Bridal journal 2015

Bridal Journal 2015

of Northeast Mississippi

The 2015 It List

••• bridal gowns • bridesmaid dresses • tuxes • flowers • cake • decor Bridal Journal of Northeast Mississippi

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Bridal Journal of Northeast Mississippi

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Bridal Journal of Northeast Mississippi

Table of Contents

Hottest Venues ••• 9 Marriage Counseling ••• 12 A Father’s Gift ••• 15 A Personal Touch ••• 19 A Handmade Keepsake ••• 25 Wedding Announcements ••• 28 A Little Advice ••• 65 The Perfect Proposal ••• 66 Signed, Sealed, Delivered ••• 68 The It List 2015 ••• 71 Planning Checklist ••• 88 Index ••• 90 The cover photo of Kayla Harrison Poe was taken by Faith Dawson of Faith Riley Photography.

Blake McCollum Photography

Niche Product Manager: Ellie Turner ••• Art Director: Lauren Wood ••• Associate Editors: Leslie Criss and Amy Speck ••• Wedding Submission Coordinator: Jessica Hunter Contributing Writers: Ginna Parsons, M. Scott Morris, Derek Russell, Michaela Morris and Riley Manning The Bridal Journal is an annual publication of Journal Inc. // 1242 S. Green St., Tupelo, Miss. // 662-842-2611

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• Hottest Venues

Faith Dawson of Faith Riley Photography

By Ginna Parsons

The Antler Owners: Jennifer and Mark Shelton Where: 1329 Road 41, Tupelo What: 6,500-foot Grand Hall; 2,200-square-foot Grey Manor; four-bedroom, four-bath Cottage Cost: $3,000 for Grand Hall; $2,000 for Grey Manor; or $4,000 for both, which includes The Cottage.

Info: (662) 871-5839, www.theantlertupelo.com; also on Facebook and Instagram

How it came to be: The Antler is located where the Touched by an Angel camp used to be. The Sheltons thought it was a beautiful piece of property and that there was a need for a rustic wedding venue in Tupelo. There were 22 weddings there in 2014.

Special features: The Grand Hall is an urban rustic barn with touches of Southern elegance. It features French Empire chandeliers and reclaimed cypress wood walls from the Delta. Grey Manor is a ballroom with a more modern feel to it. The Cottage can be used by the bride and groom if they’re staying overnight before the honeymoon or can house out-of-town guests. A rustic arbor overlooks a lake for outdoor weddings.

Bookings: 26 weddings booked for 2015; some booked for 2016.

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Photo submitted

Southwind

Photo submitted

Owner: Jim Homan Where: 200A Bynum Ave., Shannon What: 3,000 square feet downstairs; 1,400 square feet upstairs; 2,000-square-foot outdoor patio Cost: $3,000 Info: (662) 871-8649, www.southwindms.com; also on Facebook and Instagram How it came to be: Homan built a gazebo on his 600-acre family prop-

erty for a wedding in April 2013. Some friends saw it and asked if they could have a wedding there. In March 2014, he began construction on the two-story venue that was completed in October.

Special features: Southwind is built with white pine from an Amish sawmill in Ohio. There are 17 ceiling fans, two bars, a full kitchen and tables and chairs for 150 included. Upstairs there are long bars with 40 hand-made bar stools. Lights are on dimmers so you can get the effect you want. There are four bathrooms and a bride’s room and man cave for dressing/relaxing. The outdoor west-facing patio overlooks a 10acre lake. Five hand-made swings surround a firepit by the lake.

Bookings: 28 weddings booked for 2015; several booked for 2016.

Hollow Creek Plantation

Photo by Lauren Wood

Owners: Tommy and Terri Simpson Where: 1500 Cairo Loop Road, Ecru What: 3,000-square-foot pavilion; horse and carriage Cost: $1,050 for pavilion; $400 for horse and carriage Info: (662) 397-1488, www.hollowcreekplantation.com; also on Facebook

How it came to be: The Simpsons’ daughter got married at Hollow Creek Plantation in May 2014 and they thought others might want to use the venue, too.

Special features: The 59-acre property has a 3-acre lake. The pavilion features a vaulted ceiling lined with cedar, recessed lighting, ceiling fans and tiny white lights around the venue. A catering kitchen will be completed by April. The bathrooms feature liquor-barrel sinks. The grounds are always in bloom with azaleas, crape myrtles, Knock-Out roses and annuals. A horse and carriage, hay bales for seating and a photo booth can be rented.

Bookings: 7 weddings booked for 2015.

Kingfisher Lodge Owners: Mimi and Marty Pettit Where: 5191A Raymond Ave., Verona What: Under construction: 6,500-square-foot lodge Cost: $3,900 Info: (662) 231-0380; Facebook and Instagram; (website coming) How it came to be: The Pettits’ daughter will be getting married at Kingfisher Lodge in June and it will be open to the public after that.

Marty Pettit is a photographer and has found that more and more 10

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brides are opting to have their weddings/receptions in non-church settings.

Special features: The lodge will be built in the style of Colorado lodges, meaning upscale rustic elegance. When completed, it will feature a vaulted ceiling made of tongue-and-groove white pine, a large stone fireplace, two bathrooms, a bride’s room and a groom’s room, a catering kitchen and a florist area. An old barn has been rebuilt and updated and it serves as an entryway to the lodge; a concrete sidewalk connects the barn and the lodge, which overlooks a lake. The rental fee includes 125 chairs, 15 tables, two farm tables and linens and dishes to serve those guests. Additional seating, tables, etc., can be rented along with tents.

Bookings: 5 weddings booked for 2015.

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Marriage Counseling

When Michelle Harkins and her husband Paul got engaged, pre-marital counseling wasn’t an option. Both of them are Catholic, and though many denominations heavily advise the service, the Catholic church requires it.

By Riley Manning

“Kicking and screaming, I went into it,” Michelle said. “I thought it was a waste of time, something that was forced onto couples.”

But five years into their marriage, some of the questions that came up in the counseling came out to play in their relationship. The deja vu continued when some of the questions came up in Michelle’s counseling of unwed mothers.

“I thought, ‘OK, maybe there’s something to this,’” she said.

So when the couple moved from New Orleans to Tupelo in 2000, they expressed their willingness to work with young couples thinking about marriage. In the Catholic church, engaged couples meet on a weekly basis for four or five weeks, bookended by meetings with the priest.

“In our culture, marriage has become fast food. But lots of couples still come with the intention of it lasting forever. They’re sincere about that, and don’t want to look back,” Michelle said. “I’d advise pre-marital counseling for everyone. Young people who think they have the money issues figured out are wrong, and they have to know how to maintain the identity of the couple without losing their individual self.”

The Rev. Carson Overstreet, associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Tupelo, said PCUSA, the governing body for most mainstream Presbyterian churches, also requires counseling. PCUSA gives individual ministers a lot of free reign to conduct the counseling in their own style. For Overstreet, she finds a questionaire is a good place to start the four counseling sessions she requires.

“It gets them to think about their own families and the dynamics among them, particularly how their own parents dealt with conflict,” she said. “It’s a prayerful space to deal with sensitive issues the couple has never talked about with each other.”

One thing she has couples discern is their love languages, that is, the forms in which they communicate and receive love. For instance, one person may feel and give appreciation through words of affection, while another may do these things through physical touch, acts of service, or quality time. Relationship counselor Gary Chapman penned a book, “The Five Love Languages,” about these languages that numerous counseling services draw from.

“People will show love in the way they want to receive it,” she said.

“So one person may need to hear, ‘I’m proud of you’ or ‘I love you,’ while the other may say, ‘Words are nice, but I really need you to help out around the house.’”

Understanding these languages is key to encountering conflict, which, believe it or not, is also a necessary part of a relationship.

“Some people think if they never have an argument, then they’re in 12

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a good relationship,” Overstreet said. “But it’s necessary to change and grow together.”

Eric George, discipleship pastor at The Orchard in Tupelo, said The Orchard places a lot of intent on creating a community of newly-marrieds, in addition to three or four counseling sessions with a minister.

This community consists of longtime couples and newly-minted ones.

“It’s astounding the amount of men who get marriage advice from divorced men,” George said. “But community brings clarity, too. If a couple is isolated, they can think they’re doomed for having what are actually normal problems.”

Like Overstreet, George’s program of choice, called Fusion, first assesses a couple with a questionaire that surveys views on everything from stress triggers to finances to communication.

“They take this separately, of course. One of the questions asks them to list their top three strengths and top three weaknesses,” George said. “Time and time again, these lists end up being identical.

So every couple knows where they can grow. The question is will they work on them? The counseling gives them a space and a framework to deal with these things.”

The key, he said, is to walk toward the mess. Problems that fester only grow worse and more intertwined with children and finances.

“Self-disclosure is nonnegotiable,” he said. “The more you put out on the table, and the earlier you do it, the easier it will be. To be honest, for some people, the counseling is going to be a red light experience.

Enough red flags come up that they realize, ‘I shouldn’t be married to this person.’ Others have a yellow light, where they decide to bump back their wedding date and diligently work on their problems. And then there are green lights, where the counseling ends up being a total affirmation.”

To this day, Michelle and Paul work with couples, and the relationships they forge have unexpectedly lasted far past the “I do’s.”

“We have couples who we saw married 12 years ago still call us and say, ‘Hey let’s get together and talk,’” Michelle said.

The couple sees four or five new couples to the altar each year.

Longevity is the goal, she said, and that’s impossible without God. The wedding vows aren’t between two people, they’re between three.

“Love is the foundation, of course, but there are going to be days you don’t like the person you’re married to. But you have to choose them every day,” Michelle said. “It renews and revamps us, as well.

Every time we go through it with another couple, it’s like renewing our own vows. It keeps us young.”

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A Father’s Gift

Scott Freeman did more than walk daughter Macie down the aisle.

He created the lace-embellished dress she wore for her Jan. 4, 2014, wedding to Jesse Brubaker.

By Michaela Morris

“It’s something I always wanted to do,” said Scott Freeman, who moved to Tupelo with his wife Michelle and two younger daughters in the summer of 2013. “It’s a once-in-alifetime thing.”

Macie Freeman Brubaker said she had always dreamed of having her father make her wedding dress, just like she always envisioned a simple country wedding. Through the years, her father has made her dresses for special occasions. Her prom dress – with a beaded camo bodice – became a legend.

“He’s never failed to do something incredible,” said Macie Brubaker, who is currently in nursing school at the University of Tulsa. “I gave him my dream idea and he makes it come together even better than I imagined it.”

This isn’t the first special wedding dress Freeman has created. He made his wife Michelle’s dress when they married 22 years ago.

“I never saw her in it until she walked down the aisle,” Freeman said.

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Photo submitted From An Early Age As the youngest of three growing up in Longview, Texas, Freeman learned to sew from his mother and his neighbors while his older siblings were in school.

“I’d go from house to house and they taught me whatever they were doing,” Freeman said. “It was like learning to ride a bike. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t sew.”

The sewing bug stuck. By the time he was a junior in high school, he made himself a suit.

Initially, he planned to pursue pre-med studies at Baylor University, but he quickly realized he belonged in fashion design. He made wedding, debutante and formal dresses on the side. His college career was interrupted for a time, but his senior year, he won a scholarship to study at the Parks Fashion Institute.

He’s put his creativity with fabric to work as a clothing designer and furniture designer. A business opportunity brought him and his family to North Mississippi. Now he works for CSA, and puts his creative skills to work on the side for Stool Pigeon, a custom upholstered furniture company, with wife Michelle.

Making the Dress The 2014 wedding dress first took shape in pieces.

Brubaker pulled together photos that showed elements she wanted in her dress.

“She liked the back on this and the train on this,” Freeman said. “It wasn’t all in one dress.”

At Thanksgiving break 2013, Freeman used muslin to pin the shape of the dress on his daughter. From that, he created the pattern for the dress. He doesn’t work from sketches or pre-made patterns.

All of the materials were sourced locally from Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann and Hancock Fabrics.

“It’s probably less than $100 in fabrics,” Freeman said.

The most difficult, time-consuming part of the dress was using soutache braid to re-embroider the Chantilly lace for the bodice. It took more than 70 hours and nearly 60 yards of braid to complete the dress.

“Macie didn’t want beading, thankfully,” Freeman said with a laugh.

The dress was completed between Thanksgiving and Christmas; Freeman worked nights and weekends to make the dress a reality.

“It was really quick,” Freeman said. “But I would have waited until the last minute anyway.”

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Scott Freeman (top right) made his daughter’s wedding dress (top left) as he did his wife’s dress she wore to marry him (top center). Photos by Lauren Wood

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A Personal Touch

Sallye Stewart says when a bride comes to her for help, she asks her two questions: First, what’s your budget and second, what’s your vision?

By Ginna Parsons “We ask her to close her eyes and describe the ceremony and reception,” said Stewart, a certified wedding and event planner. “Every event needs to have its own personality and reflect the bride’s taste. We call it branding. That’s what makes it personal and there are unlimited ways to do it.”

There are obvious ways to personalize the occasion, such as mono-

grammed cups, napkins and koozies. But Stewart and her assistant, Tara Chappell, like to take it a step further.

“One bride was a graphic artist and she was going to have a lot of small children at her outdoor wedding, so she designed an activity book for the kids and gave them crayons as they came in,” Stewart said.

“While the ceremony was going on, the kids were playing dot-to-dot, Bridal Journal of Northeast Mississippi

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Bridget Sharp Photography having a scavenger hunt, coloring a picture of the wedding cake.”

For another wedding, one of the bridesmaids created a watercolor painting that was then printed on the bottom of the wedding program.

Another couple bought small jars of Tupelo honey and had labels affixed to them with their names and the wedding date.

“You can even get a picture of the bride and groom or their monogram on postage stamps now,” Stewart said. “You can have confetti made from tiny pictures of the bride and groom to spread on the guest tables.”

Stewart said one bride’s grandparents had a berry farm, so the bride and groom spent the summer picking berries and making jars of jelly that were given away at the reception.

Another bride who loved sunflowers used them on shower invitations, in centerpieces at the reception and in the bridesmaids’ bouquets.

“She used that thought throughout the whole planning process,” Stewart said.

Chappell urges brides to think outside the box when it comes to wedding cakes.

“The bride’s cake is pretty traditional, but the groom’s cake can be anything – Oreos and milk if you want,” she said. “People connect to stories. If the groom likes baseball, put bowls of popcorn and little hotdogs on his table.”

Inexpensive ways to personalize the ceremony or reception are to use things you already have.

“Lots of brides use family photos on guest tables, behind the groom’s cake and on the registry table,” Chappell said.

