Miss Emily Helen Bates and Mr. Jeremy Duncan Wiggins were united in marriage on Sat., April 9, 2016, at six o’clock in the evening, at Applewood Farm in Pell City.

The ceremony was officiated by the Rev. Ken McWilliams of Morris.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Kyle Bates of Warrior.

She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Helen Jolly and the late Mr. Oscar Dean Jolly of Warrior and the late Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bates of Mobile.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Barney Kiplon (Kip and Rita) Wiggins of Andalusia.

He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. William Edward Duncan of Honoraville, and Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hinton Wiggins of Andalusia.

The bride wore a strapless, Maggie Sottero fitted gown of ivory lace over pale blush. Beautiful embellished lace adorned the dramatic fit and flare of the gown, which featured a sweetheart neckline, subtle sparkle, and a signature corset back closure.

The eye-catching gown was complemented with a finger tipped, beaded Alencon lace veil. She carried a hand-tied bouquet of white O’Hara garden roses, accented with a hint of white wax flower, a collar of seeded eucalyptus, tree fern, and dusty miller.

The bouquet‘s unique finishing touch featured a satin ribbon laced through a small antique locket, which framed a heart-warming picture of the couple’s beloved German short-haired pointer, Stella.

Mrs. Kylie Bates, sister-in-law of the bride, served as matron of honor.

Serving as bridesmaids were Mrs. Ali Adams of Irondale, Miss Hannah Bishop of Thorsby, Mrs. Natalie Ellison of Clanton, Miss Lauren Forrest of Morris, Miss Natalie Jett of Atlanta, Mrs. Mandy Pilgreen of Gardendale, and Miss Lisa Powell of Staunton, Va.

The Matron of Honor and bridesmaids wore floor-length chiffon Victorian Lilac gowns. Each attendant carried a hand-tied bouquet filled with cream stock, purple wax flower, white and purple alstroemeria lilies, Lady Katherine pink roses, a hint of yellow Lady Banks roses, seeded eucalyptus, and tree fern.

Mr. Barney Kiplon (Kip) Wiggins, father of the groom, of Andalusia, served as best man. Groomsmen included Joshua Kiplon Wiggins, brother of the groom, of Orange Beach; Andrew Bates, brother of the bride, of Bremen; Stephen Darby of Washington, D.C.; Brent Shiver of Daphne; Cory Smith of Montgomery; Reid Taylor of Birmingham, and Andrew Veasey of Troy.

The Groom wore a Jean Yves steel grey Ceremonia suit with matching vest and accented with a striped Expressions Ivory Windsor tie. The groomsmen wore matching suits and vests with striped Herringbone Lavender Windsor ties.

White rose boutonnieres accented with wax flower and seeded eucalyptus completed their wedding attire.

The picturesque private estate was the perfect setting for the simple, elegant sunset ceremony. As guests arrived, they were invited to sign the couple’s guest board and were then given a wedding program, which included a note from the couple.

The beautifully decorated antique “memorial table” held pictures of deceased family members. A mailbox uniquely designed to receive cards for the couple was nestled atop a special stand built by a family member, Brent Maddox. An antique wheelbarrow placed next to the mailbox held the couple’s gifts. Guests entered through the beautiful arched entryway at the Chandelier Barn and were escorted to their seats, where the beautiful view included a large wooden cross also designed by Brent Maddox and previously used for a cousins wedding. The full front view encompassed the altar, serenity pond, and fountain. The grandparents were seated to Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major on piano. A special recorded arrangement of “Amazing Grace” was softly and sweetly played in memory of deceased family members who are truly missed.

The Rev. McWilliams and Jeremy made their way down the aisle to take their places at the altar.

The wedding party of bridesmaids and groomsmen made their entrance and took their places to The Piano Guys’ “A Thousand Years.” Each groomsman paused to congratulate Jeremy and to present him with a commemorative golf ball which carried that groomsman’s personal handwritten message of commemoration of this special occasion.

As the “Bridal March” sounded, the Rev. McWilliams asked the guests to stand as the bride, given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, proceeded from the Chandelier Barn to the altar.

After Jeremy received his bride, the guests were seated. Following the exchanging of the vows and rings, the Rev. McWilliams offered a prayer of blessings for the bride and groom.

After the touching prayer, the couple made their way to the wooden cross as the beautiful piano solo, “Keeper of the Stars” by Tracy Byrd, was played.

