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My husband and I recently celebrated our wedding anniversary with a trip to the Ozarks. Hiking to Hawksbill Crag, also known as Whitaker Point, has been on my Arkansas bucket list for a while, and early November was the perfect time of year to make the trek. The fall foliage along the trail and across the valley below ranged from still-green to deep umber, with every hue of yellow and Photo by Rett Peek orange in between—just like it was on our special day four years prior.

When we were almost to the trail’s iconic lookout point, we passed a group of girls on the bluff huddled around a camera. A few steps later they shrieked with happiness, their whoops echoing across the valley as they rushed past us to meet a couple on the rock ahead. Turns out their dad had just become engaged, and they had not only kept the plan a secret but also captured the picturesque proposal on camera.

Planning your wedding day can feel a bit like reaching the pinnacle of a mountain. The work you’ve put into your relationship has brought you to a place where you’ve decided to share your life with another person, and that’s an achievement, no doubt. However, that point is just one stop in the journey. On our hike back down from Hawksbill Crag, the view across the bluff was every bit as breathtaking as it had been from its much-photographed destination. The same is true of the years that will follow after your big day. I hope you enjoy the view!

Best wishes,

Stephanie Maxwell Newton, editor stephanie@athomearkansas.com DIGITAL EDITION Take us with you anywhere at weddingsinarkansas.com.

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