Francis Christina Day and Ryan Matthew Essary exchanged marriage vows at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at Fellowship Midtown. Paul Sanders, pastor emeritus of Geyer Springs First Baptist Church, officiated.
Parents of the bride are Jennifer Ralston-Day and Glen Edward Day of Little Rock. She is the granddaughter of Gloria Louise and the late Robert Francis Ralston of Little Rock and the late Jeanne and Thomas Edward Day of Poplarville, Miss.
The groom is the son of Sheila Leigh and John Edward Essary of Arlington, Tenn. His grandparents are Rebecca and Eugene Maurice Grey of Lillian, Ala.; John Allen Essary of Millington, Tenn.; Sandra and Timothy Russell Kirk of Arlington, and the late William Lloyd Chipman, also of Millington.
The ceremony site was centered with an arbor of blooming branches with candelabra decorated with wedding flowers on each side. Music was by a quartet from the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and soloist Brooke Pernice of Louisville, Ky.
Given in marriage by her parents, the bride wore an off-the-shoulder candlelight satin ballgown with a custom bow at the back. Her veil, a family heirloom with lace and beading, was worn by her mother and sister on their wedding days. She carried an all-white gathered clutch bouquet of lilac, sweet peas and ranunculus wrapped with lace from her mother's wedding gown.
Sister of the bride, Whitney Elizabeth Day-Sweeney of Oxford, Miss., was matron of honor.
Bridesmaids were Katelyn Nicole Essary of Arlington, sister of the groom; Savannah Faith Fewell of Magee, Miss.; Miriam Billings Lindberg of Germantown, Tenn.; and Bailey Kristen Younger of Dallas. They wore one-shoulder floral jacquard A-line gowns and carried clutch bouquets of white tulips.
Best man was Ryan Douglas Thornburg of Oakland, Tenn. Groomsmen were Caleb Christopher Ryan Casey of Northlake, Texas; Austin Daniel Garcia and Taylor Scott Head, both of Woodstock, Ga.; Jake Russell Reynolds of Little Elm, Texas; and Connor James Wood of Memphis. Ring bearer was Robert Ralston Sweeney of Oxford, nephew of the bride.
A reception was held at the home of a family friend. The reception site was centered with a towering tree enclosed with a circular bar. Side walls were decorated with trellises of forged garden greens centered with the couple's monogram. Guest tables held blossoming cherry trees and low ivory arrangements of hydrangeas, roses, stock, sweet peas and ranunculus. Music was by Bamboo Forest of Memphis.
The bride is a graduate of the University of Mississippi with a bachelor's degree in applied science with an emphasis in hospitality management. She is Tipton & Hurst's wedding and event director.
The groom graduated Middle Tennessee University with a bachelor's degree in science with a professional pilot concentration. He is a commercial airline pilot.
After a wedding trip to Turks and Caicos, the couple will live in Little Rock.