Kyra Noel

Emma and Matt's Saint Louis Vineyard Wedding 

Maddie and Carter had spent years orbiting the same circles—connected by Kanakuk, Baylor, and a handful of mutual friends who all seemed to know something they didn’t. They “knew of” each other but hadn’t quite crossed paths in earnest. That changed senior year, when their friends decided it was time to intervene.

After some gentle nudging, Maddie asked Carter to a sorority take-a-date. By the end of the night, he had asked her on a date of his own. That was all it took.

From then on, most of their conversations unfolded on a porch swing, a quiet and unassuming setting for what would become the rest of their lives.

The summer after graduation, Carter landed an internship in Northwest Arkansas. Maddie visited often, both of them quietly hoping—praying—that this might be their future home. It turns out, they were right.

A few years later, they planned a wedding together in Carter’s childhood backyard, a full-circle moment that felt almost surreal. “Getting married to my best friend, of course,” Maddie said, was the highlight. That, and having all their favorite people in one place.

For Carter, two moments stood out: watching his bride walk toward him and a quiet morning of worship with his groomsmen before the ceremony.

And when the night ended, and the last goodbyes were said, Maddie and Carter left knowing what they had known for quite some time—that the best love stories don’t always start with fireworks. Sometimes, they begin with a familiar face, a slow and steady pull, and of course, a porch swing.