The Mooney-Downing Wedding
Lindsey Mooney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Doug [Carol] Mooney of Scotts Hill, Tennessee and Walt Downing, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lee [Jennifer] Downing of Covington, Tennessee were joined in marriage on September 29, 2018 at the First Baptist Church in Covington by Reverend Cliff Marion, Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church, Covington.
The couple exchanged vows in a Church lit with candles and soft blush florals, creating a very romantic start to their lives together. Bridesmaids were Logan McDaniels, Whitney Greene, Allison Smalley, Reagan Parsons, and Perri Evans. The bride had two Matrons of Honor, her aunt, Kimberly Hopper and her twin sister, Lauren Bailey. Gowned in a one-shoulder crinkle chiffon dress in a soft ballet pink, from David’s Bridal, the bridesmaids were a radiant compliment to the Bride.
The groomsmen were Lee Downing, Britt Dunn, Tyson Greene, Trae Smalley, Zach Pinner, and Heath Crouse. The best man was Weston Downing, brother of the Groom. The Groomsmen were resplendent in Joseph Abboud navy satin edged notch lapel tuxedos from Men’s Warehouse. The ring bearers were JohnLuke and Lawson Hopper, who accompanied the flower girls, Allianna and Aubrey Tate.
Greeting the guests were Georganna Lagen, Gracie Gordon, and Erin Hatcher. Ushers included Carter Hatcher, Jack Hatcher, Ben Hatcher, and Logan Mooney. The flowers adorning the foyer of First Baptist Church were placed there in loving memory of the couple’s grandparents: Dee Mooney, Betty Downing Clark, and John Downing. The church entrance was adorned with two large ferns and a custom welcome sign draped with roses and eucalyptus designed by Bliss Paper Boutique to greet guests as they entered. The bride’s bouquet had hydrangeas, soft pink roses, burgundy carnations, white roses, along with seeded and silver dollar eucalyptus. A small locket with a photo of the bride and her grandfather was pinned to her bouquet in memory of her late grandfather. The flowers for the ceremony were draped from the center of an elegant wrought iron arbor with a gate, using soft blush roses, eucalyptus greenery and a touch of burgundy carnations masterfully done by Lina Shankle of Hometown Flowers of Covington. The aisle was lined with vases of pillar candles and blush rose petals that created a romantic ambiance. The guest table was completed with a customized guestbook of the couple’s engagement photos and an arrangement of blush roses, burgundy carnations, and eucalyptus. Music was provided by pianist Teresa Wood of Jackson, Tennessee, and organist Mayor Justin Hanson of Covington.
The Bride wore Something Old, pinned to her bouquet were pearl earrings that her mother wore on her wedding day, Something New, Givenchy Crystal Drop Earrings, Something Borrowed, Alpha Delta Pi Sorority Pin ‘borrowed’ from Whitney Greene and her Something Blue was Blue by Betsy Jonson Embellished High Heel Sandals with ankle straps. The bride wore a lovely boatneck designer wedding dress entitled Bouquet, by Eddy K with heavily embroidered lace. The hand sewn buttons and intricate lace detail were the finishing touches that gave the back of the dress such a stunning, dramatic look. The gown featured a drop waist silhouette with layers of tulle and a crystal belt that added the perfect touch to a beautiful gown. She wore a cathedral length veil, both purchased from Low’s Bridal in Brinkley, Arkansas. Her hair stylist was Julie Coleman Wright of Parsons, Tennessee and her makeup was done by Rachel Stricklin Nanney of Lakeland. Her bridesmaids’ hairstyles were artfully arranged by Kirby Maness of Reagan, Tennessee.
Photographers for the wedding were Kate and Julie Photography of Covington, and videography was provided by Weston Downing Wedding Films of Covington along with Wallace Videography of Memphis, Tennessee. The wedding coordinator was the groom’s aunt, Laura Hatcher, of Arlington, Tennessee.
The Reception was held immediately after the ceremony at Liberty Hall in Covington. The romantic theme continued with a glow of soft candles and blush florals that included silver dollar eucalyptus, ragazza blush roses, and burgundy carnations. Floral arrangements were artfully arranged by Dianna Deverell, owner of Kathryn’s Flowers of Covington, Fifty Flowers, and Marla Phillips, Sharon Southall, and Tab McDivitt all of Covington. Catering was accomplished by Charleston Catering of Brownsville for the delightful meal consisting of Prime Rib and Loaded Mashed Potatoes, family and friends added to the menu with a beautiful cascading fruit tower with assorted cheeses, a chicken wing and tenderloin tier, shrimp cocktail shots, swiss ham rolls, cheese ball trio, and spinach dip. Family and friends served the delicious food and surprised the bride and groom with custom embroidered aprons entitled “Walt and Lindsey’s ‘I Do’ crew”. The beautiful four-tier wedding cake was decorated with blush and pearl accents and was created by Janet Pearcy Johnson of Parsons, Tennessee. She also made the Groom’s cake, an Arkansas Razorbacks strawberry cake. The groom’s table also held glass bottles of Coca-Cola, a favorite of the Groom.
Jay Rodriquez, of Covington, was the DJ for the event who provided the music for the Bride and Groom’s first dance, to “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, the Father-Daughter Dance, to “My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw and the Mother-Son Dance to “How Sweet it is to be Loved by You” by James Taylor.
The couple was sent off with sparklers and driven away by Dennis Norris in a 1960 Cloud II Rolls Royce to enjoy a honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. Walt is employed by the United States Department of Agriculture as a loan specialist and Lindsey is employed by Rehab America as an Occupational Therapist at Applingwood Healthcare & Rehabilitation.
Invitations to the event were accomplished by Vistaprint and Bliss Paper Boutique Products. Rentals were provided by Eric’s Rentals of Jackson, Tennessee and Party Concepts of Memphis.
Friends and family surrounded the couple with love and celebrated their engagement by throwing numerous showers to mark the occasion. First Baptist Church of Covington hosted a bridal gift tea honoring the groom and bride to be. A “Honey Do BBQ” was hosted by Michael and Missy Harris at their home in Burlison, Tennessee. The guests were welcomed onto the poolside of the Harris home with an outdoor tool and grilling theme.
A Kate Spade inspired bridal tea was hosted by the bride’s aunt, Kimberly Hopper, at Shiloh Baptist Church in Reagan, Tennessee. The bridal tea was decorated in shades of blush florals and gold accents.
A “Stock the Pantry” shower was hosted by Walt & Lindsey’s Sunday school class of First Baptist Church at the home of Mark and Lydia Sharpe. In addition, a family shower was hosted by the groom’s extended family in Munford, Tennessee. Finally, the “Rehearsal Dinner” was held at Old Town Hall of Covington and hosted by the groom’s parents, Mr. & Mrs. Lee Downing. Adorning the tables were arrangements of blush and burgundy florals made by Kathryn’s Flowers of Covington and gold candle lit votives. Steak and Grilled Chicken were served for dinner with a side of green beans and a baked potato. After an exquisite dinner, family and friends made loving toasts to the young couple.
How they met: The couple had a wonderful courtship. They met while in college at the University of Tennessee at Martin. Walt and Lindsey went on a blind date set up by mutual friends, Whitney & Tyson Greene. Destiny brought them together and the two became a ‘couple’ in the fall of 2014. Three years later, in the fall of 2017, Walt proposed to Lindsey in front of the Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church in Covington, and she happily agreed to become his wife.