May, Mars exchange wedding vows on August 6
Georgia Caroline May and James Fenton Mars were married on Saturday, August 6 at 6 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson. The service was presided over by Reverend David Felker and Reverend Dr. Gabe Fluhrer.
The bride is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. George William May Jr. of Jackson. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Deloy Thomas of Hattiesburg and the late Mr. and Mrs. George William May of Jackson. The groom is the son of James Montgomery Mars II of Philadelphia and the late Kimberly Gamblin Mars of Philadelphia. He is the grandson of Joan Madison Gamblin and the late Thomas Davis Gamblin of Philadelphia and the late Mr. and Mrs. William Montgomery Mars of Philadelphia.
Bridal music was presented by Dr. Bill Wymond, organist, and Grace Shumaker, pianist. The instrumentalists were Alejandro Junco, Marlene Gentile and Nancy Bateman. René Young was the soloist.
Shrine flowers were placed in memory of the groom’s mother and included Alaskan peonies, David Austin garden roses, hydrangeas tardiva, bittersweet green, stock, snapdragons, buttercups , cream-colored double tulips, blueberry viburnums, cranberry viburnums and bellflowers. The family rows were marked with similax and bundles of white bellflowers tied with an ivory silk ribbon. The railings were adorned with loose garlands.
Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a designer trumpet dress in ivory lace. The dress featured a sweetheart neckline and a princess seam skirt with a chapel train. She finished the look with a matching long-sleeved, high-neck lace jacket for her ceremony. She wore a cathedral tulle veil for her walk down the aisle.
The bride wore a soft palette of pastel and cream garden roses, peonies and buttercup buttercups. Wrapped around the stem of her bouquet was an ivory linen handkerchief worn by her sisters at their weddings. It has been hand embroidered with initials and dates. Some of the lace from the groom’s mother’s wedding dress was also wrapped around her shaft.
The matrons of honor were the bride’s sisters, Elizabeth Meadows and Laura Cate Permenter. They wore maxi-length black dresses with a pleated off-the-shoulder neckline that offered swag detail. The bridesmaids were Rachel Garner, Ellen Graves, Madeline Griffin, Kate Hall, Lizzie Hannon, Haisten Hardin, Allison Douglas Huffman, Sydney Kennedy, Holly Melcher, Margaret Milner, Madeline McPhail, Courtney Newsome, Claire Robinson and Caroline Shaffett. They wore black flowing satin dresses with a drape over the bodice supported by delicate straps. It featured a low backline and a high slit.
The bridesmaids wore garden roses, peonies and buttercup buttercups.
The honorary bridesmaids were Molly Chain, Keaton Cook, Sarah Martin Maxwell, Isabella Moak and Airston Small. The bride’s proxy was Eliza Neely. They also wore peonies, garden roses and ranunculus. Participants in the programs were Hayden Hudson, Jordan Jackson and Helen Wooley. The couple’s nieces and nephews rang silver bells ahead of the wedding procession. They were Della, Landry and Rowan Burkhalter of Northport, Ala; Karsten March of Philadelphia; Read Jackson’s Meadows Jr.; and George Permenter and Sally Permenter of Oxford. The girls each wore flower crowns.
The groom’s father was a witness. The groomsmen were Ty Barber, William Cole, Gage Graham, Keaton Lang, Adam Mars, Sam Mars, Abe Mars, Gray Moorehead, Reed McCool, Charles Silva III, Judge Sheppard, John Harold Smith and William Smith. The ushers were Cole Burkhalter, Read Meadows and Cooper Permenter.
The flowergirl was May May Meadows. She wore an ivory Swiss heritage batiste dress that was adorned with ivory French lace and trim. French seams ran throughout the dress and several heirloom beauty pins were used in the back as buttons. A pin bore Bessie’s name inscribed in memory of the bride’s great-grandmother. She carried a silk woven basket filled with cream-colored rose petals that had been used at the bride’s parents’ wedding in 1983. She wore a flower crown made of Abelia and white majolica roses.
The ring bearer was Griffin Mars of Philadelphia. He wore an ivory pillow of antique French lace with the couple’s monogram and date.
On the Thursday night before the wedding, the bride’s parents and aunts hosted a “Spicin’ It Up” welcome dinner with okra, red beans and rice. Guests included the bridal party, the groom’s friends and family, and the bride’s family. Music was provided by violinists, Alejandro Junco and Marlene Gentile, as guests arrived in the front yard and by Cole Ketchum and Wesley Walker of the Wesley Walker Band in the back yard. Guests also brought their favorite spice for the couple.
The bridesmaid’s lunch was held at Karen and Jeffrey Taylor’s house the day before the wedding. The hostesses were Allison Barrett, Vicki Garner, Leigh Graves, Kim Hall, Tracey Melcher, Melanie Milner, Lydia Moak, Beth Newsome, Rebecca Small, Brenda Smith, Robin Tucker, Margaret Waller and Marla Watson. The groomsmen gathered at Walkers Drive-In for lunch and then went bowling. Friday lunch and bowling hosts were Dawn Lea and Jeremy Chalmers, Brandy Gamblin, Sherry and Dan Mars, Cheryl Mars and David and Debbie Webb.
After the rehearsal, the groom’s father hosted a dinner party at the Lake Cavalier Clubhouse. Guests were greeted upon arrival and were able to cruise around the lake in pontoon boats. Music was provided by A’akeela.
The wedding day festivities began at the bride’s home where the bride and bridesmaids had their hair and makeup done. Brunch was offered. The groomsmen had brunch at Keifers
After the ceremony, a reception was held at the Jackson Country Club. Upon arrival, guests entered through the main doors and walked through three arches of Alaskan peonies, alstroemeria, buttercups, musketeer dragons, rosettes, tulips and stock to create a modern secret garden. The traditional five-tiered bridal cake was set under a floral arch of cream and blush colored roses and peonies. It featured horizontal and vertical line finishes and had blush and cream cascading garden roses, snapdragons and peonies. On top of the cake was a vintage bride and groom topper that belonged to the bride’s grandparents. The groom’s cake was a three-tiered replica of the Neshoba County Fair. It featured the Ferris wheel, racetrack and cabins. The flavor was chocolate fudge and peanut butter.
Guests were able to dance to the sounds of the Walton Stout Band. The lower part of the stage was lined with planters filled with greenery and soft pastel roses, peonies and ranunculus. The couple’s first dance was to “Tupelo Honey.” The bride and her father danced to “I Feel Good” and the groom and his aunt, Brandy Gamblin, danced to “Days Like This.” A Neil Diamond impersonator, Tim Beasley, joined the group and surprised everyone with the song “Sweet Caroline”.
After the reception, the couple left the country club amid a shower of cream-colored rose petals tossed by guests. They set off in an ancient El Camino sitting in the back in the middle of a tunnel of fireworks.
After a honeymoon in Antigua, the couple is at home in Jackson where the bride is a fourth-year dental student and the groom is an engineering technician with Terracon, Inc.
