everyone, which allows you to enjoy your big day to the fullest. More time for dancing? Yes, please!

Tell me about your dress selection.

Thanks to Pinterest, I knew I wanted a certain top, a certain skirt, and sleeves. To no avail, I searched high and low for this dress. After realizing said dress did not exist, I went to Shelley Kelley for her help with designing my dream dress. She did just that, and my wedding dress was born--a mermaid skirt made of white shantung with a chapel length train, a strapless lace bodice with stoning throughout and an open back, and gauntlet sleeves to match. [Gauntlet is just a fancy term for being able to take them off to dance during the reception. ;)]

How did you choose your location?

In the early stages of planning our wedding (confession: maybe before our engagement...), I thought of where my absolute favorite place in the world was. That place was Old Main Lawn on the University of Arkansas campus... but not just at any time. It had to be in the prime of Autumn, when the leaves were all but on fire, bursting with reds, oranges, and yellows. Sigh. My happy place. Ethan and I also met on the University of Arkansas campus, so when I took this idea to the groom, he happily confirmed!

What is the best memory you have of the wedding day?

Hands down, the first look. Some people say they want to save this special moment for when they are walking down the aisle. In no way did I feel like our first look took away from our special moments during me walking down the aisle. Doing a first look and walking down the aisle can both be very special in their own ways. Bonus #1: It's a great opportunity to get the roller-coaster emotions out of the way. Bonus #2: It's an intimate and special time to have alone with your groom. Bonus #3: First looks are a great way for your photographer to snag some frame-worthy and heartfelt images--and Dale certainly did that for us!

Tell me something special about your wedding!

Ethan and I are both twins--how fun!!--so it was very special for both of us to have our twin brother and sister there supporting us as the Best Man and the Maid of Honor. The friendship that twin siblings have between each other is so special and strong that marriage can be tough because it's almost like you are leaving your twin for your spouse. Fortunately, we both still have very solid relationships with our twin siblings since our marriage, and we don't anticipate that changing anytime in the future!

What is the best thing about Benfield Photography being there on your wedding day?

Dale is so great about making you feel like you've been friends your whole life. So when it's time to take pictures, whether that be portraits or the actual wedding day, it's very comfortable. We never felt like we had to stop and smile for the camera (unless it was a portrait); Dale blended right in with our wedding day and captured us so well in our natural element. I am so glad we chose Benfield Photography because he completely MADE our wedding day.

Dale started Benfield Photography in 1998 as a way to pay for college. After earning his Master's Degree and teaching college photography, he decided to transition into a full-time photographer.  Since then, he has photographed more than 500 weddings all over the country and abroad. He has also published two books on photography and business.

Dale loves cooking, entertaining, Hallmark Christmas movies, Jesus, kittens, and his two daughters, Cece and Ellie.

Benfield Photography photographs weddings in Arkansas, California, and worldwide. He's photographed weddings in Rome, proposals in Paris, New York City weddings, Dallas weddings, Memphis weddings, Austin weddings, Los Angeles weddings, Napa Valley weddings, San Diego weddings, Aspen weddings, and many more.