Ann McQueen Whatley and Joseph Montgomery Upton were united in marriage at 6 in the evening July 19 at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Forest Woods Whatley Jr. of Birmingham. She is the granddaughter of Dr. Leland Hull Jr., and the late Ann Turner Hull of Birmingham and the late Mr. and Mrs. Forest Woods Whatley Sr. of Opelika.
The bridegroom is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Charles Carey Upton Jr. of Jackson. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Roderick Seal Russ III of Ridgeland and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Carey Upton of West Point.
The ceremony was officiated by the Reverend Canon Jay Gardner and the Reverend Brian Sorgenfrei. Nuptial music was presented by Charles Kennedy and Annie McRae. The scripture reader was Richard Cameron Cole.
Given in marriage by her father, the bride carried her paternal grandmother’s monogrammed handkerchief that was handmade for her parents’ wedding 29 years ago. She wore her maternal grandmother’s vintage lace capelet last worn in July 1966. Her tulle veil and blusher were her mother’s, worn on her own wedding day in September 1996. The bride’s dress of duchess white satin had a low scoop back with fit and flare shape. She carried an ethereal wildflower inspired bouquet filled with ivory, blush, mauve and touches of pale yellow and peach.
Maid of honor was Carlyle Steele Smith, cousin of the bridegroom. Bridesmaids were Carson O’Neil Hull, Grace Shepard Hull, Turner Nicholson Hull, Elizabeth Pratt Nist, cousins of the bride; Margaret Anne Clark, Jennifer Joyce Fisher, Channel Mette Cole Gilliland, Helen Avery Sadler Hill, Virginia Hollis Hoggard, Lauren Grace Johnston, Caroline Grace Lancaster, Wrennie Harper Smith, Celia Bright Sullivan, and Katherine Conway Wilson. They wore a form fitted style gown in a shade of sky blue. Their bouquets were loosely created with wildflowers and cascading ribbon.
Honorary attendants were Madison Elise Daniels, Laura Cummins Gleason, and Burchie Ellinger Telfer. The flower girl was Mamie James Macey.
The bridegroom’s father served as his best man. Groomsmen included his brothers, Charles Carey Upton III, Russ Walker Upton, and William Watson Upton. Also serving were Forest Leland Whatley, brother of the bride; Jamison Lauderdale Russ, cousin of the bridegroom; John Nix Arledge, James Hays Dubberly, William Russell Farmer, Holt Douglas Hederman, John Jamieson Houston, Porter Lee Miles, Benjamin Wesley Roberson, and Jared Scott Silvey.
Ushers were Nathan Dear Foxworth, Hunter Paul Mace, Max Joseph Mauney, and Tanner Hugh Scoville. They carried monogrammed handkerchiefs in memory of the bridegroom’s friend William Beck Hester.
Following the ceremony, the bride’s parents honored the couple with a reception at The Country Club of Birmingham. There, the guests enjoyed an evening of dinner and dancing to the music of Big Night Dynamite. The summer garden party atmosphere was highlighted by flowers in summer tones, including limelight hydrangeas, cosmos, ranunculus, and Queen Anne’s lace, ceiling lights and smilax, with potted trees and a flower arch framing the cake table. This highlighted the five-tier vanilla cake cascaded by a waterfall of florals down the front of the cake. On the veranda, guests could also enjoy the bridegroom’s “Better than Cake” coke floats.
The day before the wedding, the bride’s aunts hosted a bridesmaid’s luncheon. On the eve of the wedding, the bridegroom’s parents hosted the wedding party, family, and friends at a rehearsal dinner at the Mountain Brook Club. After the rehearsal dinner, a post toast celebration was given by family and friends of the bridegroom.
Following a wedding trip to St. Lucia, the couple is at home in Nashville.
