Wedding vows were exchanged by Sarah Virginia Penick and Christopher Ryan Gibson at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 13, in Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. The Rev. Ed Wills of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church officiated.
Susan and James Carroll Penick, 15 Beverly Place, are the parents of the bride. She is the granddaughter of Margery and the late Dr. Ralph Aaron Downs, the late Dr. James Barker, and the late Virginia and James Henry Penick, all of Little Rock.
Parents of the groom are Melanie Mc-Clure Gibson and Frank S. Gibson, both of Little Rock. He is the grandson of Jo Ann and E.B. Hancock of Hot Springs Village and the late Frank S. Gibson of Roland.
The chancel was decorated with English garden arrangements of pale pink peonies, roses and hydrangeas. Music was by organist Thomas Lee.
Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore an ivory re-embroidered lace gown by Watters and Watters accented at the Empire waist with a silk-taffeta cummerbund. She carried a bouquet of cream hydrangeas with white and soft pink roses and peonies.
Matron of honor was Frances Penick Mitchell of Memphis, sister of the bride. Bridesmaids were Rachel Arnold, Chandler Blank, Sarah Kurrus, Aaron Nixon, cousin of bride, and Margaret Parke, all of Little Rock; Meredith Mitchell of New York; and Lucy Speed of Washington. They wore strapless Empire gowns of sea green peaude soie and carried pale pink bouquets of hydrangeas and roses.
Serving as best man was Blake Gibson of Little Rock, brother of the groom. Groomsmen were Blake Bumgardner, Tyler CarlLee, Neil Carpenter, and Mark Lienhart, all of Little Rock; Brint Marks of Baton Rouge; Chris Moore of San Francisco; and Will Morrow of San Antonio. Guests were seated by Justin Brooks of Springdale; Brian Cherry, Tim Ciabocchi and Philip White, all of Little Rock; Robert Wage of Chicago; and Max Klein of Memphis.
A reception at The Country Club of Little Rock followed the ceremony. Tables alternated centerpieces of trumpet vases filled with curly willow and pale pink roses and hydrangeas with low arrangements of hydrangeas, roses and peonies. Music was by The SoulSations of Memphis.
The bride graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a bachelor’s degree in education with high distinction and a master’s degree in teaching. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta and is a prekindergarten teacher at Episcopal Collegiate School.
The groom, also a UA graduate, has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and was a member of Phi Delta Theta. He has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and is a financial analyst at Windstream Communications.
The couple will reside in Little Rock after a honeymoon in Mexico.
High Profile, Pages 45 on 07/21/2013