Stewart said one bride is planning to use quilts and a tablecloth crocheted by family members at her reception; another is using a collection of teacups and teapots that have been in her family.

“To keep a wedding from looking cookie-cutter-style, you have to have personal details,” she said. “That’s what’s so important.”

Stewart helped with one wedding where the bride’s father was deceased.

“We got her dad’s wedding ring and tied it up in the bridal bouquet with ribbon, so it was like he was walking with her down the aisle,” she said.

For another bride, they took a handkerchief her great-great-grandmother had embroidered for her great-grandmother, a family cameo and a piece of her grandmother’s wedding veil and worked it all into the stem of the bridal bouquet.

“Brooches are also big in bouquets right now,” Stewart said. “One bride worked a brooch into each bridesmaid’s bouquet and then after the service, the bridesmaids took the brooches out of the bouquets and pinned them to their dresses at the reception. That was their bridesmaid’s gift.”

And it’s not just the wedding and reception that are getting the attention to personalized details.

“Exit transportation,” Stewart said. “Now they’re all about how they’re going to leave. We found a pink Elvis convertible for one to leave in. One bride wanted a vintage white Rolls Royce. Some want to leave in a horse and carriage, some in an old vintage farm truck. We had one couple leave in a golf cart. In our day, you left in your own car that the groomsmen decorated.”

“Those days are gone,” Chappell said. “And almost gone are the days of the limo. Now, it’s all about how to make it unique for each bride.”

Photos by Lauren Wood Bridal Journal of Northeast Mississippi

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Bridal Journal of Northeast Mississippi

A Handmade Keepsake Oxford artist Cindy Aune gives new meaning to the word handmade.

By Riley Manning The painter has 21 new pieces on display at the Caron Gallery in Tupelo, and others at the Bozarts Gallery in Water Valley. But Aune (pronounced like awning, without the ing) also provides the unique side-service of wedding gown portraits, painted not with brushes, but

with her hands, palms, and fingernails.

“I know where I’m going with my hand,” she said. “I have a better feel for the pressure.”

In her studio, she reaches over and dabs some paint out of a bucket, and wipes the excess off on a foldout

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table covered in visqueen. With the meat of her hand, she smears the dark blue in the corner of a wedding piece she’s working on. In conversation, Aune speaks directly, blunt but lively, but she saves her finesse for her hands.

“The wedding dress started when a friend of mine was getting married, and she wanted a personalized gift,” she said. “When I started, I’d just paint the dress on the mannequin. Then people started wanting at least an indication of the hair style, even if it was just whether the hair was up or down.”

Using the tips of her fingers, she spreads the dark blue paint out, calms it down, forms it into the shadows of the portrait. The dress itself is complete, its thick folds of white and creme, a brown unfolding of hair hanging down the back of it. Country music plays from a paint-spattered radio sitting on top of a cabinet.

“All I need is an image of the dress, the image they want the painting to look like, and they can just email that,” she said. “And I like to know what the most important feature about the dress is.”

There’s even a performance component. Even on her bigger, more artistic pieces, Aune said she’s a fast worker. She also offers an event portrait, where she sets up her easel at the reception and paints the first dance right there on the spot.

“It’s fun,” she said. “People like to watch, and I’m old enough to be out of my shyness. It’s personal, and it makes people feel special, I think.”

Now, Aune is a full-time artist, but before that, she painted wholesale products - kitschy renderings of fruit or colloquial phrases - for 25 years, what her son calls “future yard sale merchandise.”

“At 50, I said, ‘I can’t do this anymore,’” she said. “It was such an aggressive business, and I’d gotten to where I didn’t care anymore.”

So she cooled it for a year and a half or so before her husband gifted her with a workshop with acrylic painter Rob Burridge. That’s where she threw the brush to the side and began painting with her hands.

“It really freed me up. I can be looser with the lines without a brush,” she said. “It took me six to eight months to figure out how to paint anything that way, and even they were really simple pieces, but I 26

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worked up to pieces that were, well, not so simple.”

More importantly, it made her love painting again. She recalled coloring as a child, never staying in the lines. She didn’t take classes until college, where she majored in art because, she said, it was the thing that came easiest to her. After she graduated, she worked as a draftsman.

“That was before computers,” she said. “It was very dry work, but now I can free hand a perfectly straight line, so it was helpful in some ways.”

Being inside Aune’s studio is a lot like what it must be inside her head. Finished pieces are leaned against the wall, and paint covers everything. She’s written bits of her advice right on the wall, some technical reminders like, “Layers! Short, choppy strokes,” while others motivate, like “The enemy of good is better,” while others still inspire, like “Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.” When she gets the inclination, she’ll host a workshop, which usually ends up being about every three months or so. Every January, she holds an artist retreat. In between, she hits the road to various art festivals across the country. Currently, she’s eying the Bayou City Art Festival in Houston, Texas.

“The thing about being an artist is that you make money wherever you can,” she said.

Sometimes the transition in technique and mindset from personalized pieces to her gallery ones can be tough. But at the end of the day, Aune just likes to paint.

“Honestly, I paint because I like to,” she said. “It makes me really happy. When I get going on a really good painting, I stay out here in my studio as long as I want to. And if it turns out to be a homerun, maybe people will buy it.”

To inquire about a painting of your own, Cindy can be reached at cindyaune@hotmail.com.

Photos by Lauren Wood

Photo by Blake McCollum Photography

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Wedding Announcement •

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• Chelsea Beth Thompson & Justin Wayne Baulch • Chelsea Beth Thompson & Justin Wayne Baulch were married at 6:30 p.m. March 22, 2014, at First United Methodist Church in Starkville, Miss. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Barry Thompson of Hamilton, Miss. She is the granddaughter of Ms. Wanda Walters of Hamilton and Mr. & Mrs. James Walters of Nettleton, and Mr. & Mrs. Bill Thompson of Hamilton. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Baulch of Nettleton, Miss. He is the grandson of Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Shackelford and Mr. & Mrs. James Baulch of Nettleton.

Brother Robert Moore of Hamilton Baptist Church was the officiating minister.

Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore an ivory, beaded lace mermaid gown with a bateau illusion neckline and sheer cap sleeves

by Casablanca Bridal. Her veil was fingertip length and trimmed in Swarovski crystals. Her bouquet of ivory and blush roses was wrapped in a handkerchief given by the maid of honor pinned by various brooches from the bride’s and groom’s great-grandmothers.

Attending the bride as her maids of honor were Jesse West Howton of Hamilton, Miss., and Lindsey Anne Tobin of Hattiesburg, Miss.

Bridesmaids were Rachel Gaskin Alsup and Caroline Elizabeth Clark both of Amory, Miss., Molly Anna Baulch of Nettleton, Miss., Kelliann Reed Coggin of Jackson, Miss., Anna Clark Eason of Southaven, Miss., Tori Thompson Hartley of Hamilton, Miss., Anna Lindsey Leclair of Atlanta, Georgia, Lynn Elizabeth Palmer of Birmingham, Ala.; two junior bridesmaids Madeline and Lauren Walters both of Hamilton, Miss., and flower girl Nolie Hayze Baulch-Shadburn of Nettleton, Miss.

The best men of the groom were his father Phillip Baulch and uncle Steven Shackelford of Guntown, Miss. Groomsmen were Luke Adkins of Aberdeen, Miss., Jess Falkner and Joey Miller of Amory, Miss., Zach Green of Georgia, Jon David Hartley of Hamilton, Miss., Chad Mobley Makenzie Lynn Photography

and Brent Thompson of Starkville, Miss., and Brian Smith of Tupelo, Miss. Ushers were Chris Awtrey of Amory, Miss., and Jeffrey Rea of Saltillo, Miss.

The ceremony was directed by Jade Gaskin and register table attendants were Abby McCartney and Avery Adkins both of Aberdeen, Miss. Brother Donald Pouders assisted Brother Moore in officiating the ceremony with music by pianist Brenda Adams of Hamilton, Miss., and soloist Chad Mobley of Starkville, Miss.

Following the ceremony the bride’s parents hosted a reception at The Stables in Starkville, Miss. Guests danced to music by Gino Speight from Nashville, Tenn. The bride’s cake created by Melinda Reeves was a 3-tier strawberry and Bailey’s Irish cream assortment.

The groom had an assortment of cakes made by his grandmothers.

The Grass Shop of Hamilton designed the floral arrangements. Guests dined on food by Terri Lynn’s catering and the event was coordinated by Erin Stubbs with Busylad Rent-All. The evening’s events were captured by Makenzie Lynn Photography and Renee Reedy Cinematography.

On Friday the groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at The Stables with catering by Bishop’s Catering.

Following a honeymoon in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the couple is at home in Hamilton, Miss. Chelsea is Executive Assistant to the CEO for the Golden Triangle Development LINK in Columbus, Miss., and Justin is a Quality Control Engineer at Thompson’s Welding Service in Hamilton, Miss.

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• Lynn Marie Dunnam & Austin Boyce Baker • The celebration and blessing of the marriage unifying Lynn Marie Dunnam and Austin Boyce Baker of Tupelo took place at five o’ clock in the evening on July 19, 2014, outside of the Jamie Whitten Center overlooking the Tombigbee Waterway in Fulton, Miss. The ceremony was officiated by Bro. Jimmy Henry, pastor of Auburn Baptist Church.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Randy Dunnam of Tupelo. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Johnny E. Spencer of Ripley, and Mr. Gene Dunnam and the late Mrs. Carolyn Dunnam of Ripley.

The groom is the son of Eddie and Debbie Baker of Mooreville. He is the grandson of Mrs. Rita Spruill and the late Mr. Edgar “Sonny” Spruill of Tupelo and the late Mr. and Mrs. Boyce Baker of Memphis, Tenn.

Escorted by her father and given in marriage by her parents, the bride wore an ivory ball gown featuring a strapless sweetheart neckline.

The gown featured a chapel train of organza. She wore a strand of pearls the groom surprised her with the morning of the wedding. Her hair was complemented with an ivory flower accented with a beautiful crystal center. A veil of fingertip ivory silk illusion completed her ensemble. The bride carried a beautiful bouquet of ivory hydrangeas and roses.

Attending the bride as matron of honor was Mindy Joslin, sister of the bride, and maid of honor Lexie Higgins. Bridesmaids included Katie Clark, cousin of the bride; Madison Baker, sister of the groom; Katherine Coward; Cheyenne Akers, and Karmen Kimbrough. Carrie Ann Brown served as the flower girl.

The groom’s father, Eddie Baker, served as the best man in the 30

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ceremony. Groomsmen were Brandon Mitchell, Andrew Magers, Brett Pierce, Bryant Nickels, Ernie Ball, and Ryan Berryhill. Andrew Brown served as a sign holder, entering the ceremony holding a sign saying, “Here comes your bride!”

Guests were greeted by Madison Parham and presented with programs by Molly Parham. Nuptial music was provided by pianist Amanda Sewell.

Following the ceremony, guests joined the couple at the reception hosted by the bride’s parents. The reception took place at the Jamie Whitten Center where friends and family enjoyed an array of delicious foods catered by Sandra Lyons. The bride’s delicious three-tiered cake had layers of vanilla and strawberry and was beautifully created with buttercream icing. The groom’s table featured a chocolate ganache cake embellished with chocolate-covered strawberries, both from Creative Cakes. The guests enjoyed a lively evening of dancing and celebrating the blessing of marriage that had taken place. Memories of the evening were captured by Alisha Comer of Dorsey, Miss.

After leaving in a classic 1940 black Chevrolet coupe, the couple honeymooned in Negril, Jamaica. The couple resides in Starkville, Miss.

The bride is currently enrolled in the College of Education pursuing a degree in elementary education at Mississippi State University. The groom is employed at West Point High School as an algebra teacher and is the women’s soccer coach.

Alisha Gholston Colmer Photography

• Wedding Announcement

• Chelsea Taylor Hussey & Jon Paul Barber • Chelsea Taylor Hussey of Mooreville, Mississippi, and Jon Paul Barber of Nettleton, Mississippi, were united in marriage on November 29, 2014, in a ceremony surrounded by family and friends at Auburn Baptist Church in Mooreville, Mississippi. The Reverend Mike Brazeal and the Reverend Jimmy Henry performed the ceremony. Musicians Billie McFerrin and Teresa Easley, provided music, and Brandon and Kristy Hardin provided solos and duets.

The bride is the daughter of Stan and Peggy Hussey of Mooreville, Mississippi. She is the granddaughter of Willie and Burma Schumpert of Plantersville, Mississippi, and Jimmy and Kathleen Hussey of Mooreville, Mississippi.

The groom is the son of Mike and Sheila Barber of Nettleton, Mississippi. He is the grandson of James Matthews, Sr. and the late Brenda Matthews of Plantersville, Mississippi, and Nell Barber and the late Charles Barber of Nettleton, Mississippi.

Escorted and given in marriage by her father, the bride wore an A-line chapel train dress designed and handmade in Europe with a sweetheart neckline. The gown featured five separate layers adorned with crystal appliqués and beading beautifully arranged on embroidery work all around the dress and train. Her veil was a one-tier cathedral veil with lace appliquéd edging also made in Europe. She wore her mother’s pearl earrings and a diamond and pearl necklace given to her by her parents. She carried a bouquet of fall-colored roses and calla lilies with a napkin from her parent’s wedding reception tucked inside.

The matron of honor was Lea Anna Hussey of Smithville, Mississippi. The maid of honor was Karley Hall of Mooreville, Mississippi.

Bridesmaids were Laura Enlow of Mooreville, Mississippi, Charlie Kathryn Leigh Photography

McGaugh of Greenville, Mississippi, Mandi Barber of Nettleton, Mississippi, Allie Matthews and Erin Matthews, both of Plantersville, Mississippi. They wore floor-length, one-shouldered, eggplant-colored chiffon gowns and carried bouquets of fall-colored roses and calla lilies. Honorary bridesmaids were Morgan McGaugh, Haley Forsythe, Hannah Forsythe, Jamie Wagner and Kimmy Nicholson. The flower girl was Della Rae Hussey of Mooreville, Mississippi, and an announcement of the bride was carried by Jada Alexis Graham of Mooreville, Mississippi. Guests were greeted and registered by Tanner Bevill of Mooreville, Mississippi.

Mike Barber, father of the groom, was best man. Groomsmen were Matthew Barber, Michael Burt, Will Hawkins, and Josh Kyle, all of Nettleton, Mississippi, James Matthews, Jr., of Plantersville, Mississippi, and Chip Hussey, of Smithville, Mississippi. Ushers were Mark Enlow, Andy Johns, Jacob Matthews and Jacob Burt. The ring bearer was Corbin Bowles of Nettleton, Mississippi, and Elijah Len Graham of Mooreville, Mississippi, assisted his sister Jada with carrying the announcement of the bride.

