Several country stars tied the knot in 2011. Two of them even kicked off the year with New Year’s Day nuptials in tropical places! Shania Twain married husband Frédéric Thiébaud in Puerto Rico on New Year’s Day in front of 40 close friends and family. Shania announced their engagement on her website on December 21, 2010.
Kellie Pickler and husband Kyle Jacobs also tied the knot on New Year’s Day. The pair scraped their plans for a big Nashville wedding and eloped to Antigua where they were married at sunset. “We didn’t have anything but us and God and our minister,” Kellie told People, “and I can’t think of a word that can quite describe how perfect it was.”
LeAnn Rimes married actor Eddie Cibrian on April 22 at a private home in California. The 40 guests invited believed they were attending an engagement party but were surprised with a wedding ceremony. The couple exchanged personalized vows and Eddie’s sons Mason and Jake, from his previous marriage, were in attendance. “I’m looking forward to settling down,” LeAnn told People before her wedding. “Settling into our life.”
Chely Wright, who made headlines in 2010 when she came out, married her partner, Lauren Blitzer, during a ceremony at Lauren’s aunt’s home in Connecticut on August 20. Since Lauren is Jewish and Chely is Christian, both a rabbi and a reverend presided over the wedding. “The freedom of being out and open about who I am allowed me to find and fall in love with Lauren – the most amazing woman I’ve ever known,” Chely told People.
Another country music wedding took place in the tropics this year when Randy Houser married Jessa Lee Yantz in an intimate ceremony which included 20 close family members on September 2 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The couple exchanged self-penned vows in a ceremony presided over by close friend Rob Hatch.
Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland quietly married longtime boyfriend Justin Miller at a chapel in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains on November 26. The intimate group of close family and friends at the wedding included Jennifer’s bandmate, Kristian Bush. While few details are known about the wedding, Jennifer is said to have worn an Alexander McQueen gown during the small, sunset wedding.
There are already plenty of country music weddings on tap for 2012. Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott became engaged to Chris Tyrell over the Fourth of July weekend. Becky Robertson of Carter’s Chord will marry Jeremiah Scott, who proposed to her on her 30th birthday, and Hannah Blaylock of Edens Edge also received a diamond from her boyfriend, Justin. Steel Magnolia’s Meghan Linsey and Joshua Scott Jones are also engaged and have been for more than four years.
If you think a couple of names are missing from this story — you are correct! Stay tuned for another wedding-themed story — and it’s a big one – in our 2011 Rewind!