Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church was the setting at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, for the marriage of Elizabeth Paige Rystrom, who goes by Bess, and Simon Michael Gooch. The Rev. Britt Skarda officiated.
The bride is the daughter of Paige Lester Rystrom of Little Rock and Thomas Jay Rystrom of Medellin, Colombia. Her grandparents are Carol and John Lester of Fayetteville, the late Diann Hankins CarlLee of England and James Julius Rystrom and Barbara Durel Rystrom, both of Waco, Texas.
The groom is the son of Sarah and Thomas Crawford Gooch of Fort Worth. His grandparents are Henrietta Robins Eliot Garstka of Fort Worth, the late Melville Moore Jr. of Littleton, Colo., and the late Rachel and Robert Gooch of Fort Worth.
The chancel was decorated with large candelabra and urns of evergreens and berries. Music was by organist James Maase.
The bride, given in marriage by her father, wore a gown of duppioni silk with a chapel-length train. The Alencon lace bodice had a bateau neckline and fitted lace sleeves. Her bouquet was filled with roses, dahlias and ranunculus and evergreens.
Serving as the bride's honor attendants were her sisters, Ellery Rystrom Poe of Fayetteville and Emma Katherine Rystrom and Anne Thomas Rystrom, both of Little Rock. Bridesmaids were Shannon Jones of Nashville, Tenn.; Megan Hall of Portland, Ore.; Margaret Dunlap of Washington; Margaret Hurst of Austin, Texas; Sara Charlton of Little Rock; Catherine Casselman of Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Megan Quick of New York. They wore princess-style spruce green gowns with sweetheart necklines and carried smaller versions of the bride's bouquet. Flower girl and ring bearer were Virginia and John Lester, both of Little Rock and niece and nephew of the bride.
Best man was Matthew Alan Clemons of Fort Worth, brother of the groom. Groomsmen were Joel Blackstock of Birmingham, Ala.; James Carter of Chattanooga; Christopher Poole of Boston; Daniel McKelvey of Columbus, Ohio; Allen Thomlinson of Nashville; John Shults of Denton, Texas; Samuel Sanderson of Portland; and Wesley Hamilton of Fort Worth.
A reception was held at Clinton Presidential Center. A long center table was lined with cedar, juniper and blue spruce and large urns filled with roses, dahlias and ranunculus.
The bride has a bachelor's degree in English from Sewanee: The University of the South, where she was a member of Alpha Delta Theta. She has a law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law where she was a contributor to the Law Journal. She is a lawyer with Fuqua Campbell P.A.
The groom has a bachelor's degree in English from Sewanee, where he was member of Lambda Chi Alpha. He has a master's degree in education from Vanderbilt University and is an Upper School English teacher at Episcopal Collegiate.
The couple will live in Little Rock after a honeymoon in Lucea, Jamaica.
High Profile on 12/16/2018