A reception followed at The Antler in Tupelo, Mississippi, where guests enjoyed a buffet prepared by Special Occasions by Sandra and music by The Gents.

After a honeymoon in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the couple resides in the Richmond community. The bride is an associate with Health Management Services and is pursuing a master’s degree, and the groom farms with his father and brother on Barber Farms.

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• Katelyn Nicole Clark & Chance Dwight Collier • Katelyn Nicole Clark and Chance Dwight Collier were united in marriage on June 21, 2014, at County Line Baptist Church, the bride’s home church. Bro. Chip Johnson officiated.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Clark of Pontotoc. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Patsy Patterson and the late Mr. Henry Joe Patterson of Bruce, and the late Mr. Harold Clark of Covington, Tenn., Mr. and Mrs. John Williams, and the late Gene Austin all of Pontotoc.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Barker Collier of Endville.

He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Walt Holder and the late Mr. Jimmy Collier all of Endville, and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Frederick of Shannon.

The bride wore an ivory strapless Tara Keely gown featuring a lace bodice accented with a satin beaded sash. Her veil featured rhinestone edging. She wore a freshwater pearl bracelet given to her by her mother. This bracelet was a gift from the bride’s father. The bride chose for her jewelry a simple pearl necklace and earrings. She carried a bouquet of ivory and pink roses, green and white hydrangeas, and delicate baby’s breath, hand tied with burlap and lace. Added to the bouquet was a broach belonging to the bride’s late great-grandmother and a silver heart-shaped locket given to her grandmother by her late grandfather.

Chelsea Bowen served as matron of honor. The bridesmaids were Cecee Austin, Anna Harrison, Meagan Hillhouse, Lauren Parrish, Charity Stacey, and Amber Warren. The bridesmaids wore pale pink sweet-heart neckline gowns accented with rosettes at the waistline.

They carried bouquets of pink roses and baby’s breath. Preslee Austin, Taryn Jamison, and Allie Beth Sewell served as junior bridesmaids.

Flower girls were Payton Austin, Alma Bowen, and Millie Ann Holder.

Photography by Toni Mask. Angie Stacy and Kay Austin served as wedding directors. Piano music was provided by Mr. Gerald Waldrop and special music by Mr. and Mrs. Robby Beaman.

Barker Collier, the groom’s father, served as best man. Groomsmen were Clay Collier, brother of the groom, and Jay Holder, the groom’s uncle. Also serving were Chandler Brazil, Patrick Ferguson, Weston Mounce, and Jacob Sipes. Ringbearers were Grey Holder and Rylan Toni Mask Photography

Rogers.

The church’s porch was decorated with rustic burlap, lace, and grape vine. Flowers were green and wild hydrangeas, pink roses, and baby’s breath. On each side of the doorway sat white benches holding burlap “Mr. and Mrs.” pillows. One of the benches was made from a piece of the bride’s furniture from her childhood. The church kept to the rustic feel with grapevine pew holders and beautiful archway with cascading variegated grass, green hydrangeas, and pink roses.

Following the ceremony, the couple, along with their guests, enjoyed a seated dinner catered by Susie’s Kitchen of Houston, Miss., at the rustic community building in downtown Pontotoc. Aunt of the bride made a beautiful fruit arrangement with their hand-carved initial. The bride’s cake was a square three-tiered vanilla cake with buttercream icing, decorated with fresh pink roses. The groom’s cake was a square two-tiered chocolate cake with chocolate ganache icing, decorated with chocolate-covered strawberries, roping, and horse shoes. Chance has enjoyed roping since he was a child. Both cakes were designed by Creative Cakes of Tupelo.

Keeping to the rustic atmosphere, the reception was decorated with ivory and burlap table cloths. Tree stumps, hand cut by the bride’s father and cousin, were topped with Mason jars filled with candles and fresh flowers. This served as the centerpieces for the tables inside the reception. Outside, the tables held antiqued flower boxes handmade by the groom and his father containing Mason jars and flowers. An antique vanity was decorated with wedding pictures and memorabilia from the couple’s parents’ weddings. The vanity was accentuated with a shabby chic burlap and lace ruffle skirt hand made by the bride’s great aunt.

A special thanks to Redele and Donna of Flowers and Gifts of Pontotoc by Redele, Toni Mask Photography, Susie’s Kitchen, and Creative Cakes. The wedding was truly a family affair and would not have been as special without them. The couple cruised to Cozumel and Progresso for their honeymoon. The bride is a registered nurse at Express Care West in Tupelo, and the groom is a sales rep for Fastenal in Saltillo.

The couple now resides in Pontotoc.

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• Kelsey Leigh Clayborne & Hunter Grafe Flanagan • Kelsey Leigh Clayborne of Tupelo and Hunter Grafe Flanagan of Saltillo were united in marriage on December 28, 2013, at six o’clock in the evening at First Baptist Church of Tupelo. The candlelight ceremony was performed by the Rev. Ricky Lynn Young and the Rev. Charles Andrew Covington. George Randall Wood served as music director and soloist, assisted by Sandy Coutoumanos, organist, and Svetlana Kaltchenko, violinist.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Kelly Clayborne of Tupelo. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Ruth Fowlkes and the late Mr. James Buford Fowlkes of Amory, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Leland Kelly Clayborne of Amory.

The groom is the son of Mr and Mrs. Robert Purdy Flanagan III of Saltillo. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Clement Grafe of Lucedale and Mrs. Mary Price Flanagan and the late Mr. Robert Purdy Flanagan II of Heber Springs, Ark. Escorted by her father, the bride wore a Lazaro design wedding gown of ivory Alencon lace net with a sweetheart neckline and a freshwater pearl brooch at the waist. The soft A-line skirt was appli34

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quéd with Alencon lace over a sparkle net underlay with a chapel train and veil. The bride wore a silver and gold pearl bracelet by Ronaldo which was given to her by the groom. Designed by Tracy Proctor, her bouquet included “creme Della crème” roses, tulips, spray roses, star of Bethlehem, and cymbidium orchids wrapped in lace from the mother of the bride’s wedding dress.

The maid of honor was Kayla Elise Clayborne, sister of the bride.

Bridesmaids were Maggie Blackwell, Lealand Flanagan, Laura Fly, Brittany Mann, Jana Mason, and Meredith Smylie. Honorary bridesmaid was Meagan Adcock, and bride’s proxy was Lindsey Crenshaw. Flower girl was Mary Lawson Lesley.

The groom’s father served as best man. Groomsmen were Zach Covington, David Duke, Josh Harden, Will Nichols, and Derek Scott.

A reception followed at the First Baptist Church Grand Hall and Fellowship Hall.

After a honeymoon in Maui, the couple resides in Nashville, Tenn., where the bride is a teacher in Brentwood, and the groom is employed with United Parcel Service of Nashville, Tenn.

Lovely Union Photography

• Wedding Announcement

• Courtney Danielle Foster & Casey Lane McBrayer • Courtney Danielle Foster and Casey Lane McBrayer were united in marriage at 5 o’clock in the evening on May 24, 2014, in a ceremony surrounded by family and friends at Manning Gardens in Guntown.

Brother Joe Connell performed the ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of Clay and Lana Foster of Belden. She is the granddaughter of Roy and Shirley Caldwell, and Sybil Foster and the late Clay Foster Sr. all of Blue Springs.

The groom is the son of Terry and Tonya McBrayer of New Albany. He is the grandson of Benny and Mabel Rakestraw of New Albany, and Betty Jo McBrayer and the late Charles McBrayer of Blue Springs.

Given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, the bride wore a white strapless A-line lace gown with a side split, adorned with pearls and crystals at the neckline and above the split. The back of the dress was a lace-up corset with a chapel train. She wore a fingertip veil and carried a bouquet of pink, coral, and white peonies, roses, lisianthus, and hydrangeas adorned with antique crystal brooches.

Attending the bride as maid of honor was Noelle Foster, sister of the bride. Bridesmaids were Abby Epting, Brittany Williams, Taylor Toni Mask Photography

Brown, Amber Warren, and Hannah Beth Scott. Honorary bridesmaids were Allie Epting, Amber Lewis, Ashley Russell, Michelle Graham, Argerie Marin, and Rakel McBrayer. The flower girl was Isabelle Williams.

Serving as best man was Terry McBrayer, father of the groom.

Groomsmen were Trae Foster, Ethan Roaton, Jonathan Grant, Brett Rakestraw, and Justin Williams. Ring bearers were Jensen and Jaxon Williams. Serving as ushers were Daniel Hardy, Clayton Kowalczyk, and Donald Harpole.

Director of the wedding was Emily Forman of New Albany.

Following the ceremony guests enjoyed a reception which flowed inside and outside on the grounds of Manning Gardens. Catering for the reception was provided by Small Gatherings by Brenda Fortune.

The couple celebrated with a honeymoon trip to Destin, Florida.

They now reside in Sherman, Miss. The bride is employed as a registered nurse at Cardiology Associates of North Mississippi. The groom is employed as a System Tech Analyst at Baptist Memorial Hospital in New Albany.

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• Erica Claire Enger & Brittain Ancel Paul Cross • Erica Claire Enger and Dr. Brittain Ancel Paul Cross were united in marriage at seven o’clock in the evening on July 25, 2014, at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in New Orleans, La. The date is especially meaningful to the couple since it was also the 64th wedding anniversary of the bride’s maternal grandparents.

The bride is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Daniel John Enger of Mobile, Ala. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Gerard Cresson of Metairie, La., and Mrs. Irene Enger of Mobile and the late Dr. Daniel John Enger, Sr. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ancel Cross of Ripley. He is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Paul Gaddis of Ripley and Mrs. Quay Hurt Cross and the late Mr. Ancel “Cub” Cross of Falkner.

Father Bob Massett of New Orleans officiated at the double-ring ceremony. Tommy Zanca and Megan Dearie, both of New Orleans, were the organist and cantor. Readers were Lauren Simoneaux Beers of Arvada, Colo., and Karli Mizell Boggs and Michelle Roger Mosley, both of Baton Rouge, La. Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a sophisticated gown

by Allure featuring all-over lace applique and Swarovski crystals. The dramatic v-shaped neckline had sheer illusion straps that continued down the v-shaped back. Her fingertip veil, hand-fashioned by family friend Bobbye Nunnally of Ripley, was also worn by the groom’s sister in her wedding. The ivory appliquéd lace was embellished with pearls and Swarovski crystals brought home from a trip to Austria.

She wore an heirloom sterling silver cross adorned with diamonds given to her mother by her father and carried a blue rosary given to her as a child by her paternal grandmother. Her hand-tied bouquet of peach and cream roses, by Crystal Vase of New Orleans, was wrapped in an Italian lace handkerchief from Assisi. It was monogrammed with the initials of the bride and groom and was a gift from the groom’s aunt, Paula Porter, of San Antonio, Texas.

The maid of honor was Mary Irene Enger, sister of the bride, of Mobile, and the matron of honor was Meredith Wagener Downs of Birmingham, Ala. Bridesmaids were Caitlin Cross Smedema, sister Bob Bradford Photography

of the groom, of Taveuni, Fiji; Lucy Tess Dicharry of Baton Rouge; Rachel Kateri Gibbons of New Orleans; Lauren Brown McElwain of Birmingham; Anna Rose Rider of Biloxi; Sarah Bounds Robichaux of Baton Rouge; and Erin Gilbert Yarger of Ocean Springs. They wore marine blue one-shoulder satin knee-length gowns with ruched bodices and carried nosegays of roses matching the bridal bouquet. Flower girls were Ava Claire McElwain of Birmingham and Audrey Katherine Robichaux of Baton Rouge.

Ancel Cross, father of the groom, of Ripley, served as best man.

Groomsmen were the bride’s brothers Daniel John Enger, III, of Atlanta, Ga., and Russell Gerard Enger, Michael Joseph Enger, and Christopher John Enger, all of Mobile; Robert Jay Smedema, brother-in-law of the groom, of Taveuni, Fiji; Jeremy Forrest Brudevold of Fort Ransom, N.D.; Walter Brooks Rambo of Inverness; Russell Wayne Steverson of Starkville; and Patrick Ross Thurmond of Madison. Clark James McElwain of Birmingham was the ring bearer.

Following the ceremony guests enjoyed a delicious buffet reception at the Pavilion of the Two Sisters in City Park and a night of dancing to the music of Louisiana Spice. The parents of the bride and groom toasted the couple from heirloom crystal glasses that belonged to the groom’s late maternal grandmother. The bridesmaids participated in a Victorian custom called “ribbon pulling,” in which maids pulled from the cake, designed by the acclaimed Haydel’s Bakery of New Orleans, a ribbon tied to a small charm symbolizing wishes for each, such as impending marriage, love, a contented life, a happy home, fortune, and good luck.

On the eve of the wedding, the groom’s parents honored the couple with a rehearsal dinner at the Knights of Columbus Christopher Hall where a large host of family and friends celebrated with traditional New Orleans fare from Koz’s.

After a honeymoon in Antigua, the couple now resides in Ocean Springs, where the groom is an emergency physician with Emergency Room Group, Ltd., and the bride is a physician assistant with Premier Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center.

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• Leslie Morgan Miller & Jeffrey Blake Chrestman • Leslie Morgan Miller of Saltillo, Mississippi and Jeffrey Blake Chrestman of Tupelo, Mississippi, were united in marriage on October, 18, 2014, in a ceremony surrounded by family and friends at Tupelo Fairpark in Tupelo, Mississippi. Sophie Houin of Tupelo performed the ceremony. Josh Gibson and Adam Gillen of Tupelo, provided music and Josh Gibson was the soloist.

The bride is the daughter Mr. and Mrs. Steven Miller and Pamela Miller of Tupelo, Mississippi and of Amory, Mississippi.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Chrestman and Tammy Chrestman of Tupelo, Mississippi and Carrolton, Texas.

Escorted by her father, the bride wore a Vera Wang satin-faced organza A-line gown with hand-appliqued lace and illusion piece. She carried a bouquet of long-stemmed calla lilies.

The maid of honor was Katy White of Tupelo, Mississippi. Bridesmaids were Mindy Anderson of Pontotoc, Mississippi, Elise Chrestman of Tupelo, Mississippi, and Jennifer Eldridge of Saltillo Mississippi.

They wore plum long mesh dresses with empire necklines and carried bouquets of white roses and purple daisies with baby’s breath.

Brett Chrestman of Tupelo, Mississippi, was best man. Groomsmen were Eric Williams of Tupelo, Mississippi, Timmy Hayden of Tupelo, Mississippi, Will Chennault of Tupelo, Mississippi.

