LITTLE ROCK — Marla Diane Swindler and 2nd Lt. Jefferson Morgan Dowdy were united in marriage at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 7, in Calvary Baptist Church. The Rev. Ed Simpson officiated, assisted by the father of the groom.
Sheri and Bryce Swindler, 12418 Colleen Drive, are the parents of the bride. She is the granddaughter of Norma and David McMullan and Sarah and the late Courtney Swindler, all also of Little Rock.
The groom is the son of Priscilla and retired Col. Joe Dowdy of Cocoa Beach, Fla. His grandparents are Betty and Neil Riley and the late Charlsie Powers, all of Little Rock.
The church baptistery was decorated with a garden arrangement of white hydrangeas, peach stock and roses, larkspur, bells of Ireland and English ivy. Music was by pianist Daniel Bell; vocalists Whitney Bell and Kirstin Johnson, sisters of the bride; trumpeter Courtney Swindler and French horn player Michael Welles, both uncles of the bride; and organist Donna Williams.
The bride, given in marriage by her father, wore a strapless ivory satin gown with an overlay embellished with beaded and embroidered lace appliques. An organza band accented the sweetheart neckline, and beading and rhinestones decorated her sash. Her bouquet was filled with cream roses, white hydrangeas, white ranunculus, white freesia and white lisianthus.
Serving as the bride’s honor attendants were her sisters, Kirstin Johnson of Searcy and Whitney Bell of Little Rock. Bridesmaids were Eleanor Bain, also of Little Rock; Brittany Cochrell of Wynne; Betsy Dowdy of Boston, sister of the groom; Layla Dowdy of Rockledge, Fla.; and Sydney Smith of Oxford, Miss. They wore short wine-colored silk taffeta strapless dresses and carried bouquets of white hydrangeas, peach stock, roses, dusty miller and chocolate geranium foliage.
Flower girls were Reese and Riley Hargrove of DeWitt and Abby Swindler of Little Rock, cousins of the bride. Ring bearer was Aaron Swindler, also of Little Rock and a cousin of the bride.
John Riley Dowdy of Rockledge served as his brother’s best man. Groomsmen were 2nd Lt. Andrew Carlson of Pensacola, Fla.; Lt. Michael Debord of Wichita, Kan.; 1st Lt. Gregory Gallagher of Fayetteville, N.C.; and 1st Lt. Daniel Loomis and 2nd Lt. Barrett Patton, both of Hubert, N.C.
Guests were seated by Connor Mulvaney of Pearland, Texas; Pierce Mulvaney of Bakersfield, Calif.; and Logan Mulvaney and Sidney Riley of Houston, all cousins of the groom.
A reception at Loft 1023 followed the ceremony. The buffet table was centered with an arrangement of curly willow, peach roses, pink larkspur, white snapdragons and bells of Ireland. The guest tables held wrought iron candleholders and eclectic vases filled with garden flower arrangements. Music was by Boom Kinetic of Fayetteville.
The bride is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a bachelor’s degree in human environmental sciences. She is a sales associate and fashion consultant.
The groom has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Mississippi at Oxford. He is in the United States Marine Corps.
After a honeymoon in Hawaii, the couple will live in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii.
High Profile, Pages 43 on 04/15/2012