"I now pronounce you husband and wife."
That simple sentence is the peak of one of the most storied days in many people’s lives, and it’s certainly an important one for many country stars. Weddings have inspired some of the greatest songs, most interesting stories and significant family dynasties in the genre.
GAC has scoured bridal registries from coast to coast to assemble a list of "25 Classic Country Weddings." The marriages are filled with drama, romance, jealousy, famous offspring and some really great music. From The Carter Family to Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, here are "25 Classic Country Weddings."
1) October 6, 1996 - Tim McGraw married Faith Hill in Rayville, Louisiana, the day of his Swampstock benefit concert. Their relationship began earlier that year during a concert tour, so it’s appropriate that as they approach their 10th anniversary, they’re out again on their Soul2Soul II Tour. Incidentally, they had quite the guest list for their big day. Witnesses included Mark Collie, Tracy Lawrence, Jeff Carson and Mark Chesnutt.
2) March 1, 1968 - Johnny Cash exchanged vows with June Carter at the Methodist Church, in Franklin, Kentucky. Both had previous marriages that produced yet more country stars: Johnny and his first wife, the former Vivian Liberto, welcomed Rosanne Cash; and June’s wedding to Country Music Hall of Fame member Carl Smith yielded Carlene Carter. Johnny and June lasted long enough to observe their 35th anniversary.
3) December 15, 1944 – Isn’t it romantic? Hank Williams married Audrey Guy at an exclusive venue: a gas station outside Andalusia, Alabama! Their on-and-off relationship was certainly strained, but it led Hank to write such heartbreak classics as "Your Cheatin’ Heart" and "You Win Again." Another legacy of their union is Hank Williams Jr.
4) December 28, 1993 - Shania Twain married record producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange in Northern Ontario, Canada. Before that, Shania was a struggling singer, but together, they set new musical trends and earned a Grammy for co-writing their romantic song "You’re Still The One." Shania shares her anniversary with another country singer: Billy Ray Cyrus married Leticia Finley at home in Tennessee the same day, dressed in spiffy blue jeans and a cut-up sweatshirt.
5) June 18, 1915 - A.P. Carter married Sara Dougherty in Clinch Mountain, Virginia, uniting two of the three performers who would comprise The Carter Family. Eleven years later, Maybelle Addington married Ezra Carter. Their classic "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" is about the hereafter, but they could’ve easily assigned the title to a song about wedding rings.
6) February 16, 1969 - George Jones married Tammy Wynette in Ringgold, Georgia, six months after they first announced they had already wed. The duo travelled together in a bus bearing "Mr. & Mrs. Country Music" on the side, but in reality they had a very rocky six years together. Both required at least four marriages to find the one that really took: Tammy married songwriter George Richey in 1978, remaining with him for her last two decades. George and his wife, Nancy, went to the altar in Woodville, Texas, in 1983. And here’s a whopper of a tale: Demonstrating just how down-to-earth the couple was, George and Nancy had dinner on their wedding night at a Burger King.
7) October 26, 1969 - Jessi Colter married Waylon Jennings in Mesa, Arizona. They both contributed to country music’s first platinum album, Wanted: The Outlaws, and Waylon frequently hailed Jessi as a major force in helping him conquer his cocaine addiction. Jessi recently released her first traditional studio album in 20 years, and their son Shooter Jennings is about to release his second CD.
8) October 30, 1937 - Johnny Wright married Kitty Wells in Franklin, Kentucky. Both had fruitful careers—Johnny as one-half of Johnnie & Jack and Kitty as the Queen of Country Music—and they still perform on occasion. Johnny’s often lampooned their Halloween Eve nuptials, saying, "Kitty didn't know whether she got tricked or treated—maybe she got spooked!"
9) December 10, 2005 - Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood said "I do" at their home in Owasso, Oklahoma. They’d known each other for more than 15 years and sung on each other’s records, and Garth’s public proposal on one knee last year remains one of the most enduring country images of 2005.
10) December 31, 1947 - Roy Rogers married Dale Evans at the Flying L Ranch in Murray County, Oklahoma. The two were already co-stars, but the union allowed them to travel many happy trails together on a daily basis. Oddly enough, Roy was late for the ceremony—he was detained putting out a fire started by a cigarette butt in another room. And, for the record, even though they spent plenty of time with their horses, Trigger and Buttermilk, she did not consider her flowers a bridle bouquet!