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Miller of Saltillo, Mississippi. Flower girls were Jessalin, goddaughter of the bride, and Adaleigh, both of Saltillo.

A reception followed at The Elkin Place in Tupelo, Mississippi, where guests enjoyed light hors d’oeuvres and peanut M&M’s and music by Josh Gibson and Adam Gillen.

The couple resides in Tupelo, Mississippi, where the bride works for Lee County Schools and the groom works for Petrotech.

Blake McCollum Photography

• Wedding Announcement

• Kellye Michelle Bryan & James Davis Lindsey • Kellye Michelle Bryan and James Davis Lindsey were united in marriage at four o’clock in the afternoon on October 11, 2014, at Manning Gardens in Guntown, Miss. The ceremony was officiated by Bro. Tim Green of Saltillo.

The bride is the daughter of Carl and Carol Bryan of Guntown.

She is the granddaughter of Eula Bryan and the late Roy C. Bryan of Baldwyn and Ava Weil of Louisville, and the late Robert Weil of Tokyo, Japan.

The groom is the son of Billy and Jackie Lindsey of Saltillo. He is the grandson of the late Doc and Esther Lindsey of Wheeler and the late Jiggs and Jean Witcher Davidson of Tupelo.

Given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, the bride wore a formal ivory gown featuring a sweetheart strapless neckline and hand-beaded lace train. She wore a strand of pearls belonging to her mother and pearl earrings given to her by her aunt. The bride carried a bouquet of sunflowers accented with white daisies.

Attending the bride as her matron of honor was Mrs. Amber Harden of Murfreesboro, Tenn. Bridesmaids were Melissa Atkins of Pearl, Kim Fannin of Aberdeen, Ashley Owens of Amory and Stacy Justice of Hatley. The bridesmaids wore gray floor-length chiffon dresses and carried bouquets of sunflowers accented with greenery. Maddie Grace Holcomb of Saltillo, served as flower girl. Flowers were by Bishops Flower and Gifts.

Flourishing Photography

Billy Lindsey, father of the groom, served as best man. Groomsmen were Garrett Bumpers of Oakland, Tenn., Zach Hutcheson of Guntown, Dan Gale of Saltillo and Eric Holcomb of Saltillo. Gavin Holcomb of Saltillo was the ring bearer.

Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed the reception hosted by the brides parents on the grounds of Manning Gardens. The bride’s cake was three-tiered and decorated with sunflowers. The groom’s table featured iced tea cakes in duck and deer shapes and dirt dessert. Sausage balls, hoop cheese, smoked sausage along with many other finger foods were served in the Lake House and enclosed porch area.

On the eve of the wedding, a rehearsal dinner was hosted by the groom’s parents at Romie’s Grocery in Tupelo. Friends and family enjoyed catfish bites, grilled and fried chicken strips, multiple vegetables and banana pudding. Rehearsal dinner decorations were by DB’s Floral Designs N’ More of Saltillo.

The ceremony music was coordinated by “The DJ” Mr. Scott Burns, who also coordinated music for the reception. Flourishing Photography of Belmont captured all of the wedding festivities.

With the well wishes of family and friends, the couple left the reception in an authentic Amish horse and buggy.

After a honeymoon in Gatlinburg, Tenn., the couple resides is Saltillo.

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• Haley Amanda Holley & Lonnie Braxton Franks • Haley Amanda Holley of Pontotoc, Mississippi, and Lonnie Braxton Franks of Houston, Mississippi, were united in marriage on May 31, 2014, in an outdoor ceremony surrounded by family and friends at The Ecru House in Ecru, Mississippi. Brother Jonathan Childress of Red Banks, Mississippi, performed the double-ring ceremony. Nuptial music was provided by violinist Dr. Chris Thompson and Mr. Jesse Tutor, both of Pontotoc, Mississippi. Mrs. Teresa Chism of Pontotoc, Mississippi, was the wedding director.

The bride is the daughter of Sidney and Lesia Holley of Pontotoc, Mississippi. She is the granddaughter of Austin and Daphna Bland of Randolph, Mississippi, and Derrel and Syble Holley of Pontotoc, Mississippi. The groom is the son of Bruce and Linda Franks of Houston, Mississippi. He is the grandson of the late Lonnie and Frances Franks of Pontotoc, Mississippi, and Laura Peden and the late Jemison Peden of Houlka, Mississippi.

Given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, the bride wore a beautiful all-over alençon lace gown in ivory. The timeless gown had a fit-and-flare silhouette, which featured a bateau neckline with off-the-shoulder cap sleeves. An open V-shaped back with fabric button detail and a chapel-length train complemented the gown. Haley carried a classic open-style nosegay of garden-inspired flowers consisting of creamy vendella roses, hydrangea, eucalyptus berries, and native huckleberry, which added movement and textural form. Designer Tracy Parker created the floral arrangements featured in the vintage-themed ceremony and reception, which were perfect for the setting in an elaborate turn-of-the-century home. Christy Irby, Forrest Irby, and Mark Tucker of Pontotoc, Mississippi, created the beautiful, rustic arbor.

Attending the bride as matron of honor was Erica Sullivan Holloway of Pontotoc, Mississippi. Bridesmaids were Heather Marlin Humphries of Mantachie, Mississippi, Emily Gasson Lawrence of Arlington, Virginia, Ashley Harrell Allen, and Lauren Elizabeth Patton, both of Pontotoc, Mississippi. Attending the bride as flower girls were Annie Claire Allen and Sullivan Cathryn Holloway, both of Pontotoc, Mississippi. Caroline Howard of Pontotoc, Mississippi, attended the registry table and Dawn Cockell of Houston, Mississippi, was the bridal proxy.

Serving as best man was Bruce Henry Franks of Houston, Mississippi, father of the groom. The groomsmen were Sy Bailey Holley of Pontotoc, Mississippi, Henry Chase Franks, Christopher Paul Cockell, Trent’s Portrait Design

and Derick Miles Kirby, all of Houston, Mississippi. The ushers were Bradley Wayne Allen of Pontotoc, Mississippi, John Michael Cockell of Houston, Mississippi, and Zane Franklin Thomas of Madison, Mississippi. Ring bearers were Jacob Scott Norman of Houston, Mississippi, and Parker Winston Humphries of Mantachie, Mississippi.

Following the ceremony, the bride’s parents hosted a reception at The Ecru House. The menu consisted of the couples’ favorite Southern comfort foods catered by Nancy Maxey of Pontotoc, Mississippi. The classic five-tier wedding cake was made of layers of double vanilla butter cake and vanilla Swiss meringue butter cream icing. The exterior was covered in the same rich vanilla butter cream with elegant lace piping at the top of each tier. Pink vendella roses and hydrangea were placed at intervals around the layers, creating a soft feminine look.

Cory Lewis of CORY Cake Design was the confectioner. Adrienne Webb of Ridgeland, Mississippi, attended the bride’s table. Haley’s aunt, Donna Bagwell of Pontotoc, Mississippi, attended a memorial Missing Man table set for her son, Lance Corporal Marc Lucas Tucker, who died while serving in Iraq.

The groom’s three-tier cake, designed by Mrs. Lee Redwine of Mantee, Mississippi, consisted of layers of chocolate cake and rich chocolate icing. Covering the exterior was the same rich chocolate icing in a beautiful basket-weave design. Maroon and white Mississippi State University emblems and paw prints adorned the cake. Dawn Cockell and Jessica Cockell, both of Houston, Mississippi, attended the groom’s table.

On the eve of the wedding the groom’s parents hosted a steak dinner, in honor of the bride and groom, at the Pontotoc Community House. A dessert table was provided which included a delicious assortment of cakes and cheesecakes. Anita Voyles of Houston, Mississippi, was the caterer and Deanna Uhiren of Houston, Mississippi, was the decorator. Braxton’s aunt, Lea Meyers, of Houlka, Mississippi, provided a video of the bride and groom for entertainment. Servers were Rebekah Falkner, Victoria Ferguson, Brooke Griffin, Holly Hudson, and Millie Hudson, all of Houston, Mississippi, and Jana White of Mantee, Mississippi.

After honeymooning in the Bahamas, the couple resides in Houston, Mississippi, where the bride works for the Houston Public School District and the groom works for Gentiva Home Health.

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• Laura Catherine Horn & Justin Tyler Jones • First Baptist Church of Houston was the setting for a celebration of family, friends, faith and love for the marriage of Laura Catherine Horn and Justin Tyler Jones on August 9, 2014, at three o’clock in the afternoon. The Rev. Daniel Heeringa officiated the ceremony and the Rev. Al Gaspard prayed the benediction blessing.

The bride is the daughter of Doctor and Mrs. Victor Horn of Houston. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lester White of DeKalb and Mr. Albert Horn and the late Fahoma Horn of Houston.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Terry Jones of Taylorsville.

He is the grandson of Mrs. Sue Edison and of the late Luther Edison of Taylorsville and the late Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Jones of Taylorsville.

Doctor and Mrs. George Powell provided musical selections during the wedding ceremony: “Household of Faith” and “When God Made You.” A selection of nuptial music was provided by the organist, Miss Lisa Johnson, the pianist Mrs. Dawn Heeringa, and the church handbell choir. The wedding was directed by Mrs. Millette Nabors.

Escorted by her father to “Holy, Holy, Holy” by organ, piano and handbells, the bride wore her mother’s gown which had been redesigned for her. It was an original gown of white satin which featured a Queen Anne neckline. The bodice was swirled with re-embroidered imported French Alencon lace touched with seed pearls. A near-natural waistline cascaded to a soft skirt and chapel train encircled with re-embroidered Alencon lace and pearls. The bride also wore her mother’s veil of white illusion adorned with motifs of Alencon lace. She carried a bouquet of green and white hybrid hydrangeas, ivory garden roses and white snaps 42

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wrapped in a vintage handkerchief, accented by a wedding head piece and jewelry which had belonged to the bride’s paternal grandmother.

The maid of honor was Hillary Horn and the bridal proxy was Emily Horn of Houston. Bridesmaids were Bridgett and Kaityln Byrd of Laurel, Brittany and Paige Horn of Houston and Meredith Horn of Starkville. They wore floor-length, one-shoulder gowns of navy chiffon and carried bouquets complementary to the bridal bouquet.

Dylan Jones of Taylorsville was the best man. Groomsmen were Rease Patrick and John Babbidge of Ellisville, Vic Horn of Starkville and Drew and Garth Horn of Houston.

Little Miss Madeleine Horn was the flower girl. She wore a French hand-sewn heirloom gown created by Mrs. Victoria Hyde. Master Brett Horn was the Bible and ring bearer. The Bible was a family gift for the bride from Israel.

A reception designed by family friends followed the ceremony in the church fellowship hall, where guests enjoyed wonderful refreshments.

Music was provided by Mr. Bart Munlin.

After the ceremony, the couple honeymooned in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. They reside in Tupelo where the bride is enrolled in Itawamba Community College’s nursing program and the groom works for Norbord Incorporated.

Bridget Sharp Photography

• Wedding Announcement

• Hannah Grace Jamieson & Alex Carlton Downs • Hannah Grace Jamieson and Alex Carlton Downs, both of Booneville, were united in marriage on June 21, 2014, in a ceremony surrounded by family and friends at the Booneville Church of Christ with Aaron Foster officiating and Bonnie Wanner directing. Vocalists for the ceremony were Kayla Allen, Dustin and Hannah Bridges, Jordan Coats, Rebecca Elliott, and Becky Johnson. Floral arrangements for the ceremony were provided by Sidney’s Southern Traditions of Booneville.

The bride is the daughter of Abby George and Joey Jamieson, both of Booneville. She is the granddaughter of Charles George and the late Bobbie George of Booneville and Edsel and Evelyn Jamieson of Ripley.

The groom is the son of Dr. Larry and Rhonda Downs of Booneville. He is the grandson of the late Nathaniel Olive and Louise Olive of Booneville, Miss., and the late Pete Downs and Marca Kendrick of Booneville, Miss.

Escorted by her father, the bride wore an ivory strapless mermaid gown and a strand of freshwater pearls, given to her by the groom. She carried a bouquet of blush peonies with Pavarotti pink roses and Akito white roses.

The maid of honor was the sister of the bride, Mary Alyse Jamieson of Booneville. Bridesmaids were Madeline Hickman, Molly Rowland, Anna Ward, Markka Prichard, all of Booneville, sister of the groom Dr. Amy Downs of Houston, Texas, Emily Thomas of Tupelo, Miss., and Samantha Parker of Nashville, Tenn. The maids wore strapless Eric Ewing with EAE Productions

floor-length gowns with an empire waist made of navy chiffon and carried bouquets of Pavarotti pink roses. Eden Parker of Booneville served as the flower girl.

Father of the groom, Larry Downs, served as the best man.

Groomsmen were Blake Hatfield, Dustin Bridges, and Riley Boren, all of Booneville, Brandon Robbins of Corinth, Wesley Bell of Saltillo, Martez Betts, and Blake Burcham both of Pontotoc. Ushers were Zach Glenn, Colby England, Ryan Ward and James Olive, uncle of the groom, all of Booneville. Turner Foster of Booneville served as ring bearer.

A reception was held at the Booneville Country Club, catered by the bride’s aunts, Regina Coats, Janet Bennett, and Ellen Dodson. The bride‘s cake was a multi-tiered white cake adorned with Pavarotti pink roses. A chocolate Ole Miss Rebel cake was featured on the table of the groom, an avid Ole Miss fan.

The bride and groom left the reception through thrown rose petals and cheers to a horse-drawn carriage, a surprise from the groom. EAE Productions captured every special moment of the day beautifully. The couple spent their honeymoon at the Sandals Royal Plantation Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

The couple resides in Ridgeland, Miss., where the bride works for Dr. Gregory Duke, DDS, and the groom is pursuing his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree at the University of Mississippi, Jackson.

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• Brooklynn Paige Beam & Jordan Reed Clemons • Brooklynn Paige Beam of Nettleton, Miss., and Jordan Reed Clemons of Houston, Miss., were united in marriage at 2 o’clock in the evening on October 25, 2014, in a ceremony surrounded by family and friends at the Shannon Church of Jesus Christ in Shannon, Miss.

The ceremony was officiated by the Rev. Kenneth Wilson, pastor of the groom. Prayer and comments were also made by the Rev. Gary Hodum and the Rev. Charles Flake. Rev. Mark Williams, uncle of the bride, performed the Unity Cross Ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. Paul Beam of Nettleton, Miss. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Wanda Williams, the late Rev. Rayburn Williams of Nettleton, Miss., and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Beam of Amory, Miss.

