The musician Ty Herndon certainly deserves our warmest congratulations.
On Saturday, the couple was married in an outdoor ceremony in Chapmansboro, Tennessee. Alex Schwartz was the groom, and the country singer was the bride.
The joyous party was attended by almost 300 guests, including Kristin Chenoweth and her fiance Josh Bryant, as well as Herndon’s longtime friend Sally Struthers.
“The formality of black and white juxtaposed against the casual backdrop of the farm,” Herndon, 61, tells PEOPLE of the décor that was used for the celebrations. “We like to call it country chic, and everyone had a great time having a little bit of both experiences,” said the organizers.
Owen Farm is a “beautiful property outside of Nashville that sits on the banks of the Cumberland River,” according to Herndon, who adds that he and Schwartz explored several other sites before deciding to have their big day there. Herndon says that Schwartz was the one who suggested the location.
“We knew we wanted something that encapsulated our personalities, and as soon as we laid eyes on this location, we fell head over heels in love with it. The wedding scene from the movie “The Proposal” served as a bit of a reference for us, as he goes on to explain.
The late Don Williams, who was Herndon’s father’s favorite country music performer, owned the land that lies next to Owen Farm. Herndon’s father was a big fan of Don Williams.
“The Owen family was kind enough to offer us [Don’s] tour bus to bring the wedding party to the location of the ceremony on the grounds, which created an extra special moment not only for me personally but also for our guests,” adds Herndon. “The wedding party was able to arrive in style at the location of the ceremony on the grounds.”
“All we needed was a room and a location that could host our diverse circle of friends and family members so that we could celebrate love, life, and our shared future together. That was the primary thing that was important to us, and we wanted everyone else to have a great day as well,” he says.
Herndon’s lifelong friend and the administrator of his fan club, Bonnie Hadden, oversaw the planning and execution of the wedding, while Melissa Greene, a former member of the contemporary Christian band Avalon, presided over the ceremony. Michael Passons, a former member of Avalon, Zeke Stokes, Herndon’s manager and a former vice president of GLAAD, and Erik Halbig, Herndon’s longtime producer and guitarist, served as groomsmen during the wedding.
Anita Cochran, Matt Bloyd, Jamie Floyd + Jimmy Thow, and Shelly Fairchild gave performances in the course of the event that featured their respective musical talents.
Herndon recalls that when it came to the food for the guests, they wanted to provide a “southern feast.” The plated meal was served by Al’s Diner and Deli in Nashville, and the menu included chicken, pork, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, and salad with iced tea as the beverage of choice.
Ivey Cake in Nashville was responsible for creating the couple’s three-tiered cake, which had flavors such as almond butter crème and blueberry lemon. In addition, there is a chocolate station and an ice cream bar.
Herndon expressed his excitement about the upcoming wedding by stating that he could not wait to rejoice with the couple’s dearest friends and family members and to experience the “love that folks are bringing from all across the country and around the world to be a part of our special day.”
Both Herndon and Schwartz made it a point to recognize and pay tribute to significant relatives throughout the day.
“My father has been gone for a very long time, so we had a beautiful photo of him on a table alongside one of Alex’s baby brother who passed away,” he recalls. “We had a beautiful photo of him alongside one of Alex’s baby brother who passed away.”
“There, at that meal, both of our moms lighted a unity candle in honor of both of our families to symbolize the coming together of the Herndons and the Schwartzes. “It helped us remember those who couldn’t be here with us to celebrate this day by giving us a very special moment that we were able to create,” he says.
After dating for a total of seven months, the couple were engaged in February. Around the same time last year, a mutual acquaintance brought them together for the very first time at a dinner party.
“I love his goofiness, his heart, his loyalty, the way he looks at me, the way he holds me, and the way I feel safe with him,” says Herndon. “I feel safe with him because of the way he looks at me.” And I hope to God that all of those things are true about me to him. He has shown me how to be a better human being and how to improve my capacity for love.
In addition to this, he says, “When we got engaged, my mother told me, ‘Son, you’ve waited your whole life for this.'” “We hope that by sharing this day and our love with others, we will be able to let everyone know that miracles are possible, that love is love, and that equality and justice will ultimately win every time.”
