Under the Lights: The Purvis-Tarkington Wedding
Photography by Abrea Crackel Photography
On Saturday, June 1st, 2019, Miss Anna Beth Tarkington, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert (Sandy) Tarkington of Dyersburg, Tennessee and Mr. Garrett Craig Purvis, son of Ms. Tracey Bruchfiel of Newbern, Tennessee and Mr. and Mrs. Gary (Sondra) Purvis of Jackson, Tennessee, were joined in holy union. Pastor Brian Grow of First Christian Church in Dyersburg officiated in the rustic K & M Barn at Lewis Farm in Atwood. The ceremony was held outdoors in a lovely grove of trees that helped keep guests cool and shaded.
Anna Beth was surrounded by friends and family at the altar. The maid of honor, Becca Tarkington, wore a stunning floor-length sage green Adrianna Papell dress with scalloped beading. The bridesmaids, Chelsea Ladd, Kara Hilliard, Ali Evans, Chelsea Glidewell, Cavon Avery, Mary Margaret Whitehead, and Rylee Gray, and junior bridesmaid, Mallory Ing, all wore floor-length sage green gowns designed by Sorella Vita and purchased at Low’s Bridal and Formal as well as the bride’s dress. Anna Beth’s flower girls, Mollie Ing and Kate Sentell, wore cream dresses, with layered lace skirts and carried wire baskets with hearts twisted into the wire. All the ladies were beautiful in their finery.
Best man, Cody Purvis; groomsmen, Chase Patterson, Trey Tarkington, Peyton Lucas, Bill Ledbetter, Daniel Nguyen, Draike Barnett, and Kyle Patterson; and junior groomsman, Ethan Ing stood beside Garrett on this momentous day. They looked dashing in khaki tuxedos designed by Allure men with sage green ties. Easton Milligan bore the rings for the couple. Garrett also wore a khaki tuxedo but stood apart with an ivory tie, with a pink rose and eucalyptus boutonniere. The groomsmen’s boutonnieres were seeded eucalyptus wrapped in twine. Their tuxedos were rented from the Mustard Seed.
As guests arrived, they were ushered to their seats by Chase Patterson and Trey Tarkington. They sat on benches, shaded by trees. A weathered gabled arbor in the shape of a barn sat at the end of the aisle. An eight-foot cross that Garrett, the groom, built resided underneath it and a floral arrangement with eucalyptus, peonies, and roses adorning it. The trees were strung with Edison bulbs, giving the space even more magic.
Anna Beth stunned all in her new Ashley & Justin wedding gown. Ivory lace overlayed the gown, with subtle beading on the bodice, enhancing the floral design of the lace. The A-line skirt tapered into a chapel length train. The bride’s veil fell to her fingertips, with hand-beaded lace edging. A heart-shaped piece of her grandfather’s blue shirt was sewn into her dress as her something blue. Anna Beth’s champagne-colored shoes had jeweled ornamentation on them. Her bouquet, made of pink and white roses, eucalyptus, peonies, and chrysanthemums, was wrapped with pink and gold ribbon. A piece of twine secured an antique charm that held a picture of Anna Beth’s great-grandmother, who passed the week before.
Anna Beth’s hair was arranged into an elegant low bun, with wisps framing her face. A soft brown eye and mauve lipstick completed her look. Kayla Scott’s Professional Hair and Make-Up styled her hair and applied the bride’s makeup.
The bride and her father arrived at the ceremony in Mr. Larry Williams of Dyersburg’s vintage black Chevrolet, driving them down the hill to the grove where the ceremony took place. Coupled with the vintage lights in the trees, it added more elegance to the ceremony.
Chelsea Wilson gave a special performance during the ceremony. Abrea Crackle Photography and Reid Productions captured the day with photographs and video, respectively. At the reception, guests dined on flank steak and herb encrusted pork tenderloin at the carving station, mashed potato bar, fresh fruit, and rolls; all catered by Lupo’s Italian Steakhouse.
The four-tiered wedding cake was twelve layers of classic white cake with almond buttercream frosting. The ribbed icing kept the cake rustic. Each tier had a garland of eucalyptus at the base and peonies and roses helped tie it to the bouquets and boutonnieres. The groom’s cake had two tiers of six layers of fresh strawberry cake with strawberry buttercream. A silhouetted scene of duck hunting created from fondant contrasted with the muted color scheme. Jenny Bell baked and decorated the wedding and groom’s cakes, drawing the eye, but keeping with the rustic boho theme.
During the reception, the new Mr. and Mrs. Garrett Purvis shared their first dance to Mark Wills’ “I Do.” Anna Beth and her father took the dance floor to “I Loved Her First” by Heartland. Garrett and his mother danced to Garth Brooks’ “Mom.” Xtreme Entertainment provided the music for dancing. Bethany Petrie and Cindy Hill of Cindy’s Florist designed all the floral arrangements. The wedding invitations were by Minted. Rentals were provided by Vows Wedding and Events.
For the couple’s rehearsal dinner, Tracey Burchfiel and Gary and Sondra Purvis hosted it at K & M Barn at Lewis Farm. Dennis and Margaret Prater of Trimble catered the dinner, feeding guests barbeque with a variety of sauces, loaded potato casserole, baked beans, coleslaw, and rolls. For dessert, they ate handpainted wedding cookies made by Jessica Grills of Dyersburg. Xtreme Entertainment provided the music.
Their story wouldn’t have been possible if Garrett and Anna Beth hadn’t met through mutual friends at Ultimate Fitness, their local gym in Dyersburg. Garrett asked Anna Beth to marry him on the evening of April 28th, 2018. He took his future bride to the bit of land where they’ll build their future home and proposed. She joyously accepted.
After the couple honeymooned on the beautiful island of St. Lucia in the Caribbean, the couple returned to work. Garrett is a lab technician at Wis Pak in Dyersburg. Anna Beth works at the Jackson-Madison County General Hospital as a registered nurse in their emergency room.