The groom is the son of Rev. and Mrs. Kenny Clemons of Houston, Miss. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Lindell “Sonny” Ray, the late Mr. Van Johnson, Mr. Kenny E. Clemons, and the late Mrs. Lola Clemons of Houston, Miss.

Given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, the bride wore a beautiful champagne vintage dress. The fitted bodice had a high elegant neck with a scalloped matching jacket. The dress was adorned with delicate antique lace appliques. She carried a bouquet of burlap fabric flowers.

The maid of honor was Ashlynn Beam, sister of the bride. Bridesmaids were Amberli Williams, Brittany Hunt, Deanna Gray, Hailey Williams, Jessica Delashmit, Kenisha Parker, Lauren Delashmit and Mary Beth Scott. They wore matching tea-length champagne dresses made by Dainty Jewells. Alivia Williams, cousin of the bride, served as miniature bride and Makayla Sloan, cousin of the bride, served as flower girl.

The Rev. Kenny Clemons, father of the groom, served as best man.

Groomsmen were Alex Clemons, Andy Williams, Derick Vance, Evan Clemons, Heath Sanford, Jeff Heair, Lance Sanford and Matthew Gray.

Jase Sanford, cousin of the groom, served as miniature groom. Honorary groomsmen and ushers were Paul Brassfield and Abel Byars.

Essick Photography

The wedding ceremony was under the direction of Lisa Williams, aunt of the bride, and Anita Vance, aunt of the groom. Guests were greeted by Kathryn Prewitt, friend of the bride. Beautiful wedding music was provided by pianist Belinda Galloway.

Wonderful memories of the evening were captured by Megan Essick of Essick Photography, Columbus, Miss. Videography was provided by Bruce Hall and Adam Hunt.

Following the ceremony, the bride’s parents hosted a celebration at the beautiful new Southwind in Shannon, Miss., as being the first event held. The Shabby Chic theme flowed to the reception with the barn and grounds decorated with Mason jars, candle lights, wooden tables, lace, and burlap. The guests enjoyed a meal of barbecue and chicken along with an assortment of salads, vegetables, and fruit. A cookie and milk bar was provided for the children. The interior included the bride’s table with a four-tiered ivory wedding cake made by Rita Hendrix of Cakes by Rita. Outside, the patio which overlooked the beautiful lake and woods, provided a relaxing atmosphere for the meal.

On the eve of the wedding, the groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at the Shannon Church of Jesus Christ in Shannon for the wedding party and family of the bride and groom.

After a honeymoon in the Smokey Mountains, the couple resides in Nettleton, Miss. The bride is employed by Tupelo Endodontics Clinic and Renew Dental, also of Tupelo. The groom is employed at Clemons Construction and serves in the ministry.

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• Shannon Carroll & Paul Saylors • Shannon Carroll and Paul Saylors exchanged wedding vows during a picturesque autumn afternoon on October 25, 2014, at 4 o’clock at Manning Gardens in Guntown, Mississippi. The quaint ceremony was officiated by Bryan Collier, lead pastor of The Orchard in Tupelo.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Carroll of Kennedy, Alabama. The groom is the son of Mr. Manfred Saylors and Ms. Joy Saylors of Booneville, Mississippi.

The ceremony began with traditional musical selections played by native Mississippian and Nashville singer/songwriter John Milstead.

Escorted by her father, the bride walked down the aisle to Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years” performed by Milstead. He also performed the newlywed’s first dance following the ceremony to the tune of Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love”.

Shannon wore a delicately beaded, strapless satin and tulle overlay gown handcrafted by Casablanca, along with a rhinestone headband.

She carried a hand-held bouquet composed of pink, orange and yellow Gerbera daisies paired with white hydrangeas bound with aqua and lace ribbon. Her bouquet was also adorned with an antique brooch.

Attending the bride were her bridesmaids Layla Darden of Tupelo, Malia Manning of Birmingham and Candice Taylor of Mooreville.

The bridal party wore aqua chiffon gowns with sweetheart necklines.

Nora Layne Manning of Birmingham served as flower girl. She wore a beautiful white princess satin dress with layers of tulle and lace.

The bridegroom’s father served as best man and Parrish Potts of Blue Springs was his groomsman. Jake Taylor of Mooreville served as 46

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ring bearer.

Blake McCollum photography captured the couple’s beautiful nuptials and reception, while Christie Griffin was director of wedding day details.

Emily Forman, of MODA designs, created the perfect floral arrangements for the beautiful outdoor setting. The bride’s friends, Shirley Blassingame, Marsha Ferguson, Rachael Potts and Malia Manning brought together all of the décor for the wedding and reception complete with lanterns, burlap and lace.

Following the ceremony, guests were invited to enjoy themselves by attending the reception on the grounds. A variety of Southern cuisine and hors-d’oeuvres were catered by Hope Jones, of Baldwyn, who also hosted the couple’s rehearsal dinner the night before. Guests danced into the early evening to the tunes of DJ Joey Gassaway.

After a relaxing honeymoon in Maui, the couple returned home and resides in Saltillo, Miss.

Blake McCollum Photography

• Wedding Announcement

• Caitlyn Manning Castles & Hunter Allen Dulaney • Caitlyn Manning Castles of Tupelo and Hunter Allen Dulaney of Saltillo were united in marriage on November 8, 2014, at 2:30 in the afternoon at Gloster Street Church of Christ in Tupelo, Miss. Chad Ramsey officiated.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Lake Castles of Tupelo. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Castles and Mrs. Louise Davis and the late Mr. Rollan Davis of Tupelo.

The groom is the son of Mr. Neil Dulaney of Saltillo, Mr. and Mrs. Jason Brewer of Red Bay, Ala., and Donna Dulaney of Saltillo. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Allen Dulaney of Fulton, Mr. and Mrs. Marlin Saint of Red Bay, Ala., Mr. and Mrs. Danny King of Pontotoc, and Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Brewer of Belmont. He is the great-grandson of Mrs. Wilma Funderburk of Red Bay, Ala. Mrs. Meredith Melton of Olive Branch, Miss., served as matron of honor; Miss Allison McCharen of Tupelo served as maid of honor.

Bridesmaids were Marrissa Senneff of Caledonia, Rachel Peters of Tupelo, and Lauren Davis, cousin of the bride, of Lawton, Okla. Miss Chloe Vines of Tupelo was the flower girl.

Chase Robinson of Saltillo served as best man. Groomsmen were Rubin Ruiz of Forest, Miss., Jessie Coffey of Starkville, Reed Davis of Oxford, and Denzel McLemore of Hernando, Miss. Mr. Davis Abel, cousin of the bride, of Southaven was the ring bearer.

A slide show of pictures of both the bride and groom was shown prior to the start of the ceremony. The bride wore her mother’s veil and carried small pictures of loved ones she had recently lost inside her Marty Pettit Photography

bouquet. Escorted down the aisle by her father and given in marriage by her parents, the bride wore a beautiful, sophisticated ivory gown with great detail. The gown featured a scoop neckline with two separate layers made of charmeuse and a lace overlay. The lace was detailed with rhinestones and pearl buttons up the back that led to a diamond shape opening. The bridesmaids wore plum dresses which complemented the groomsmen who wore khaki-colored suits with plum bow ties.

The bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres were made by the bride’s grandmother and great aunt.

A reception was held at the church and beautifully decorated by Kim McKee, a close friend of the bride’s family. On the eve of the wedding the groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner in honor of the bride and groom on the patio of Romie’s restaurant. It too was decorated beautifully by the groom’s mother.

The wedding cake was a creation of Endville Bakery in Tupelo.

The couple enjoyed a quick trip to Atlanta and plan to honeymoon later this year. They now reside in Oxford. The groom is finishing a master’s program in chemistry at Ole Miss and the bride is finishing a radiology program in May.

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• Leatrice Simmons Baker & Adam Robert Green • Leatrice Simmons Baker and Adam Robert Green, both of Denver, Colo., were united in marriage October 5, 2014, at Della Terra Mountain Chateau, Estes Park, Colo. Vows were pledged in a late afternoon ceremony surrounded by the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. Andrew Chrisanthus of Cincinnati, Ohio, performed the double-ring ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Vandy Baker of Oxford, Miss., and the granddaughter of Mrs. Robert Foster and the late Dr. Robert Foster of Tupelo, Miss., and Mrs. Cleo Baker and the late Mr. Cleo Baker of Pontotoc, Miss.

The groom is the son of Mr. Robert Kenneth Green of Union, Ky., and Mrs. Jennifer Ann Green of Cincinnati, Ohio, and the grandson of Daphne Margaret Scarlott Thompson of London, England, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert William Green of Bournemouth, England.

Escorted by her father, the bride was radiant in a gown by Sarah Seven. Baker was stunning in this whimsical romantic mountain “goddess” design. Sparkles of gold and threads of lace in the gown were complemented with a sparkly shawl from Anthropologie’s bridal line.

Cassandra Cederlund of Root to Petal Botanicals collaborated with the bride on flowers. A wide spectrum of succulents, artichokes, wild flowers and lavender were reminiscent of an English garden. The bridal bouquet was hand tied in a portion of her mother’s bridal train and adorned with a sacred heart brought from dear friend Mrs. Patsy Wood’s recent trip to the Holy Land.

Photography by Crimson and Clover

A floral headpiece with lace from the veil worn by her mother, aunt and cousin adorned the crown of her head. Special accessories were her mother’s pearl and diamond necklace and the blue garter from her parents’ wedding.

Maid of honor was Dewey Elise Brashier of Biloxi, Miss. Bridesmaids were Vaughan Leatherman Stewart of Memphis, Tenn., and Madeline Campbell of Ft. Collins, Colo. They wore light charcoal chiffon gowns with light lavender pashmina wraps and amethyst necklaces, gifts from the bride, and carried bouquets of free spirit roses, purple artichokes, English lavender, lacy dusty miller, feather eucalyptus and other wildflowers.

Best man was Dr. Jack Taylor of Honolulu, Hawaii. Groomsmen were Wesley Fleming of San Francisco, Calif., and Andrew Buskirk of Cincinnati, Ohio. Thomas Crisler Baker, brother of the bride, and Mario Alvarez of Columbus, Ohio served as ushers. Abbey Armstrong of Columbus, Ohio and Mary Elizabeth Gray of Denver, Colo., served as greeters.

The newlyweds were showered with colorful autumn leaves as they proceeded to the reception in Della Terra Chateau. Guests enjoyed a cocktail hour and a seated dinner during which a video featured highlights of the couple’s lives. The Spotlight Variety Band provided music for a fun-filled evening of dancing and celebrating.

The couple resides in Denver, Colo.

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• Kallie Rebecca Bounds & Mark Evan Lefler • Kallie Rebecca Bounds of Oxford and Mark Evan Lefler of Blue Mountain were united in marriage on October 18, 2014, in a ceremony surrounded by family and friends at First Baptist Church in Wiggins, Mississippi. Dr. Clyde Carraway of Lucedale performed the ceremony.

Mrs. Suellen Morrison and Mrs. Johnene Thames of Wiggins, provided music.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Suzan Bounds of Wiggins. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Stephens of Wiggins, and Mrs. Hilton Bounds and the late Mr. Bounds of Gulfport.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Melisa Lefler of Blue Mountain. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Thompson of Hickory Flat and the late Ms. Mary Nan Thompson of Ripley, and Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Lefler of Blue Mountain. He is the great-grandson of Mrs. Lillie Rudd of Marshall, Texas.

Escorted by her father, the bride wore a vintage-inspired corded lace and tulle over Dolce Satin trumpet-style wedding dress by Australian designer Martina Liana. It featured a scalloped hem and sweetheart neckline. The sash was designed and hand-crafted by Watters with satin ribbon and embellished with a crystal motif. To complement the dress, she wore a bird cage veil. She carried a hand-tied, French-wrapped bouquet of jewel-toned hydrangeas, calla lilies, roses, and hypericum berries.

The maid of honor was Dr. Kristi Hatten of Hattiesburg. Bridesmaids were Mrs. Heather Lefler of Blue Mountain; Dr. Katie Leist 50

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of Morgantown, West Virginia; Mrs. Stephanie Pettus of Glencoe, Alabama; Dr. Beth Rogers of Perkinston; Mrs. Amy Tashenberg of Glen Allen, Virginia; Mrs. Ana White of Long Beach and Mrs. Katie Widdows of Ocean Springs. The bridesmaids wore a strapless A-line silhouette dress with a pleated bodice in the color of Rosewood and carried bouquets similar to the bride’s bouquet.

Mr. Chris Lefler of Blue Mountain was best man. Groomsmen were Mr. Mark Akins of Ripley; Mr. Matt Akins of Tupelo; Mr. Gaven Lefler of Blue Mountain; Mr. Jeremy Rucker of New Albany; Mr. Brandon Smith of Ripley; Mr. Brock Yates of Blue Mountain and Mr. Caleb Yates of New Albany.

An elegant vintage reception followed at Pine Burr County Club in Wiggins, where guests enjoyed a lavish buffet prepared by the bride’s mother. The buffet consisted of assorted favorites of the bride and groom that featured marinated shrimp, hot crab dip, a beef carving station, a mashed potato bar and a table of homemade fall candies. Guests also enjoyed live music by Dr. Rock and the Interns. The couple left the ceremony and reception traveling in a vintage 1950 black Oldsmobile.

The couple resides in Oxford, where the bride works for Water Valley School District and the groom works for Tri-State Truck Center, Incorporated.

Jennifer Jones Photography

• Wedding Announcement

• Betsy Kate Gaines & Paul Mason Wages • Historical downtown New Albany, Mississippi’s First Baptist Church was the setting for the afternoon wedding of Betsy Kate Gaines and Paul Mason Wages on July 12, 2014. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joel Benjamin Gaines. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. L. Floyd and Mrs. Dorothy Benjamin Gaines and the late Robert Maxey Gaines, all of New Albany. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Paul Wages. He is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Dalton Vernon Dunnam of New Albany and the late Mr. and Mrs. John William Wages of Parsons, Kansas.

Rosemary Gaines, Betsy’s aunt, was the event coordinator and floral designer along with the Jody’s Design Team, and Beth Parks served as wedding director. Brother Chris Madison officiated. Nuptials were played by Ms. Celia House, pianist, and Ms. Laura Long, organist, with Randy Dunnam as vocalist.

Escorted by her father, the bride wore an ivory fitted gown by Casablanca. Three-dimensional lace appliqués covered the gown. The sweetheart neckline and intricately cut lace straps sloped down her back into a deeply cut “v” completing her elegantly designed dress. She carried a colossal-style bouquet of soft blush and champagne garden roses accented with shadowed blush dahlias. Her bouquet was adorned with lace from the sleeve of her mother’s wedding gown, a string of pearls belonging to her Grandmother Gaines, and a sterling silver charm from her Aunt “Rosie.”

