Charlotte Antoinette Dunbar and Ross Bradford Edwards were married on November 2 at five o’clock in the evening at The Cathedral Church of St. Andrew. The ceremony was officiated by Father Kirk LaFon.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Calvert Dunbar of Ridgeland. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Roderick Boardman Adams of Columbus, the late Ann Hand Dunbar of Jackson, and the late John Francis Dunbar of Oxford.
The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Tony Darren Edwards of Jackson. He is the grandson of Edna Manning Gibson and the late James Fontaine Gibson of Golden, and Patricia Neal Giffin of Missouri City, Texas and the late Donald Max Edwards of Sugar Land, Texas.
The front entry of the church was framed by an arch of foliage and ferns. Floral arrangements on the altar were composed of white and ivory hydrangea, Playa Blanca and Tibet roses, and larkspur. Nuptial music was presented by cathedral organist Jessica Nelson and a string trio of Kate Morgan, Alex Sullivan, and Marcelo Viera.
Given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, the bride wore a designer gown of ivory silk featuring a draped strapless fit and flare sheath and a couture back bow detail and tail extending the length of the train. She wore a cathedral length ivory silk veil with satin piping trim. The bride carried a classic round bouquet of Playa Blanca roses wrapped with an heirloom Belgian lace handkerchief which belonged to her maternal grandmother. In family tradition, the bride wore a sixpence in her shoe, a gift from her father.
Matron of honor was Carly Edwards Easterling of Jackson, sister of the bridegroom. Maid of honor was Lindsey Covington Howard of Ridgeland. Bridesmaids were Emily Grace Beckman of North Little Rock, Alexandra Adams Garriga of Indianapolis, Mallory Harvel Hoar of Southhaven, Margaret Kimble Hughes of Saint Francisville, La., Kelsey Lyle Landrum of Little Rock, Taylor Paige Ocampo of Nashville, and Katie Marie Posey of Collierville.
They wore black double-faced satin twill gowns and carried miniature round bouquets which mirrored the bride’s bouquet.
Best man was Bradford Austin Easterling of Little Rock. Groomsmen were Andrew Logan Cook of Flint, Texas, Christopher Adams Dunbar, brother of the bride, of Nashville; Ethan Reed Flowers of Dexter, Mo., Donovan Maskell of Searcy, Ark., Cole Benjamin Swede and Luke Mallory VanDover, both of Little Rock, Trevor Allen Wild of Vero Beach, Fla., and Luke Alexander Yates of Nolensville, Tenn.
Ushers were David Jerad Easterling of Jackson and Joshua Daniel Heinly of Mission Viejo, Ca., brothers-in-law of the bridegroom; Logan Myles Johnson of Acworth, Ga. and Edward Elton Tonore of Fairhope.
Serving as child attendants were nieces and nephews of the bridegroom, flower girls Grayson Avery Heinly and Sutton Canter Heinly, and ring bearers Gibson Pace Heinly and Cohen James Howard. Readers for the service were cousins of the bride, Anne Murphy Brumfield of Chicago, L and Mary Montague Dunbar of Dallas.
Following the ceremony, the bride’s parents hosted a reception at the Country Club of Jackson. Guests were welcomed in the grand entry hall with cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres of spicy tuna crostini, goat cheese truffles, pulled pork hush puppies, and petite crab cakes while pianist Andy Henderson played jazz tunes. Florals and décor throughout the country club continued the classic design of ivory and gold, with hydrangeas, Playa Blanca, Tibet, and spray roses, lisianthus, larkspur, tulips, and ranuculus.
The couple opened the reception with their first dance to Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” The bride and her father then danced to Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely,” followed by the bridegroom and his mother’s dance to Van Morrison’s “Days Like This.” At the seated dinner, guests enjoyed beef tenderloin filet and herb grilled redfish.
The bride’s wedding cake was a smooth buttercream five-tiered confection, accented by orchids and cascading ribbons evocative of her wedding gown. The bridegroom’s cake had three-tiers topped by a favorite hunting decoy, surrounded by foliage. Guests enjoyed dancing to the music of Mike Rob and the 601 Band, which culminated with a second line parade to bid farewell to the newlyweds as they departed in a vintage Rolls-Royce amid fireworks.
The wedding celebrations began with an autumn engagement party, hosted by friends and family, in the home of Mary and Tom Dunbar. A bridal shower, hosted by Jackson friends, was held in the home of Lynn and Charles Witt. In Little Rock, a couples’ shower was hosted by Gracie Beckman, Kelsey and Jared Landrum, Anna Miller Rebich, and Cheyenne and Cole Swede.
The day before the wedding, a bridesmaid luncheon, hosted by Mary Frances and Lucy Brumfield, was held at the Bridgewater Clubhouse. On the eve of the wedding, the parents of the bridegroom hosted a cocktail hour and seated rehearsal dinner at the River Hills Club. The dinner’s décor reflected the bride and bridegroom’s shared enjoyment of outdoor sporting. The evening concluded with a post-toast celebration welcoming out-of-town family and friends at the A.C. Marriott Hotel.
On the morning of the wedding, the bride and her attendants were feted with a salon party and brunch hosted by Myriam Harris, Andrea Harvel, Christa Moyle, and Shannon Watt. The bridegroom and his groomsmen enjoyed a skeet shoot followed by lunch at the Fondren Amerigo’s hosted by Honey and Larry May.
Following a wedding trip to Punta Cana, the couple is at home in Scott, Ark. where the bride is a registered nurse at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and a student in the University of Tennessee Doctorate of Nursing Practice dual pediatric program, and the bridegroom is employed with Tidwell Flying Service.
