It was during a surprise trip to Cabo San Lucas last summer that Casey Curtis proposed to Ashley Burnell. So began the celebrations throughout the fall and winter, culminating with their Dec. 11 wedding at Parker Memorial Baptist Church in Anniston.

In July, the Cider Ridge home of Bruce and Tammy Collins was the venue for an engagement party, also hosted by William and Carolyn Lovvorn and Christie Renfroe. Family and close friends of the young couple nibbled on an assortment of hors d’oeuvres, salads and fresh fruits.

Family members on hand to celebrate included Ashley’s parents, Harry and Nancy Burnell, along with Ashley’s grandmother, Henri Lynn Cotton, all of Oxford; Casey’s parents, Terry and Jeanie Curtis, of Mobile, plus his brother and sister-in-law, Brey and Jill Curtis, of Greensboro, N.C.

Friends who attended included Martha Becknell and Allie Renfroe, both of Oxford; Molly Parrish, Joel Darby and Angeline Santivasci, all of Atlanta; Misty and Marc Skinner, of Villa Rica, Ga.; Levi and Haleigh Rentz, of Salem; and Valerie Feathers, of Meridianville.

In September, Ashley was feted at a bridal tea, hosted by friends and held at Lakeview Baptist Church in Oxford; a few weeks later, Ashley’s parents’ home in Cider Ridge was the setting for a Couples’ Tailgate party, hosted by bridesmaids and attended by some 23 couples. During the all-day, casual affair, the young people enjoyed barbecue, chicken, all the fixin’s and desserts, then watched football games on big-screen TVs strategically placed in the backyard, where the fun, festive event continued into the night.

On Nov. 28, Ashley and her mother, along with Casey’s family and friends, were guests at a bridal tea in Mobile, hosted by the family of the groom-to-be.

The day prior to the wedding, Ashley and her bridesmaids were able to relax and unwind for a bit at a bridesmaids’ luncheon at the Victoria Inn. While the young ladies were enjoying lunch in one dining room, Ashley’s mother hosted another luncheon in a separate room for Casey’s mother, Jeanie Curtis, Patsy McKinney (wedding assistant), Cindy Williams (wedding director) and friends of the Burnell family, Martha Becknell and Christie Renfroe.

The wedding party, plus wedding officiants Rev. and Mrs. Q.T. Curtis (grandparents of the groom-to-be) and Rev. and Mrs. Jerry Starling (Ashley’s pastor) gathered later that evening at Hilton Garden Inn for a lovely rehearsal dinner.

The wedding party included Wes Middleton, Molly Parrish, Ty Howard and former Oxford resident Angel Santivasci, all of Atlanta; Dustin Landry, Charles Smith and former Annistonian Ashley Lloyd, all of Auburn; RJ Guillot, of Gonzalez, La.; Ashley Wilkinson, of Montgomery; Levi Rentz, of Salem; Terry Curtis and Brey Curtis, both of Mobile; Lindsey Hill, of Helena; Kelley Rider, of Denver; Mailon Kent, of New York; Peyton Gregory, of Houston; Valerie Feathers, of Meridianville; and former Oxford resident Misty Skinner, of Villa Rica, Ga.

After a Caribbean honeymoon (including a stay at Atlantis), Ashley and Casey have settled into their home in Gonzales, La.

To share your news with Small Talk, contact Annette Maddox at starsmalltalk@yahoo.com.

Save the date

Fair on the Square, the Jacksonville Arts Council‘s annual living museum on the city’s town square, is scheduled for Saturday, April 30, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Exhibitors will display and sell pottery, gourds, jewelry, quilts, Native American crafts, wood-turned items and more. You’ll also be able to enjoy food and live entertainment.