Considering Betsy’s style, Aunt “Rosie” chose an elegant, clean design style with modern touches to achieve an overall fairytale afterAllure Event Photography

noon. As guests arrived, the church’s outside entry was accented with fresh bay leaf garland incorporated with glistening crystal dangles and fresh Dendrobium Orchid strings. The altar center floral featured a mirrored, iron work table with a lush waterfall design style of fresh Diamond White, Romeo and Blush Garden Roses, Phalaenopsis Orchids, Forget Me Not Blush Hydrangeas, dahlias, gerbera daisies and strung white Dendrobium Orchids. Tall columns with architectural elements and candlelight completed this fairytale setting.

Sarah Gaines, sister of the bride, served as maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Nicole Cole of Southaven, Aniston McClellan and Hannah Roberts of New Albany, and Morgan Williamson of Pontotoc. Honorary bridesmaids were Kristin Buskirk, Jordan Dunnam, and Carrie Foley and proxy bride was Carly Boyd, all of New Albany.

Larry Wages, father of the groom, served as best man. Groomsmen were Zack Cobb and Brock Gaines of New Albany, Cruz Gray of Waynesboro and Chandler Taylor of Murfreesboro, Tenn. Ring bearers were Garrett and Graham McClellan of New Albany.

A reception followed at Anna Beth’s on Oxford, where guests were greeted on the lawn by string music and song by the Paul Tate Strings while the guests were served an assortment of afternoon hors d’oeuvres. The couple was presented and had their first dance as Randy Dunnam sang “Come Rain or Come Shine”.

After a honeymoon to Riviera Maya, the couple makes their home in New Albany.

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• Brittany Lauren Watson & Nathan Cole Rushing • Brittany Lauren Watson and Nathan Cole Rushing were united in holy matrimony at five o’clock in the afternoon on September 27 2014, in a ceremony surrounded by family and friends at The Antler in Tupelo, Miss. Will Rambo of Tupelo performed the ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Woody Watson of Tupelo. She is the granddaughter of Mr. Dennis Cobb and Mrs. Jeanie Cobb of Tupelo, and Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Watson of Tupelo.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Rushing of Mooreville and Mr. and Mrs. Carl Craig of Aberdeen. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Billy Rushing of Paducah, Ky., and Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Oliver of Hamilton, Ala. Escorted by her father and grandfather, the bride wore an ivory wedding gown designed by Paloma Blanca from Low’s Bridal and Formal in Brinkley, Ark. The beautiful gown featured a sweetheart neckline of French-cut Alencon lace. The dropped natural waistline was accented with a Dupioni silk cummerbund with a sash adorned with pearls, rhinestones, rocals and bugles. Her single-layered ivory veil was edged with Alencon lace and blunt tulle. To add to the beauty of Brittany’s gown, she wore an heirloom in the making. What began as a simple add-a-pearl necklace given to her by her great-grandfather when she was born, was later finished by her mom and dad as a gift to be worn on her wedding day. Brittany carried a trailing nosegay lushly detailed with flowers of whites and greens. The flower combination was white chocolate roses, creamy vendella roses, white lysianthus and dendrobium orchid florets. Touches of sparkle were added to the theme of glamour meets a rustic relaxed setting.

Serving as her matron of honor was Danielle Manning of Brandon, Miss. Bridesmaids were Megan Gale of Saltillo and Ashley Rushing of Mooreville. Miss Margaret Mask of Tupelo served as junior bridesmaid and flower girl.

Stephanie Rhea Photography

The bridesmaids wore floor-length chiffon dresses in slate gray.

All wore different necklines such as strapless, one shoulder and two straps with a ruched bodice A-line skirt. The junior bridesmaid wore a hand-made white linen dress. They carried open-style nosegays of roses, lysianthus, hydrangeas and berries. The color scheme was mainly creams and whites with accents of coral cherry brandy roses and antique green hydrangeas.

Serving as best man was Austin Craig of Aberdeen, Miss. Groomsmen were Tyler Chism and Shawn Rushing of Mooreville and Woody Watson II of Tupelo, Miss.

A reception followed at The Antler in Tupelo, Miss., where guests dined on scrumptious Southern fare such as fried chicken, fried green tomatoes and mac and cheese catered by Romie’s Grocery. The bride’s delicious four-tier cake had layers of vanilla and strawberry and was beautifully decorated by Cakes by Rita with buttercream icing. Featuring a Kentucky theme, the groom’s three-tier chocolate cake was adorned with chocolate-covered strawberries. Guests danced the night away with music provided by The Spunk Monkees. When the celebration ended, the happy couple departed through an arch of sparklers held by their guests and rode off in a 1972 Ford pickup truck which the bride had grown up riding in as a little girl. Stephanie Rhea Photography and Steven Polley with Infocus Video were there to capture every special moment of the day beautifully.

The couple spent their honeymoon in Punta Canta, Dominican Republic, and had a wonderful time. The couple now resides in Tupelo, Miss.

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• Katherine Lee Burch & William Payne Thornton • Katherine Lee Burch and William Payne Thornton were united in marriage on July 26, 2014, at Independent Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee. The Reverend Ed Norton of Memphis and the Reverend Dempsey Rowland of Marietta performed the ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Lee Burch of Collierville. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Estil B. Huff of Willoughby, Ohio, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Chandler Burch of Adrian, Michigan.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley DeWayne Thornton of Marietta. He is the grandson of Mrs. Anna Margaret Thornton and the late Mr. Stanley Roger Thornton of Mantachie and Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Lee Barnes of Marietta.

The bride wore a Mikaella fitted strapless lace wedding gown that featured a removable ruched organza band that she purchased from Maggie Louise Bridal in Collierville. She also wore borrowed diamond earrings from her mother and a diamond necklace that was given to her by her maternal grandmother. She also carried the groom’s grandmother’s handkerchief that was set aside to be given to the groom’s future wife. She carried the handkerchief with her white and peach rose bouquet.

Attending the bride as her matron of honor was her older sister, Samantha Helen Ransone. The bridesmaids were Lindsay Botwinick, Meg Gazzini, Anne Wallis Eubanks, Alyson Holliday, Mary Alice Howard, Margo Huff, Allison McCarver, Katie Staten, Lindsey Thompson, Bryce Thornton, and Emily Young. Honorary bridesmaids were Olivia 54

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Appel, Sonni Carlisle, Elisabeth D’Amore, Sarah Fox, Sara Claire Hutchins, and Alex Thomas.

Serving as best man was DeWayne Thornton, father of the groom.

The groomsmen were Cody Barnes, Dustin Barnes, Andrew Chevalier, Tyler Cobb, Joe Davis, John Gazzini, Kyle Guffy, Brad Melancon, James Morgan, Alex Ransone, and Brandon Reese. Serving as ushers were Chase Bassett, Taylor Clark, Daniel Forde, Halston Hales, Dave Hardy, and RJ Zurak.

A reception was held following the ceremony at Ridgeway Country Club in Memphis.

The couple honeymooned in Ambergris Caye, Belize, then returned home to Tupelo where the bride works as a meteorologist at WTVA and the groom is an engineer at Tombigbee Tooling Company.

Snap Happy Photography

• Wedding Announcement

• Meri Scott Carpenter & Henry Christmas Waterer • Meri Scott Carpenter of Tupelo, Mississippi, and Henry Christmas Waterer IV of Jackson, Mississippi, were united in marriage on July 12, 2014, in a ceremony surrounded by family and friends at Parkway Baptist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi, with Mr. Kevin Wood officiating.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Earl Rogers of Tupelo, Mississippi. She is also the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Scott Carpenter of Olive Branch. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Jackson of Tupelo, Mrs. Johnnie Rogers of Aberdeen and Mrs. Margie Gaddy of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the late Jack C. Carpenter of Tupelo.

The groom is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Henry Christmas Waterer III of Jackson, Mississippi. He is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Rafel Marshall Reives of Smithville, Mississippi, and Mr. Henry Christmas Waterer, Jr. and the late Jane Patton Waterer of Tchula, Mississippi.

Escorted by her father, the bride wore a beautiful designer gown from Essense of Australia. The ivory lace gown over Dolce Satin featured a V-neckline and cap sleeves. A delicately beaded belt and deep V-back complemented the formal gown. Extending from the A-line skirt was a chapel-length train. The bride’s bouquet, designed by Allyson McGraw, was hand tied and adorned with an heirloom handkerchief and vintage lace from the bride’s great-grandmother.

Attending her sister as maid of honor was Meg Jackson Carpenter of Tupelo. Her bridesmaids were Mary Susan Anderson Asters of Tupelo, Kelsey Lynn Brock of Jackson, Kathryn Temple Cox of Memphis, Danny K Photography

Alyson Paige Holliday of Gulfport, Hester Mobley Lowe of Tupelo, Leah Marie McMahon of Vicksburg, Katherine Elizabeth Ross of West Point, Hanna Corrine Roberts of New Albany, Ruby Elizabeth Ware of Tupelo, and Joy Kathryn Waterer of Jackson. They wore floor-length, slate blue dresses and carried bouquets of Vendella roses, hydrangeas, and baby’s breath tied with burlap twine. The flower girls were Jessy Elizabeth Mitchell of Corinth and Lillian Sheffield McGraw of Tupelo.

Dr. Henry Christmas Waterer III, father of the groom, served as best man. The groomsmen were Colin Peter Applewhite of Jackson, Christopher Pete Cajoleas of Jackson, Daniel Lewis Gilmer of Silver City, Michael Sykes Heard of Madison, Jonathan Thomas Hontzas of Jackson, Thomas Bryant House of Jackson, David Stewart Mills of Jackson, Andrew Walters Ritter of Jackson, George McEwen Thatcher of Columbus, and Peyton Scot Thigpen of Jackson. Luke Spencer Carpenter of Tupelo, the bride’s brother, served as a junior groomsman and William Jake Smith of Pontotoc was the ring bearer.

A reception followed at The Antler in Tupelo, Mississippi, where guests enjoyed a delicious array of Southern favorites and music by Reliance from Memphis, Tennessee.

The groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner on the eve of their wedding at Park Heights for the wedding party and numerous friends of the bride’s and groom’s families.

After a honeymoon trip to Puerto Rico, the couple resides in Jackson, Mississippi. The bride is employed by Baptist Health Systems and the groom is employed by Trustmark.

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• Laurie Brooke Smith & Mason Bryant Cothren • Laurie Brooke Smith of Booneville, Miss., and Mason Bryant Cothren of Huntsville, Ala., were united in marriage on May 31, 2014, at the amphitheater on the grounds of Crow’s Neck Fellowship Christian Retreat, overlooking the shimmering waters of the Tombigbee Waterway in Tishomingo, Miss.

The bride is the daughter of Edward and Laurie Smith of Booneville, Miss. She is the granddaughter of Jerry and Helen Harris of Booneville, Miss., and Clester Mae Smith and the late Buster Smith of Booneville, Miss.

The groom is the son of Greg and Gayle Cothren of Huntsville, Ala. He is the grandson of the late Marion and Joyce Bryant of Huntsville, Ala., and Bobby and Doris Cothren of Huntsville, Ala. Aaron Foster of Booneville, Miss., officiated the ceremony. Escorted by her father, the radiant bride wore a classic, romantic, ivory Allure gown of English lace and net. The lace bodice featured a scoop neckline, cap sleeves, and a Swarovski crystal-adorned waistline. The bride’s champagne veil was elegantly hand-stitched embellished with beaded pearls and crystals.

The bride’s bouquet was beautifully arranged in a garden collection of white Hortensia hydrangeas, blush pink peonies, crème Tibet roses studded with rhinestones, white Virginia roses, miniature roses, berries, hand-tied with crème satin. Tucked into the bride’s bouquet was a cameo photo in memory of Miss Amber Peeks. Designer was Sidney Nicholson of Sidney’s Southern Tradition.

Prior to vows, Brooke and Mason enjoyed a few moments alone in which Mason gave Brooke a dazzling pair of diamond earrings.

The maids of honor were Molly Rowland of Booneville, Miss., and Kristi Tarmey of St. Marys, Ga. Bridesmaids were Maddie Cothren of Huntsville, Ala., Kristy Cothren of Huntsville, Ala., Christine Wilson of Rogersville, Ala., Alison Rose of Crossville, Tenn., Shelley Vaughn of Grandville, Mich., Markka Pritchard of Oxford, Miss., Samantha Cantrell of Oxford, Miss. The bridesmaids wore ice pink, one-shoulder asymmetrical dresses by Simply Bridal. The bridesmaids carried bouquets of green hydrangeas, blush roses, garden roses, lilies, and ties with crème satin ribbon.

The miniature brides were Addi Brooke Fitzsimmons of Marietta, Miss. and Olivia Grace Cothren, Huntsville, Ala. Flower girls were Olivia Loden of Marietta, Miss., and Davis Foster of Booneville, Miss.

The bride’s attendants were Lacey Pratt, Morgan Tharp, Kacie Madeline J Photography

Barber, and Kaitlin Gillis.

Greg Cothren of Huntsville, Ala., was best man. Groomsmen were Hudson Cothren of Huntsville, Ala., Parker Cothren of Huntsville, Ala., Evan Smith of Booneville, Miss., Jonathan Brothers of Huntsville, Ala., Matthew Gothard of Huntsville, Ala., Tyler Crosswhite of Tupelo, Miss., Billy Bearden of Knoxville, Tenn., and Connor Robertson of Columbia, Tenn.

The miniature groom was Cohen Fitzsimmons of Marietta, Miss.

The ring bearers were Brayden Crane of Huntsville, Ala., and John Wyatt Harris of Baldwyn, Miss.

Following the vows ceremony guests joined the couple inside the grand hall of the Crow’s Neck Retreat where they were served a taste of Southern entrees, catered by The Front Porch of Booneville, Miss.

The bride’s cake table was a grande five-tier wedding cake with green hydrangeas, crème Tibet roses, lidya pink garden miniature roses, and baby’s breath. Designed by Hope Nelson of Pratt, Miss.

The groom’s table was enhanced with a Penn State theme. Guests enjoyed scrumptious slices of cheesecake.

The couple was entrancing as they enjoyed their first dance to their chosen song, “Smile.”

On the eve of the wedding, the groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at the Crow’s Neck Fellowship Retreat catered by the Crow’s Neck staff.

The wedding planner and director was Rhonda M. Greening, cousin of the bride. The wedding was designed by Mark McAlister of Mac and Company of South Carolina.

