Smith & Monday

Mississippi Magazine, Jan-Feb, 2008

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The First Presbyterian Church of Hattiesburg was the setting for the June 16, 2007, afternoon wedding of Lauren Myrtle Smith and Nathan Doyle Monday.

Parents of the couple are Dr. and Mrs. Larry Dearman Smith of Hattiesburg, and Mr. and Mrs. Doyle Ray Monday of Brentwood, Tennessee. Grandparents of the bride are the late Mr. and Mrs. Louis Scott McInnis of Kosciusko, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Kendric Smith of Meridian. Grandparents of the groom are Mrs. Earl Edward Whittaker and the late Mr. Whittaker of Johnson City, Tennessee, and Mrs. Doyle Smith Monday and the late Mr. Monday of LaFollette, Tennessee.

Officiating at the ceremony was Rev. Knox Baird. Musicians were Dr. Graham Purkerson, organist; Wayne Linehan, trumpeter; and Dr. Larry D. Smith, soloist, father of the bride.

Announced by trumpet fanfare, the bride entered the sanctuary escorted by her father. She wore a gown of ivory satin with silk organza overlay featuring trails of intricate embroidery, rhinestones, and dramatic crystal beading, accented with dragonfly motifs scattered throughout the ball gown skirt and chapel-length train to the scalloped hemline. The fitted bodice with basque waist and sweetheart neckline was held with spaghetti straps. Rhinestones sparkled in her veil of silk illusion. She carried a cascading bouquet of Akito roses, white freesia, and trailing white orchid sprays and wore a blue garter worn by her mother in 1972 and her sister in 1999.

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Matron of honor was the bride's sister, Kimberly Rose Smith Robertson of Birmingham, Alabama. Bridesmaids included Jenny Barlow of Atlanta, Georgia, the bride's cousin; Hannah Bryant of Kosciusko; Robin Elam of Brandon; Emily Carney of Madison; and Melissa Monday and Rebecca Monday of Brentwood, Tennessee, sisters of the groom. They wore formal celadon two-piece chiffon gowns with spaghetti straps. Their hand-tied bouquets featured curioso, supergreen, and Porcelana roses with antique green hydrangea and purple freesia nestled in galax leaves. Proxy of the bride was Shannon Englert of Houston, Texas.

Mr. Doyle Ray Monday served his son as best man. Groomsmen included John Danko III of Tucson; Christopher Harris of Knoxville; Christopher Jones of Baltimore; Jeffrey Moon of Nashville; Brandon Sergent of Atlanta; and Michael Monday of Brentwood, Tennessee, brother of the groom. Dr. Peter Robertson of Birmingham served as usher and scripture reader.

The reception followed the ceremony in the church Fellowship Hall. Anna Rose Robertson, niece of the bride, was birdseed attendant. On the eve of the wedding, Jenny Barlow and the bride's aunts, Mrs. Gene Barlow and Ms. Rosemary McInnis, honored the bridesmaids with a luncheon at Southern Oaks House and Gardens. That evening the groom's parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at The Walnut Circle Grill.

Following a honeymoon in Hawaii, the couple lives in Midland, Texas.