LITTLE ROCK — Cynthia Carol Rucker and James Tucker Sayes were united in marriage at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, in Second Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tenn. Officiating were the father of the bride, Dr. Robert C. Simmons of Dallas and the Rev. Jerry E. Thomas of Amarillo, Texas, uncles of the groom.
The bride is the daughter of Darla and Dr. Donald Rucker of Ontario, Calif., and the late Alyce Penberthy Rucker. She is the granddaughter of Norman and the late Edith Rucker of Warren, Mich., the late William Penberthy, the late Joe McGinnis and the late Vivian Penberthy McGinnis.
Parents of the groom are Judi and Mel Sayes of Sherwood. He is the grandson of Delia and the late Dr. James Ottis Sayes of Bourbonnais, Ill., and the late Etta and the Rev. L.E. Tucker.
Music was by pianist Russell Davis of Nashville and vocalists Dianne Mays of Franklin, Tenn., the mother of the groom and the father of the bride.
The bride, given in marriage by her father, wore a Vera Wang strapless Empire gown of candlelight satin overlaid with layers of chiffon. The bodice was embellished with jeweled floral pieces and the skirt extended to a chapel train. She carried a bouquet of white roses.
Kati Rucker of Korea was her sister’s maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Stephani Adkins of Nashville, Janelle Rucker of Warren and Jennifer Nesbitt of Pasadena, Calif., all sisters of the bride; and Kristin Rucker of Detroit; and Christina Knisely of Kansas City, Kan. They wore charcoal gray chiffon gowns and carried bouquets of pink roses.
Caroline Adkins of Nashville, niece of the bride, was flower girl.
Joshua Melton Sayes of Moore, Okla., brother of the groom, was best man. Groomsmen were the Rev. John Michael McGinnis of Atlanta and Jonathan Wheeler of Houston, cousins of the groom; and Bradley Rucker of Flint, Mich., Daniel Rucker of Detroit and David Rucker of Kansas City, brothers of the bride.
Guests were seated by Steve Dinwiddie of Little Rock and Christopher Dinwiddie of Cabot.
A reception at the church followed the ceremony. Tables covered with charcoal gray chiffon table runners were decorated with candles, lanterns and wedding flowers. A reception at Brockington Road Church of the Nazarene in Sherwood will be held Feb. 16.
The bride has a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, where she was a member of the volleyball team. She has a master’s degree in business administration from MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kan., where she was a graduate assistant for the women’s volleyball team. She is a project manager for Partners Against Trafficking Humans (PATH) in Little Rock.
The groom has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Olivet, which he attended on a baseball scholarship. He received a juris doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich., where he was on the dean’s list and a teaching assistant. He is a lawyer with the Huckabay Law Firm.
After a brief wedding trip to New Orleans, the couple will live in Little Rock. A longer wedding trip to Cuba is planned for March.
High Profile, Pages 43 on 01/27/2013