Ceremonial vocals were performed by Brandon and Rebecca Elliot of Booneville, Miss. The wedding photograhers were Brandi Reese of Booneville, Miss., and Madeline J. Photography of Huntsville, Ala. The videographer was Midly Jadis of Love Just as Films.

Mr. and Mrs. Cothren departed in vintage grandeur in a 1957 Bel Air owned by Mr. Bobby McClarty of Booneville, Miss.

The couple enjoyed an extended honeymoon at the tropical Sun Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico.

The couple are at home in Henderson, Tenn. Mason is the youth minister at Foote Street Church of Christ, Corinth, Miss. While Brooke is a fourth-grade teacher at Chester County Middle School, Henderson, Tenn.

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• Audrius Katisha Fells & Jemarral King • Audrius Katisha Fells and Jemarral King of Shannon, Miss., were united in marriage on April 26, 2014, in a ceremony surrounded by family and friends at Pine Grove Baptist Church in Shannon, Miss. The Reverend George Kendricks performed the ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of Jacqueline Fells. The groom is the son of Carnell King and Ethel B. King of Port Gibson, Miss.

Escorted by her brother, John Westbrook, the bride wore a sweetheart champagne ball gown. She carried a bouquet of calla lilies, roses and stock.

The matrons of honor were Jacqueline Cooper and Stephanie Mathis. The maid of honor was Valerie Bradley. Bridesmaids were Kimberly Davis, Twilla King, Ebony Jackson, Derwinnece King and PaJebony Johnson.

Lazavian King was the best man. Groomsmen were Roderick Davis, Kasey Braham, Jeremy King, Denarius Fells and Tremayne Fells.

Photography by Fred Middlebrooks

The flower girls were Peyton Ford, Ahyona Fells and Jazlin King.

Ringbearer was Paxton Higgingbottom.

The church and reception area were decorated and catered by Mrs. Vernola Lyles, owner/operator of Design Your Way of Shannon, Miss.

A reception followed at the BancorpSouth Area in Tupelo, Miss.

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• Lauren Elizabeth Cherry & Robert Russell Dendy • Lauren Elizabeth Cherry and Robert Russell Dendy were united in marriage on August 9, 2014, at First United Methodist Church in Tupelo.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Craig Cherry of Mooreville. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Gwen Gentry and the late Mr. Paul Gentry of Marietta, and Mrs. Janis Cherry and the late Mr. Bill Cherry of Saltillo.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Ray Dendy of Houston.

He is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. James Hugh Tabb and the late Mr. and Mrs. Elkin Dendy, all of Houston.

Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore an ivory couture gown, featuring floor-length rich lace applique. The scalloped cap sleeves and belt were adorned with pearls and Swarovski crystals.

A dramatic v-shaped back, chapel-length train and a custom cathedral-style veil completed the look. The bride carried an English Garden styled bouquet during the intimate ceremony performed by the Rev. Mike Childs.

Lauren Stanford and Lorin Castell, both of Saltillo, served as maids of honor. Bridesmaids included Carrie Hancock of Tupelo; Leigh Anne Foil, Alisha Li and Whitney McPherson of Flowood; Mary White of Brookhaven; Michelle Hill and Betsy Sights of Memphis, TN; and Logan Wilson of Nashville, TN. The groom’s niece, Abby Grace Dendy, served as the flower girl.

The groom’s father, Jack Dendy, served as best man. Groomsmen included Daniel Alford, Josh Carson and Steve Chamblee of Houston; 60

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Neil Alford, Brandon Cherry and Scott Gann of Tupelo; Josh Gammill of Fulton; Gordon Dendy of Olive Branch; and Jim McCullough of Collierville, TN. The groom’s nephew, Brayden Dendy, served as the ring bearer.

Ceremony music was provided by the groom’s brother, Tabb Dendy, pianist; Lisa Johnson, organist; and Carrie Hancock and Catherine McMahan, vocalists. The groom’s sister, Anna Dendy, was the scripture reader. The program attendants were Brittany Scott and Jami Thrash.

Ushers were Ryan Berthay, Patrick Floyd, Austin Speck, Justin Teasley and Ross Weems.

Following the ceremony, the bride’s parents hosted a reception at The Goodlett Manor, with a Southern celebration theme. Guests enjoyed southern style food and entertainment by The King Beez band of Memphis, Tenn. The bride’s cake was a nine-tier white cake embroidered with white pearl beads. The groom’s cake was a three-tier chocolate cake embellished with chocolate-covered strawberries.

On the eve of the wedding, the groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at the Tupelo Country Club. Following the dinner, guests enjoyed a wedding eve celebration where family and friends concluded the evening.

After a honeymoon to St. Lucia, the couple resides in Jackson, Miss.

Blake McCollum Photography

K. Roberts Photography

• Wedding Announcement

• Kayla Annise Harrison & Larry Matthew Poe • Kayla Annise Harrison and Larry Matthew Poe were united in marriage on October 18, 2014 at The Antler in Tupelo, Miss. The ceremony was officiated by the bride’s uncle, Bro. Sam Yarbrough.

The bride is the daughter of Dale and Brenda Harrison of Baldwyn.

She is the granddaughter of the late Rev. Wayne and Pauline Yarbrough of Saltillo, and the late Ruby Tindall Harrison of Bellefontaine and the late W.D. Harrison of Eupora.

The groom is the son of Larry and Sherrie Poe of Pontotoc. He is the grandson of Barbara Murphree and the late James Otis Murphree of Pontotoc, and the late Jesse and Oguerita Poe of Troy.

Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a beautiful gown in ivory featuring a v-shaped neckline that continued to the v-shaped back with an ivory lace flowing front to back. The dress also featured all over lace with buttons over zipper closure in the back and a sweeping train.

A surprise for the bride on her wedding day, sewn inside the dress were pieces of each set of parents wedding attire from their own weddings.

Her headpiece was a grapevine wreath of roses and baby’s breath. Her bouquet was made of cabbage roses and greenery wrapped in lace.

Flowers for the wedding ceremony were designed by Pam Adams.

The decor for the ceremony was ivory cabbage roses, grapevine, princess pumpkins, and cotton bolls from cousins of the bride, Tindall Farms.

The doors were grapevine wreaths filled with white cotton bolls. The reception tables held white princess pumpkins with flowers filling the centers and deer antlers containing glowing golden vases.

The bride’s hair and makeup was done by Katherine Corbett and the Faith Riley Photography

bridesmaids hair and makeup were done by Molly Edwards.

Attending the bride as matron of honor was her lifelong best friend, Ashley Thomas Deweese. Bridesmaids were Lindsey Wise, Meredith Digby, Haylee Smith, Kayla Howard, Kristen Skinner, Mallory Moss, Kayla Stone, and Whitney Butler. The bridesmaids wore strapless blush Mori Lee gowns with ivory lace bodices. Harper Kay Howard served as the flower girl.

Cade Austin was the best man. Groomsmen were Garrett Dendy, Cody Pannell, Larry Poe, John Parker Davis, Tim Moss, and Jay Poe. Walker Wise and Rowan Skelton both were ring bearers.

Carla Stone served as the couple’s wedding director. Lauren Stanford and Hayley Gholston signed guests in at the registry table. Faith Riley was the wedding photographer. Ledbetter Films captured video of the wedding day.

After the ceremony, a reception was held at the same location. The guests enjoyed some of the couple’s favorite foods catered by Terry and Vickie Gentry of Baldwyn. The bride’s cake was a four-tiered round strawberry and red velvet cake by Mary McGuire. The groom’s cake was a chocolate cake with a farm and truck theme by Angie Moss.

Guests were entertained by “The DJ”, Scott Burns and kids enjoyed playing Cornhole outside. Guests took home homemade jelly made by the bride’s mother.

The couple resides in Pontotoc, Miss., where the groom is partner of Poe Farms and the bride is a registered dental hygienist.

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• Brittany Nicole Weatherford & David Tyler Higgins • Brittany Nicole Weatherford and David Tyler Higgins were united in marriage at 5 p.m. on June 28, 2014, at West Jackson Street Baptist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Weatherford of Tupelo. She is the granddaughter of the late Alfred Ross Young of Brazoria, Texas and the late Joan Reeder Young, and Elsie Weatherford of Saltillo and the late Ernest Ray Weatherford.

The groom is the son of David and Lisa Higgins of Saltillo. He is the grandson of William and Louise Rutland and the late Winston Davis of Tupelo and J.C. Higgins of Pontotoc and the late Guinn Payne.

Bro. Chris O’Daneil performed the double ring ceremony. Nuptial music was provided by Mr. Joe Ortiguera, violinist; Mr. Hamilton Lence, cellist, and Mr. Clint Newsom, soloist and guitarist.

Escorted by her father and given in marriage by her parents, the bride wore an exquisite ivory satin silk strapless gown designed by Wtoo Watter. The gown had a jeweled beaded crystal embellished belt with a cathedral-length veil with ivory lace detail.

The bride’s bouquet was an open-style nosegay. It was filled with antique hydrangeas, vendella roses, stock, lysmachia, miniature callas with tucks of variegated ivy and and ruscus foliages. The bouquet was wrapped in a bridal handkerchief, a gift given to the bride at her bridal luncheon and adorned with a family heirloom, an antique diamond ring.

Wedding coordinators and church decorator were Mrs. Kathy Austin and Mrs. Nancy Moody.

Attending the bride as her maid of honor was Jesse Taylor of Tupelo. Bridesmaids were Jenna Biffle of Horn Lake, Aleigha Franks of Tupelo, Nicole Hazel of Tupelo, Carrie Higgins of Saltillo, Katherine Kemp of Brazoria, Madison Loden of Tupelo, Anna Grace Phifer of Hattiesburg and Anna Merritt Roberts of Tupelo. Honorary bridesmaids were Maggie Weatherford of Tupelo and Kaleigh Young of Houston. The flower girls were Kinley Hallmark of Woodland and Josie Weatherford of Nettleton.

The best man was Dylan McCord of Saltillo. Serving as groomsmen Faith Riley Photography

were Kyle Garner of Tupelo, Marc Hawkins of Tupelo, Justin Higgins of Saltillo, Brandon Jenkins of Tupelo, Bryan Reed of Saltillo, Matt Wheeler of Tupelo and Jay Williams of New Albany. Ushers were John Brannon Reece of Belden and Josh Weatherford of Saltillo. The ring bearer was Ryder Wilson of Houlka.

On the eve of the wedding the groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at Woody’s in Tupelo. Following the ceremony, the bride’s parents entertained guests with a reception at Elvis Presley Event Center and an Elvis tribute artist.

Guests dined buffet-style with Special Occasions by Sandra. A night of fun and dancing was provided by Knight Sounds Entertainment.

The reception coordinator and floral designer was by Tracy Proctor, LLC. Following their honeymoon to Antigua, West Indies, the couple resides in Satillo. The bride is employed by Tupelo Public School District as a teacher, and the groom is employed at RockTenn in Saltillo.

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A Little Advice...

Planning a wedding from start to finish can be a daunting task, but take heart in knowing countless others have successfully reached their wedding days.Here are a few words of wisdom from people who’ve been there, done that: “I think a lot of people get so obsessed with the wedding and the expense of the wedding that they miss out on what the real purpose is. It’s not about a production number, it’s about a meaningful moment between two people that’s witnessed by people that they actually really know and care about.”

Jane Seymour, actress

“My advice for planning your wedding is to stay true to yourself.

What I found is every time I looked around at my wedding I saw glimpses of myself and of my husband and that is what made it so special and unique.”

Roxie Thomas Clayton, bride “I recommend having the ceremony and the reception at the same place. We used Elvis Presley Birthplace. It’s a beautiful venue and out of town guests love seeing it. I think guests appreciate it, too, when everything is at one place. Some guests will not drive to a second location, especially if the weather isn’t good; and after all your hard work, time and money, you want people to attend!”

Juli Nobile, mother of a bride “Delegate, delegate, delegate! Don’t try to take on all the planning for the wedding on your own. You’ll also be able to enjoy the wedding day without stressing about little decisions!”

Sue Meeks, mother of a bride

“When I design a wedding dress with a bustle, it has to be one the bride can dance in. I love the idea that something is practical and still looks great.”

Vera Wang, fashion designer

“I would suggest going to at least three different bridal stores and trying to push yourself to try on dresses in styles that you might not have imagined yourself wearing. I felt blessed to find a dress that was less traditional than what I had originally pictured for myself, and I loved the fact that my wedding designer stitched in blue on the inside of my dress a word or phrase of my choosing.

I will forever and always be able to see ‘Mrs. McMillan, 6.28.14’ inscribed in my wedding dress, a special reminder of the best day of my life.”

Stewart Brevard McMillan, bride “Quarrels often arise in marriages when the bridal gifts are excessive.”

Antisthenes, Greek philosopher

“The best advice I could give a future bride is to treasure each moment from start to finish. Wedding planning can become tedious, but once your wedding day has arrived all the planning is more than worth it. This is going to be the best day of your life; one you will want to relive for years to come. So, share it with the ones you love most and cherish every single minute.”

Chloé Edens Crane, bride

“I chose my wife, as she did her wedding gown, for qualities that would wear well.”

Oliver Goldsmith, 18th century novelist

Compiled by M. Scott Morris Photos submitted

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The Perfect Proposal

As proposals go, most emphasis is put on the here and now of the couple and the relationship. Even in the days leading from the “yes” to the “I do,” the future can be shortsighted over the hustle and bustle of the engagement and the ceremony.

By W. Derek Russell

When Lisa Gannaway and Jonathan Martin met in late 2005, their lives were in very different places. Lisa was a student at Mississippi State University, and Jonathan had just lost everything he owned in Hurricane Katrina, and had come to Tupelo for a fresh start.

“I was living in Starkville, finishing up my degree at MSU,” Lisa said. “My friend Allana Austin was directing ‘Death of a Salesman’ at Tupelo Community Theatre and asked if I’d like to be in the show after another girl dropped out.”

Jonathan had begun working with Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton at his law firm when he was cast in the same production.

“I had just moved to Tupelo the last week of September and only owned the clothes I was wearing,” Jonathan said. “I auditioned for ‘Death of a Salesman’ because I was, quite literally, just driving around Tupelo looking for something to do and turned down Broadway and saw the announcement on the marquee at the Lyric.”

Lisa remembers vividly their initial meeting.

“Replacing the girl that dropped out, I was coming into rehearsals two weeks late,” Lisa said. “I remember standing on the stage of the theater holding a toothbrush when I came face to face with Jon, wearing a blue suit. We looked at each other, and I suddenly wished I was dressed nicer, not holding my toothbrush.”

The two immediately hit it off, and went out for dinner that night after the show was over.