11) April 14, 1948 - Earl Scruggs married Louise Certain in Gaffney, South Carolina, two months after leaving Bill Monroe's band. She became the manager of Flatt & Scruggs and had a huge role in putting bluegrass in an upscale light. In the ultimate demonstration of family ties, their sons—Gary, Steve and Randy—played with their dad during the ‘70s in the progressive band The Earl Scruggs Revue.
12) May 1, 1967 - Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. The King’s insular lifestyle pretty much tore them apart by 1973, and you could feel the sadness in his song choice in his final years. It’s safe to say that even though the marriage ended, they never stopped loving each other.
13) March 10, 2000 - Vince Gill married Christian singer Amy Grant in Nashville, with about 75 people attending. Amy took her vows barefoot, and six weeks later, Vince took her to the Grand Ole Opry, where she made her debut, duetting with her husband on "How Great Thou Art."
14) May 30, 1966 – Who doesn’t love a good mystery? Dolly Parton married Carl Dean in Catoosa County, Georgia, and to this day, he’s managed to remain in the shadows publicly, with many of her fans wondering what her husband looks like. But they plan to return this month to the church where they first exchanged their vows to celebrate 40 years together.
15) October 18, 1952 – Having divorced Audrey just three months earlier, Hank Williams married Billie Jean Jones Eshliman in Minden, Louisiana. It was not the most auspicious wedding night: On the way back to Shreveport, their car ran out of gas. The following day, Hank and Billie Jean repeated their vows in front of a packed house in New Orleans. Hank died just 10 weeks later.
16) July 8, 1997 – Grand Ole Opry star Marty Stuart married fellow Opry member Connie Smith on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Marty met her at one of her concerts when he was just 12 and predicted to his mother that he would one day marry Connie. He says committing to her is "probaby the most right thing I’ve ever done in my life."
17) January 13, 1948 - Buck Owens married Bonnie Campbell, who sang in his band. The marriage lasted only a few years, though they remained friends until both of them died earlier this year. Bonnie, of course, went on to sing background with Merle Haggard, whom she also married.
18) February 19, 1945 – Boudleaux and Felice Bryant were the first full-time songwriters to enter the Country Music Hall of Fame, having written such hits as "Bye Bye Love," "Wake Up Little Susie" and "Rocky Top." She had seen him repeatedly in her dreams, and then married him informally just three days after they met in Milwaukee. The official, state-recognized marriage took place about six months later.
19) March 15, 2003 - Brad Paisley married "According To Jim" star Kimberly Williams in Malibu, California. How could she say no to someone who wrote a song as sweet as "Little Moments" about her?
20) October 20, 1991 - Clint Black married Lisa Hartman on his 180-acre Houston farm. Just one week later, he returned to the altar—as the best man for his bus driver, Brad Thompson, who exchanged vows with Lorrie Morgan. Clint and Lisa are approaching their 15th anniversary. They also shared a Grammy nomination for their appropriate duet, "When I Said I Do."
21) April 7, 1979 - Rosanne Cash married Rodney Crowell, setting up the most successful progressive country couple of the ‘80s. They were such adults about their split 13 years later that Rodney ended up introducing Rosanne to her future husband, record producer John Leventhal, who exchanged vows with Rosanne in April 1995.
22) August 4, 1981 - Ricky Skaggs married Sharon White, the lead singer for the family bluegrass group The Whites. Both Ricky and his in-laws joined the Opry within the next three years, and Ricky and Sharon had a sentimental hit together with "Love Can’t Ever Get Better Than This."
23) May 26, 1946 - Liz and Casey Anderson married. The couple would write Merle Haggard's hit "The Fugitive," but they would also have a daughter who’s well-known in country circles: "Rose Garden" originator Lynn Anderson.
24) August 9, 1949 – Just months after earning his first hit with the sad "Candy Kisses," Grand Ole Opry member George Morgan got the real thing when he married Anastasia "Anna" Paridon. Their daughter would also become an Opry member: Lorrie Morgan.
25) May 15, 1988 - With her marriage to John McBride in Wichita, Kansas, Martina Schiff became Martina McBride. Eighteen years later, the couple has three daughters and share ownership of a popular Nashville recording studio.