Ashton Camille Wilson and Westin Branning Graves wed Saturday, October 22, at 5 p.m. at the Flora home of Mr. and Mrs. David Hugh Nutt. The ceremony was officiated by The Reverend Jason Smith.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Maury Wilson III of Madison. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Harris Gunter III of Columbus, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Gawyn Mitchell of Columbus, Paula Monts Wilson of Gulf Breeze, Fla., and Harry Maury Wilson Jr. of Pensacola.
The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Garry Wendell Graves of Ridgeland. He is the grandson of Sonja Baker of Ridgeland, the late John Baker of Destin and the late Mr. and Mrs. Innis Wendell Graves of Philadelphia.
Given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, the bride wore a designer mermaid gown. The strapless gown featured a lace beaded bodice with a silky underlay, a tulle skirt and chapel length train with satin covered buttons cascading down the back. A cathedral length veil with light crystal detail completed the ensemble.
She carried a hand wrapped bouquet of playa blanca roses pinned with a remembrance pendant of her late aunt, Melanie Brown. She wore diamond earrings given to her by the bridegroom on the day of wedding. She also wore a diamond pendant, a wedding gift from her parents and a blue aquamarine bracelet from her late aunt.
Bella Brown, cousin of the bride, served as maid of honor, along with Carly Smith as matron of honor. Bridesmaids were Elliott Allen, Rivers Allen, Margot Collins, Alianne Dearman, Caitlin Linton, Mary Everett Little, Bess Mills, Maddie Primos, Annalee Purdie, Avery Robinson, Laura Turner, and Carsen Whitten. They wore individually selected styles of ivory satin twill gowns and carried mixed bouquets of white roses, white hydrangeas, white lizzy, gumdrop eucalyptus and willow eucalyptus.
The bridegroom’s father was best man. Groomsmen included Garry Graves Jr., Dawson Graves, Jace Christmann, Arden Barnett, John Gathings, Charles McEuen, Trey Moss, Nelson Parker, Houston Primos, Austin Rayner, Justin Renfrow and Harrison Wilson. Ushers were Josh Mitchell and Ross Taylor.
Flower girls were Ella Jane Smith, Gea Vivian Graves, and Hazel Graves. The ring bearer was Gunter Phillips. Program attendants were Dorsey Burris, Lily Grace Gunter, and Rylee O’Connell.
Nuptial music was presented by harpist Victoria Beyea.
Following the ceremony, guests were invited for drinks, dinner, and dancing under a clear lighted tent. The tent was decorated with gold chandeliers and gold candelabras with white cascading flowers consisting of roses and hydrangeas. The dinner menu consisted of sushi, southern fried catfish, shrimp and grits, shrimp cocktail and other accompaniments.
Guests were entertained with music by The SoulSations showband from Memphis. The traditional six-tiered bride’s cake featured alternating textures of ivory butter cream frosting and gold highlights with a full cascade of delicate sugar flowers. The bridegroom’s cake was a custom two-tiered Mississippi State football themed chocolate and red velvet cake topped with a special replica figurine of their dog Skye. The cake knife used was a family heirloom of the bridegroom’s grandparents and had been used at other family weddings and special anniversaries. The couple toasted with crystal flutes belonging to the bride’s grandparents that were also used at the bride’s parent’s wedding.
The couple departed in a black convertible Rolls-Royce Phantom.
On the eve of the wedding, the bridegroom’s parents hosted a cocktail hour and a seated rehearsal dinner at Reunion Golf and Country Club in Madison.
After a wedding trip to Jamaica, the couple is at home in Jackson. The bridegroom works as a senior manager at Durango Operating in Ridgeland. The bride is currently enrolled at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Nurse Practitioner School while working as an ICU nurse in the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at UMMC.
