Monica Hutchinson didn’t just plan a wedding in 2025; she lived every side of it. As the founder of Booth Haus and the Booth Haus Bride Guide, she turned a gap in the Northwest Arkansas wedding scene into something elevated, thoughtful, and undeniably her own. What started with a very specific vision for a photo booth became a brand, a resource, and a trusted voice for brides across the region. As the voice behind Fayetteville City Lifestyle’s first-ever wedding Q&A, Monica brings a perspective that feels equal parts insider and in it with you, offering honest insight and a clear reminder that the best weddings are the ones that actually feel like you.
What first sparked your interest in the wedding industry? When my fiancé (now husband!) and I first got engaged, one of the very first wedding vendors we looked for was a photo booth. I had a very specific, elevated, vintage-style aesthetic in mind, and when we realized luxury photo booth experiences were essentially nonexistent in the area, I went all in and decided to create it myself! Now, I’m so honored I get to bring the same experience I envisioned to couples across Northwest Arkansas!
You were both a wedding vendor and a bride yourself in 2025. How did planning your own wedding shape the way you view the industry? I always tell people that planning my wedding and starting a business in the same year felt like both the worst and best timing. I was able to gain such an incredible amount of insight as a bride actively planning my wedding while also building a business around what I was experiencing in real time. I gained a new level of respect around the wedding industry because even coming from a very “type A” person, no one truly prepares you for the amount of work that goes into planning a wedding, not just from the bride's standpoint, but from every single wedding vendor bringing it to life.
What makes the wedding industry in Northwest Arkansas unique compared to other markets? I feel so fortunate to have been able to get married here AND provide a service here because our vendors truly go above and beyond for their couples. We have the perfect blend of small local businesses that pour their heart and soul into every detail while still bringing the wow-factor of weddings you see in larger cities. Our wedding vendor community is so close-knit and supportive, and it really shows in all the weddings you see here.
You founded Booth Haus and the Booth Haus Bride Guide. How would you describe both and the role they play for couples planning a wedding? Booth Haus can be thought of as our brand for couples who are looking for elevated guest experiences, which include our luxury photo booths and authentic vintage audio guestbook booths. Booth Haus Bride Guide is our regional engagement + wedding planning guide where we provide a sense of community, resources, and recommendations for any bride-to-be in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
What are some of your biggest wedding hot takes? I love this question! A few of my do’s: booking a wedding content creator, including your pet in your wedding, and going all out on guest experiences. A few of my don’ts: spending thousands of extra dollars on a welcome party or rehearsal dinner (we spent $450 on our 50-person welcome party after being quoted $7K at another location), buying a giant wedding cake, and giving your bridal party too many responsibilities on your wedding day.
What is one common mistake you see couples make when they begin planning their wedding? Do not book a wedding planner or coordinator right away! No matter how organized you are or how much you love event planning, I promise you’re going to need (and want) professional support. My quick tip on how to choose which one is right for you: decide what makes more sense based on your budget and comfort level. Higher investment, less responsibility on you = book a planner. Lower investment, more responsibility on you = book a coordinator.
When it comes to budgeting, what is one thing couples often overlook or underestimate? Coming from personal experience, we underestimated the cost of EVERYTHING. We threw out a random budget before we started doing any research or had any idea what a wedding costs in the area, so it made it even more shocking once we actually started reaching out to vendors. I would recommend doing your own research and being super realistic with what you’re willing to spend and what details are flexible vs. what you're hard set on.
What wedding trends are you currently seeing that you think will have real staying power? Serpentine tables, vintage details, and after-party wedding snacks have been huge, and I don’t think they’re going away anytime soon. One thing I’ve started seeing a lot more of this past year is wedding content creators. I was so reluctant to book a content creator at first, but it was one of the best investments I made for my wedding, and I definitely see it becoming a wedding vendor essential.
For couples planning a wedding in Northwest Arkansas, what advice would you give when choosing venues and vendors? Go to plenty of wedding open houses for wedding inspiration and experience what different vendors have to offer. Most of them are hosted in January-March, but you’ll also see some wedding shows pop up in the summer as well. We also cover venue and vendor recommendations in the Bride Guide, so you’re always welcome to reference it if you’re feeling stuck.
From both a bride and vendor perspective, what truly makes a wedding feel meaningful and memorable beyond the aesthetics? Something that really stuck with me was the way my friends and family described the little details about my wedding. People would come up to us and say, “When I saw that, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, that’s SO Monica!’ and ‘That’s SO Zac!” It was such a sweet moment proving that we didn’t lose ourselves in choosing what was trendy, but something that truly represented us.
"Weddings that feel the most meaningful are the ones that reflect the couple at the center of it all. When a wedding feels authentically like the couple, that’s what makes it unforgettable."