The marriage celebration of Kelly Elizabeth McKinnell and Justin Van Nguyen was held at Springhill Avenue United Methodist Church on July 20, 2013. The Rev. Dr. James Kinder officiated.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Earl McKinnell Jr. and the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. P. E. Cosminsky and Mr. and Mrs. A. Earl McKinnell. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Van Nguyen, of Newnan, Ga., and the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Partlow and Mr. and Mrs. Lan Nguyen.
Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore an exquisite Allure gown of ivory lace with a fingertip veil as her “something new;” ivory crochet TOMs shoes with blue tags, a gift from her brother as “something blue;” a sixpence from her matron of honor as “something old;” and diamond and pearl earrings belonging to her aunt as “something borrowed.” She carried a beautiful bouquet of blush peonies, stephanotis, white hydrangea, blush roses, white lisianthus and bells of Ireland.
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The bride chose her cousin, Whitney Lynn Vautier, of Spartanburg, S.C., as maid of honor and Julie Johnson Hays, of Irvine, Calif., as matron of honor. Bridesmaids were Jordan McWhorter Graham; Kathryn Marshall Marr, of New York; Virginia Neal Drago, of Charleston, S.C.; Kelsey Blohm Davis, of Daphne; Allison D. Elizabeth Barter and Chelsea Diane Gamble, of Birmingham; and Margaret Katherine Bird, of Pensacola. They wore floor-length Amsale gowns of sheer blush crinkle silk chiffon, each in a style of her choosing. Nicole King and Mariah Carpenter of Chez Giselle created a beautiful and unique hairstyle for each attendant and for the bride.
Graham Wesley Nguyen, of Newnan, Ga., served as his brother’s best man. Groomsmen included the bride’s brother, Stephen Earl McKinnell, of Dallas, Texas; cousin of the bride, Richard Ashton Vautier, of Niceville, Fla.; Gerald Stephen Partsch; Taylor Austin Graham; and Joshua Mark Ellington. The groom and groomsmen wore black tuxedos, bow ties and suspenders. Flower girls were the groom’s niece, Lillian Faith Mitchell, and Eloise Paton Hays. Their heirloom dresses were originally designed for and worn by both the bride and maid of honor in a family wedding 21 years ago. Ring bearers were cousins of the bride, William Blake Elmore and James Cooper Elmore.
Brandon Stroud White and Isabelle Katherine White served as acolytes. Scripture readers for the ceremony were Mary Ashley York, Sarah Nell York and Rachel Nguyen Mitchell, sister of the groom. Program attendants were Gabrielle Marie O’Neal and Katherine Claire Brown. Beautiful music was provided by vocalist Jo Ann Olivera, organist Donna Brewer and pianist Erin Elizabeth Brown.
Following the ceremony, guests arrived at The Athelstan Club to lavish floral arrangements created by Belle Bouquet Florist, accented with hundreds of gold mercury glass votive candles. The traditional four-tier wedding cake, designed by Pollman’s Bake Shop, sat atop a gold platform and was embellished with an array of beautiful flowers complementing the bride’s bouquet. At the top was the bride’s parents’ cake topper from their wedding 29 years ago. The groom’s cake, created by Delightful Bites, was a delicious chocolate peanut butter confection, featuring the crest of the couples’ alma mater, The University of South Alabama, and adorned with barbells reflecting the groom’s passion for fitness.
The couple shared their first dance to Ray LaMontagne’s, “You Are the Best Thing.” Guests were entertained throughout the evening by the fabulous sounds of the band, CoolRayz. Leslie Davis of Freshly Bold Photography and Josiah Holmes Videography captured all events of the day beautifully.
The couple left the next day for a honeymoon cruise and now resides in Mobile. They would like to thank all who made their wedding day such a special occasion.
