LITTLE ROCK — Nao Yoshida and Aaron Kyle Shaneyfelt were united in marriage at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, in Pleasant Valley Country Club. Officiating was Eric Yates, minister at Crosswalk Family of God Church.
Minako and Mitsuyoshi Yoshida of Suita City, Osaka, Japan, are the parents of the bride. She is the granddaughter of the late Yamamoto and Shirou Yoshida of Tottori City, Tottori, Japan; and Haruko and the late Ryouichi Tanigawa, also of Suita City.
The bridegroom is the son of Cathy and Jeff Shaneyfelt, 20125 Colonel Glenn Road. His grandparents are the late LaVonne Jones of Little Rock, the late Cecil Gray of Springfield, and Velma and the late Carl Shaneyfelt, also of Little Rock.
Vows were exchanged on the terrace, which was decorated with four large containers filled with bamboo, green dendrobium orchids, monstera leaves and ivy. Music was by the Little Rock String Quartet and vocalists Thomas and Kristen Chapin.
The bride, given in marriage by her father, wore a strapless modified mermaid gown of ivory satin and illusion with a sweetheart neckline and scalloped re-embroidered lace Empire bodice. The skirt had a matching scalloped lace hemline and chapellength train. The mother of the bride made the veil, which was two-tiered, fingertip-length and had a wide satin bow and hand-appliqued flowers. She carried a clutch bouquet of white hydrangeas, white lilies, light pink and green roses and gardenias.
Yu-Mi Miyoshi of Hyogo, Japan, was maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Sonya Hesse and Khara Hesse of Burnsville, Minn., cousins of the bride, and Tungalag Sainbayar of Little Rock.
They wore sleeveless peacockblue silk cocktail dresses with triple ruffles at the bodice, straight skirts and gold shoulder wraps. They carried bouquets of antique hydrangeas with white roses and peacock feathers.
Serving as the bridegroom’s honor attendants were Adam Shaneyfelt of Little Rock, brother of the bridegroom, and Trevor Bates of Fayetteville. Groomsmen were Tom Fetner of Little Rock, Sam Dudley of Fayetteville, Trey Wetzel of Benton and John Mark Squires of Fort Drum, N.Y.
A reception in the club’s ballroom followed the ceremony. Guest tables draped with gold moire and peacock blue runners were centered with clear glass cylinders that held submerged cymbidium orchids, clear glass cubes with bamboo or orchids and green Fuji chrysanthemums in clear glass rectangles filled with rice and accented with origami cranes folded by the bride and her family. Music was by the Little Rock String Quartet and pianist Utako Tanigawa, aunt of the bride. The couple werepresented at the reception in native Japanese wedding attire.
The bride attended the Spring International Language Program at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and will pursue a studio art degree with an emphasis in graphic design at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
The bridegroom received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accountancy from UA-Fayetteville with minors in Japanese and information technology. He is a staff accountant at Little, Shaneyfelt, Marshall and Co.
The couple will make their home in Little Rock and plan a wedding trip to Hawaii in the spring.
High Profile, Pages 54 on 11/28/2010