The bride and groom then lit a single candle to symbolize the joining together of their two families and the united love of both families and the new couple. The couple returned to the altar and the Rev. McWilliams pronounced them husband and wife. The recessional, “This Will Be an Everlasting Love” by Natalie Cole, sounded as the newlyweds departed the altar.

Following the ceremony, the bride’s parents entertained with a reception at the Chandelier Barn on the estate.

Each table displayed a unique arrangement of roses, snapdragons, pink and white alstroemeria lilies, and a variety of other flowers in metal bird cages and antique vases. Each table was accented with candles and a beautiful scarf.

The bride’s four-layer, tiered wedding cake consisted of alternating layers of lemon cake with raspberry filling and strawberry cake with strawberry filling.

The cake’s final touches included buttercream icing adorned with ivory and pink roses.

The groom’s cake was a two-tiered chocolate cake featuring peanut butter filling and icing and topped with a drizzle of chocolate ganache.

Both cakes were made by Hilde of Magnificent Cakes in Birmingham, and were exceptionally delicious. Happy Catering of Birmingham, provided the wedding party and guests with a tasty buffet of chicken and pork skewers, a macaroni and cheese bar, vegetables, fruits, and a variety of hors d’oeuvres.

A slideshow featuring the bride and groom was shown during the reception.

The theme of the slideshow was “Where It All Began…” and included pictures from the couple’s childhoods, their first meeting at The University of Alabama, their four years of dating, and the special proposal. A large, antique window displaying an array of pictures taken of the couple during their time in Tuscaloosa, stood on an easel next to the groom’s cake and continued the theme of “Where It All Began…”

As the guests enjoyed viewing the slideshow and the collage of pictures, they shared many happy memories.

The bridal party was introduced, and each couple made their own entrance dance into the barn and onto the dance floor to Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.”

Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Wiggins were introduced and made their grand entrance to “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas and enjoyed their first dance as husband and wife to “I Love You This Big” by Scotty McCreery.

The bride and father danced to “Daddy’s Little Girl” by Lou Reid and “My Girl” by The Temptations. The groom and his mother danced to “All to You” by Scott Keo, and then being joined in dance by the entire wedding party, continued dancing to “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang.

The dance floor quickly filled as the wedding guests joined the singing and dancing.

Music was presented by DJ Jared of On Site Productions in Birmingham.

At send-off time, the newlyweds made their exit as the “Alabama Fight Song” rang out loud and clear, and the wedding guests, armed with red and white shakers, excitedly cheered them off with “happy ever afters!”

The flowers were beautifully designed by Lori Smith Varner. Lori, a very special friend of the family and Jeremy’s childhood babysitter, also directed the wedding.

The bride is a graduate of Gardendale High School in Gardendale.

She was graduated from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in nursing, and she is now employed with Thomas Hospital in Fairhope.

The groom is a graduate of Andalusia High School in Andalusia.

He was graduated from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in environmental science, and he is now employed with Thompson Engineering, Inc., in Mobile.

Following a honeymoon in Riviera Maya, Mexico, Emily and Jeremy now reside in Daphne.

 

Rehearsal Dinner Party Given by

Parents of the Groom

 

Mr. and Mrs. Barney Kiplon (Kip and Rita) Wiggins hosted a rehearsal dinner honoring their son, Jeremy, and his bride-to-be, Emily, in the Chandelier Barn at Applewood Farm on Friday evening, April 8, 2016. The bridal party and other family members enjoyed a delectable array of barbeque chicken and pork with all the trimmings, along with banana pudding (favorite foods of the groom), catered by Moe’s Original BBQ. Kip Wiggins, father of the groom, toasted the bride and groom with a high-spirited salute. Kylie Bates, matron of honor, followed with a gracious toasting and touching speech. She then announced the beginning of play of the infamous “wedding shoe game.” Emily and Jeremy were seated in back-to-back chairs, located in front of the reception table, and removed and swapped one of their shoes with each other. Kylie asked them various questions concerning each other, while in unison, they would raise the shoe of the person who, in their opinion, best fit the answer. This game proved to be not only humorous, but also very informative.

Adding to the rehearsal dinner merriment was a slideshow featuring Emily and Jeremy throughout the years and a photo booth for making more memories. While enjoying cold beverages at the bar, the guests also enjoyed roasting marshmallows and making s’mores at the fire pit. This memorable event set the solid groundwork for Saturday’s “grand wedding finale.”