“We had this amazing conversation where we asked every question about each other you could think of,” Lisa said. “Who we were and what we wanted out of life, and we each went home that night and told someone in our families that we wanted to marry the other.”

“Death of a Salesman” closed in Tupelo on November 19, 2005. A little more than a month later, Lisa felt like she was ready for the next step for the couple.

“I woke up on December 22, Jon’s 29th birthday, and knew I wanted to marry him,” she said. “I made him a birthday cake and I wrote ‘Will You Marry Me?’ on it. And he said no.”

Lisa said that, while heartbroken, she hoped the answer meant something more.

“I was upset,” she said. “But I thought maybe that meant he was planning something for sometime in the future. So I tried to make the most of it.”

Lisa would learn a bit later how right she was about the future.

That night, Lisa’s family threw Jonathan a “To Kill a Mockingbird”-themed birthday party due to his love for the book.

“At the end of the party, Jon told me he had a present for me,” Lisa said. “He left and a little while later my friend Frances Clayton drove me to the Lyric and had me sit front row center. On stage there was a chair, a table, a ring box, and a spotlight pointed center stage.”

Jonathan walked on stage, dressed as an aged-man and as his phone

rang, he went to answer it.

“Jack Jr., how’s my favorite grandson?” he said.

“He proceeded to act out the day of his 75th birthday, where his grandson calls and asks him the same story he always calls and asks on the birthday each year: how Jon and I met and how we got engaged on his 29th birthday,” Lisa said.

“He told the story of our life together, and what a good life it was,” she said. “And, how it all started on that night.”

Of course, Lisa said yes and the two were married March 12, 2006.

Now, 10 years later, Jonathan is practicing law in Tupelo, and Lisa is executive director of the North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. The husband and wife have three sons: Jack, George, and Charlie, and still take their turns participating in TCT shows each season.

“We met at the theater, and that’s our common passion,” Jonathan said. “I had planned to propose for about a month and I’d been working on what I wanted to say. The idea with the theater came fairly easily, but it took a while for me to frame it just right.”

Ultimately, Jonathan said he wanted to create a proposal that would be memorialized for their future generations, and that’s where the idea to tell his future grandson the story of their life together came from.

As the interview continued, the Martin’s sons joined the room, asking their own questions of their parents.

“Why did you do it on your birthday, Dad?” asked their middle son, George.

“At the time I was trying to do something romantic,” Jonathan said.

He said that trying to live selflessly is a concept that is important to him, and that doing something for someone else on his birthday was meaningful.

“Still to this day, he always does something nice for me and the boys on his birthday,” Lisa said. “But that day was about us. It was Jonathan as a 75-year-old man telling me how much he loved me and showing me how good our life was going to be.”

One year later, the couple returned to the Lyric Theater to celebrate the anniversary of the proposal.

“I set up a large screen on the stage and made a movie of all our photos together and all the music we loved,” Jonathan said. “And we sat alone in the theater and watched it that night. We have these moments now that can be looked at in 30, 40 or 50 years for our grandchildren and our family.”

Photo by Lauren Wood

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Helpful Hints • In adding your personal stamp, make sure the central information – the couple’s names, time, date, place and how to RSVP is clear and easy to read.

• Gather names and addresses in one central place. A spread sheet is great.

• Local stationery shops offer great resources for customizing stationery and invitations. Local shops usually keep the designs on file, making is easy to order extras if needed.

• Allow plenty of time for design and printing before invites need to go out. You will need to allow time for addressing envelopes. Kim Root at Swirlz recommends ordering a month ahead of when you need to mail out.

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Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Inviting family and friends to share the joy surrounding your wedding is both a beautiful and practical tradition. Couples now have room to put their own styles down on paper as they welcome their guests to the events surrounding their big day. “We are customizing now more than we ever used to,” said Kara Giles of Nest Paper Studio in Oxford. “It leaves it open to so many different things.”

By Michaela Morris

Save the Date

Save the Date cards allow couples to share the happy news and make sure their friends and families aren’t double booked on the big day. “We’re incorporating a lot of pictures,” said Kim Root of Swirlz in Tupelo. A save-the-date card should incorporate the names of the couple, the date and town where the wedding will be held. Some brides include the time and specific place as well. Provided by Swirlz in Tupelo When to send: Six months ahead of the wedding.

Showers and Pre-Wedding Events

There’s a lot of fun to share before you say “I do.” With showers and pre-wedding parties, the invites should reflect the destination. It may be tea with multiple generations of friends and family; it could be a couples’ shower or a bachelorette get-away. There’s plenty of room to be creative; just make sure the invite conveys the spirit of the event as well as the details. “You want to to spell out what’s expected,” said Kara Giles of Nest Paper Studio in Oxford. The experts are split about including registry information with shower and pre-wedding event invites. Either way, the event host should have that information to share with guests who ask.

Provided by Nest Paper Studio in Oxford

When to send: 2-4 weeks ahead of the event for local guests. For out-oftown guests or events that require travel to a destination, 3-6 weeks.

Invitations

Wedding invitations tend to be the most traditional part of the wedding stationery suite, but they are anything but boring. “White and gold are really big right now,” Root said, adding an elegant glimmer to more traditional invitations. Those who want to go a non-traditional route are incorporating colors and themes that reflect their weddings. For both styles, brides are also adding embellishments like strings, ties and tags to pull the entire invitation suite together, along with coordinating envelopes.

Many brides are opting not to use a response card, especially if their plans are not as dependent on RSVPS, like serving heavy hors d’ouvres instead of a sit-down dinner at the reception, Giles said. Giles steers brides away from listing websites on the main invitation. It’s best to save that for a separate information/accommodations card. Both traditional and modern etiquette guidelines are in sync on gift and registry information: Don’t include it with the formal wedding invite. Provided by Nest Paper Studio in

Thank You Notes

The stationery for thank you notes can literally take on the stamp of the bride’s personality. “Everyone around here seems to love a monogram,” Giles said. Some brides do a set of pre-wedding thank you note stationery with their maiden name/monogram. Brides shouldn’t use their married name or monogram on cards sent out before the wedding. Letter press – a technique using a press to print words and images – has become quite popular for all kinds of wedding-related stationery. Cards featuring watercolor art are another current trend. Some people get formal thank you notes that coordinate with their invitations. Others opt for an everyday style that they can use for years. Whatever kind of stationery you choose, brides should not wait to start writing. “Write a thank you note as soon as possible,” Giles said. “Be sincere and as prompt as possible. It will be appreciated.” Provided by Swirlz in Tupelo

Oxford

When to send: 6-8 weeks before the wedding.

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Bridal Journal of Northeast Mississippi

THE 2015 IT LIST

Photos by Lauren Wood

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Style: rustic Floral Arrangements: white, cream and green Dessert: naked cake Table Setting: natural, simple, clean

Bridal Gown & Tux: Engagements Bridal in Oxford, Miss.

Event Rental: Details Oxford in Oxford, Miss.

Florist: The Twisted Twig in Oxford, Miss.

Naked Cake: Mary McGuire’s in Tupelo, Miss.

Venue: The Mill at Plein Air in Taylor, Miss.

Models: Lydia Parker, bride Nathaniel Perez, groom CS Studio 72

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• Rustic Style

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Taylor Square Photography

CELEBRATING 23 YEARS

Kay’s Kreations bridal & formal

Creative Cakes

Mississippi’s Largest Bridal Selection

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Before and After That Special Day...

NAILS • HAIR • MAKE UP • SPA SERVICES WAXING • BRIDE TO BE & BRIDAL PARTY PACKAGES photo by Stephanie Rhea Photography

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Glam Style •

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Style: glam Floral Arrangements: black, white and green Hors D’oeuvres: classic, American Table Setting: traditional, modern, sassy

Bridal Gown, Bridesmaid Dress & Tuxes: Kay’s Kreations in Tupelo, Miss.

Event Rental: Busylad Rent-All in Tupelo, Miss.

Florist: DB’s in Saltillo, Miss.

Hors D’oeuvres: Endville Bakery in Tupelo, Miss.

Venue: Gumtree Museum of Art in Tupelo, Miss.

Hair & Makeup: Shear Envy in Tupelo, Miss.

Models: Candace Dell, bride Jay Nichols, groom CS Studio Mary Kathryn Coltharp, bridesmaid Tyler Chisholm, groomsman CS Studio Bridal Journal of Northeast Mississippi

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Brett M. Hildenbrand, D.M.D. Harry J. Rayburn, D.M.D. Michael M. Monroe, D.M.D.

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627 W. Main Street | Tupelo | 662-269-6390 mainstreetdentistrytupelo.com

• Feminine Style

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Style: feminine Floral Arrangements: marsala, pink and cream Dessert: petit fours Table Setting: antique, lace, silver

Bridal Gown, Bridesmaid Dress & Tux: Bride & Groom in Columbus, Miss.

Event Rental & Florist: Serendipity Rentals in Starkville, Miss.

Petit Fours: Rosie’s in Tupelo, Miss.

Venue: Magnolia Manor in Starkville, Miss.

Models: Quenosha Payton, bride Isaiah Perry, groom CS Studio Breanna Peters, bridesmaid

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Checklist 9 to 12 months before the wedding

Announce your engagement to friends and family.

Discuss the formality, size and location of the wedding/reception with both families.

Set wedding date and time.

Meet with clergy or judge to confirm date and time.

Research, if applicable, premarital counseling and sign up for the appropriate classes.

Research locations for wedding and reception.

Start a wedding file, collecting tear sheets of dresses, flowers, etc.

8 months to go

Set the wedding budget.

Determine the approximate number of guests. Start compiling guest list and addresses.

Reserve wedding and reception sites.

Select and invite attendants.

Interview and select wedding coordinator, if applicable.

Interview and select photographer/videographer.

Select wedding and engagement rings and arrange for engraving.

7 months to go

Have your engagement party.

Discuss honeymoon plans.

Begin shopping for wedding attire.

Interview and select caterer, if necessary.

Interview and select florist.

6 months to go

Begin shopping for invitations.

Place final order for bridesmaids’ gowns, accessories.

Have mothers coordinate and select dresses.

Reserve rental equipment, such as chairs, tables, tents, linens, etc.

5 months to go

Finalize budget.

Confirm with church officials about music, decorations.

Select readings and music for ceremony.

Select music for reception.

Schedule rehearsal dinner.

Meet with caterer to plan reception details.

Begin shopping for groom’s attire.

Send out tuxedo forms to all groomsmen.

Finalize dates for showers, parties.

4 months to go

Register at gift and department stores.

Meet with florist, photographer, baker.

Complete honeymoon details.

Make doctor/dental appointments.

Shop for trousseau.

Finalize and order invitations.

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3 months to go

Confirm deliver dates for all attire and schedule fittings.

Purchase wedding album and guest books.

Schedule wedding portrait.

Pick up engagement and wedding announcement forms from the Daily Journal.

Make all appointments for make-up, hair, nails, a massage, etc.

Finalize details of rehearsal dinner.

Purchase wedding weekend outfits, including clothes for rehearsal dinner, post-wedding brunch and other honeymoon outfits.

Make lodging arrangments for out-of-town guests.

Address invitations.

2 months to go

Mail invitations.

Submit engagement announcement to Daily Journal.

Select gifts for wedding party.

Have formal portraits taken.

Purchase plenty of stamps and pens for thank you notes.

Arrange transportation for the bridal party to and from the ceremony and reception sites.

Finalize arrangements for flowers, menu, wedding cakes(s) and music.

Make arrangements to change insurance policies, bank accounts, drivers’ license, etc.

Prepare out-of-town guest information letter/maps.

1 month to go

Apply for marriage license.

Set up table for wedding gifts.

Record all gifts and write thank-you notes as they arrive.

Finalize wedding program.

Finalize all details with caterer, florist, musicians.

Finalize wedding day schedule.

Make arrangements for bridesmaids’ luncheon.

Finalize jewelry selection.

Prepare photo/video shot list, naming important family and guests.

One to two weeks to go

Double check all arrangements.

Have final fittings for all attire.

Confirm duties with wedding day participants.

Give caterer final estimate of guests.

Pack for honeymoon.

Get hair colored and trimmed.

Pick up wedding gown and veil and organize accessories.

One day before

Have a manicure and pedicure.

Attend bridesmaids’ luncheon.

Attend rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.

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Alisha Gholston Comer Photography

Taylor Square Photography

Mabus Photography

Marty Pettit Photography

Index Chelsea Beth Thompson & Justin Wayne Baulch ••• 28 Lynn Marie Dunnam & Austin Boyce Baker ••• 30 Chelsea Taylor Hussey & Jon Paul Barber ••• 31 Katelyn Nicole Clark & Chance Dwight Collier ••• 32 Kelsey Leigh Clayborne & Hunter Grafe Flanagan ••• 34 Courtney Danielle Foster & Casey Lane McBrayer ••• 35 Erica Claire Enger & Brittain Ancel Paul Cross ••• 36 Leslie Morgan Miller & Jeffrey Blake Chrestman ••• 38 Kellye Michelle Bryan & James Davis Lindsey ••• 39 Haley Amanda Holley & Lonnie Braxton Franks ••• 40 Laura Catherine Horn & Justin Tyler Jones ••• 42 Hannah Grace Jamieson & Alex Carlton Downs ••• 43 Brooklynn Paige Beam & Jordan Reed Clemons ••• 44 Shannon Carroll & Paul Saylors ••• 46 Caitlyn Manning Castles & Hunter Allen Dulaney ••• 47 Leatrice Simmons Baker & Adam Robert Green ••• 48 Kallie Rebecca Bounds & Mark Evan Lefler ••• 50 Betsy Kate Gaines & Paul Mason Wages ••• 51 Brittany Lauren Watson & Nathan Cole Rushing ••• 52 Katherine Lee Burch & William Payne Thornton ••• 54 Meri Scott Carpenter & Henry Christmas Waterer ••• 55 Laurie Brooke Smith & Mason Bryant Cothren ••• 56 Audrius Katisha Fells & Jemarral King ••• 58 Lauren Elizabeth Cherry & Robert Russell Dendy ••• 60 Kayla Annise Harrison & Larry Matthew Poe ••• 61 Brittany Nicole Weatherford & David Tyler Higgins ••• 62

Special thanks to Blake McCollum Photography, Faith Riley Photography, Alisha Gholston Comer Photography, Marty Pettit Photography, Taylor Square Photography and Mabus Photography for participating in this year’s Bridal Journal.

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WEDDINGS • • • • REHEARSAL DINNERS • • • • RECEPTIONS ••• 91 Bridal Journal of Northeast Mississippi www.bcsarena.com • www.tupelomeetings.com • 662-718-5555 • 375 East Main • Tupelo, MS • 38804

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