By Staff
A garden on the front lawn at the home of the bride's parents was the setting of the marriage of Abbie Laura Carter and Joshua Lowell McCullough on Saturday, May 18, 2002. The Rev. Harold Peyton Burrell, uncle of the bride, officiated the double-ring ceremony.
Parents of the couple are Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Marcus Carter Jr. of Donalsonville, Ga., and Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Leo McCullough of Spanish Fort, Ala.
Grandparents of the bride are Mr. and Mrs. Joye Aldene Olive of Bainbridge, Ga., Lewis Marcus Carter of Donalsonville and the late Lois Ann Williams Carter.
Grandparents of the bridegroom are Clara Edwards Briggs of Scooba and the late John Kenneth Briggs, and Allen Lee McCullough of Magnolia Springs, Ala., and the late Stella Krupinski McCullough.
Music was provided by members of the Florida State University Strings.
The bride was given in marriage by her father. She wore a couture original design of white Chinese Empress silk satin. The strapless bodice featured platinum embroidery with embellishments of baguette and round iridescent beading. The ball gown fell from a dropped waistline into a full-length train accented with insertions of while silk organdy embroidered in platinum and beaded to match the bodice. Attached to the underskirt of her gown were handkerchiefs that had belonged to her mother, grandmothers and maternal grandmother. She wore a diamond pendant that belonged to her paternal grandmother.
Serving as matron's of honor were, Katrice Newberry Carter of Donalsonville, sister-in-law of the bride, and Meredith McCullough Miller of Lauderdale, sister of the bridegroom.
Other attendants were Lorie Gibbons Addison of Birmingham, Patricia Piland Costley of Carrollton, Ga., Mary Kathryn Tucker Crommelin of Birmingham, Holly Haisten Hobbs of Valdosta, Ga., Elizabeth Sutton Howell of Blakely, Ga., Brittani Massey Kimbrel of Leary, Ga., Cacye Lee Payton of Athens, Ga., and Charlotte Lynn Thompson of Brookwood.
The father of the bridegroom served as best man. Groomsmen were James Martin Benson Jr. and Michael Scott Boone, both of Mobile, Ala., John Lyle Briggs of Scooba, Lewis Marcus Carter III of Donalsonville, James Brice Hartner Jr. of St. Mary's, Ga., Malery Christopher Miller of Lauderdale and Kevin Wade Rawson of Fairhope.
Ushers and special attendants were Richard Lewis Bendinger III of Montgomery, Ala., and Carter Jephson Bendinger of Auburn, both cousins of the bride.
Flower girl was Mary Peyton Burrell of Bainbridge, Ga., cousin of the bride. Ring bearers were Christopher Tyler Miller of Lauderdale, nephew of the bridegroom, and John Ross Briggs of Scooba, cousin of the bridegroom.
A reception was held in the back yard of the Carter home following the ceremony.
After a honeymoon in St. Lucia, the couple resides in Mobile.