Gourley-Spence
Mary Frances Gourley of Charlotte and Neil Hanson Spence of Charlotte exchanged vows in a double-ring ceremony June 20, 2015, at 2 p.m. at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church. The Rev. Drew Goodson and the Rev. Sara Ilderton officiated.
The bride is the daughter of Mark and Judy Gourley of Danville, Va., formerly of Goldsboro, and the granddaughter of Frances Gourley and the late M.L. Gourley of Goldsboro and the late Adrian and Geneva Hunt of Roxboro.
She is a 2012 graduate of East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and dietetics. She is employed with Union County Schools.
The groom is the son of Roland and Cara Lee Spence of Matthews. He is the grandson of the late Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Lael Smith of Grapevine, Texas. Paternal grandparents are the late Ernest Pinkney and Nancy Abel Spence of Dallas, Texas. The groom’s great-grandparents, the late Sabra Brogden and James Spence, were from Goldsboro, N.C.
He received his undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in music education in 2012 from East Carolina University. He received his Master of Accountancy degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2014. He is employed at Moyer, Smith and Roller of Monroe, N.C.
The bride was escorted by her father and given in marriage by her family.
The bride was an ivory satin and Alencon lace ballgown featuring a bandeau neckline with Alencon lace, beaded accents and pearl trim.
Her dress featured a blusher train.
The bride wore her mother’s veil, an ivory waltz-length veil of illusion featuring Venise lace trim and appliques with pearls and sequins.
The bride completed her ensemble with pearls belonging to her grandmother, Frances Gourley, and wore a diamond wedding band belonging to her maternal grandmother, Geneva Hunt.
She carried a hand-tied clutch bouquet of pink roses, calla lilies and hydrangeas, wrapped with her maternal grandfather’s handkerchief.
Dr. Sarah Compton Bracewell of Charleston, S.C., served as matron of honor. Bridesmaids were Leigh Davis Muller, cousin of the bride, and Grace Kooken of Winston-Salem and Julia Sebastian of Kentucky, friends of the bride.
Maggie Muller, cousin of the bride, of Durham was flower girl.
Tyler Spence of Indiana, brother of the groom, served as best man. Groomsmen were Clay Parler of Alabama, Charles Mosley of Greensboro and Tim Nicodemus of Charlotte.
Presiding at the register was Laura Davis, cousin of the bride, of Beaufort, S.C. Program attendant was Jennifer Warren from Greenville, N.C. Jessica Brown of Charlotte was crucifer. Drew Davis, cousin of the bride, of Beaufort, SC., was Scripture reader.
Stephen Gourley, brother of the bride, was organist. Elizabeth Winstead of Wilson and Aaron Carlyle from Southern Pines, were vocalists.
Trumpeters were Alex Rodiek of Atlanta, Ga., and Timothy Hudson of Greensboro.
Following the wedding, a reception dinner and dance was hosted by the bride’s parents at The Big Chill in Charlotte. Greeters were Sallie and Jim Minter of Danville, Va., and Ginger and Brian Smith of Garland, Texas.
The rehearsal dinner was hosted by the groom’s parents June 19 at Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
Events held before the wedding included engagement parties hosted by the bride and groom’s parents in Danville, Va., and Charlotte, N.C.; a kitchen and recipe shower hosted by Frances Gourley in Goldsboro; an around-the-clock shower hosted by Lynn Schmidt, Neely Rose and Kelsey Brinkley in Matthews; a bridal shower hosted by Sallie Minter, Jean Harville, Cathy Harville, Judy King and Margaret Adcock at the Minter home in Danville; a surprise “pounding” hosted by the child nutrition managers and staff from Union County Schools; a surprise “tool shower” hosted by the staff from Moyer, Smith and Roller in Monroe; a lingerie shower and bachelorette weekend in Greenville, N.C.; a bachelor party held in Charlotte; and a bridal luncheon hosted by Bonnie Davis, aunt of the bride, from Roxboro, Leigh Muller, cousin of the bride, of Durham, and Suzette Sells, cousin of the bride, of Charlotte at the Sells home.
After a wedding trip to New York City, the couple resides in Charlotte, N.C.
By admin
Published in Weddings on September 13, 2015 9:06 AM