Leah Marie Pursell - Bryce John Carlson

Leah Marie Carlson
Leah Marie Carlson

Leah Marie Pursell and Bryce John Carlson exchanged marriage vows at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at Chenal Country Club. Morgan Hall officiated.

Parents of the bride are Peggy and Kent Pursell of Little Rock. She is the granddaughter of Carol and John R. Pursell and Barbara Byrne, all of North Little Rock, and the late Raymond T. Byrne of Hot Springs.

Judy and Buddy Carlson of West Memphis are the parents of the groom. He is the grandson of Rosa and Mataz Bickham of Tillar and Josephine and Walter J. Carlson of West Memphis.

The ceremony site was marked with a pair of gold hammered columns topped with large, rounded arrangements of cream hydrangeas. Music was by Al Paris and the Heartbreakers of Memphis.

The bride, given in marriage by her parents, wore a mermaid-style gown embellished with beading and lace. She carried a bouquet of peonies, roses, lamb's ear and succulents in shades of blush and ivory.

Matron of honor was Nicole McCarty of Marion. Bridesmaids were Rachel Comstock and Kristen Shamlin, both of Sherwood; Bracy Jennings of Cave Springs; and Tara May of North Little Rock, cousin of bride. Junior bridesmaid was Laurie Waterer of Tupelo, Miss., niece of the groom. They wore sage green chiffon gowns in a variety of styles and carried round bouquets of blush, deep pink and mauve roses with succulents and lamb's ear.

Also attending the bride were Hanna Denman of North Little Rock, cousin of the bride, and Kelsey Berry of Little Rock. Flower girls were Gabriella Pursell of Little Rock, niece of the bride, and Ina Christensen of Austin, Texas, and Noel Waterer of Tupelo, both nieces of the groom. Ring bearers were Brayson Pursell of Beebe and Luca Huntington of Los Gatos, Calif., cousins of the bride.

The father of the groom was best man. Groomsmen were John Charles Bailey of Dallas; Benny Long of Jackson, Miss.; Jeff Edison of Memphis; and Billy Peden of Marion. Junior groomsman was Caleb Pursell of Hot Springs, nephew of the bride. Guests were seated by Brooks Pursell of Little Rock, brother of the bride; Jim Boughton of Memphis; and Allen Small of Marion.

A reception, also at the country club, followed the ceremony. Guest tables held candles and lanterns and cream hydrangeas and blush and pink roses in either low, lush centerpieces or towering arrangements. Music was by Al Paris and the Heartbreakers.

The bride received a bachelor's degree in marketing management from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and bachelor's in nursing from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a trauma intensive care unit nurse at Regional One Health in Memphis.

The groom attended the University of Mississippi and is vice president of Carlson Mills Inc. and Southern Grain Brokers.

The couple will live in West Memphis after a honeymoon in St. Lucia.

High Profile on 05/24/2015

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