Family tradition marked the occasion when Cornelia Adelaide Overton and Gregory Stanley Mallozzi were united in marriage, Thursday, June 30, in an afternoon ceremony on the west lawn of the Overton home in Smithville. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gaius Overton, and the groom is the son of Ms. Patricia Palenski Mallozzi and Mr. Gian Gregory Mallozzi of Providence, Rhode Island.

The bride’s grandparents are the late Mr. and Mrs. Joe L. Evins of Smithville and the late Mr. and Mrs. Basil Overton of Florence, Alabama, and Greenfield, Tennessee. The groom is the grandson of Mr. Americo Mallozzi and the late Mrs. Mallozzi of Providence, Rhode Island, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Stanley L. Palenski and Mr. Casimer J. Dziok of Rumford, Rhode Island.

The Book of Common Prayer solemnization of matrimony was performed at four o’clock in the afternoon by the Reverend Joy Warren of the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Murfreesboro, with an opening homily by the bride’s cousin Mr. William Cheek Smartt of Astoria, New York. Escorted by her father, the bride walked to the ceremony along the brick garden path built by her great-grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. James Edgar Evins. Guests were seated on both sides of “Granny Myrt’s brick walkway.” The couple spoke their vows in front of the apple tree arch and tiered flower garden at the end of the path, in bloom with blue delphinia, purple lantana, yellow coreopsis, orange petunias, peach verbena, pink roses, and white gaura, the bright colors of a Tennessee summer country garden.

The music for the pre-nuptial half-hour and the ceremony was played by violinists Ms. Jessica Watson and Ms. Meade Armstrong of Knoxville. The pre-processional, “To a Wild Rose,” by Edward MacDowell, had been performed at the weddings of the bride’s parents, grandparents, and other beloved family members. The bridal party entered to Jay Ungar and Molly Mason’s “The Lover’s Waltz,” which had served as the processional for the wedding of the bride’s brother and sister-in-law six years earlier, and receded to the Canote Brothers’ fiddle tune “Obama’s March to the White House.”

During the ceremony, the bride’s brother, Joseph Overton, sang the “Irish Blessing,” and the bride’s cousin Robert Galbraith led everyone in singing together the Irish hymn “Slane,” using the adaptation “Lord of All Hopefulness, Lord of All Joy.” Scriptures were read during the service by the groom’s aunt, Ms. Andrea Palenski, and his father.

The bride wore her mother’s and grandmother’s wedding dress, a floor-length, A-line gown of ecru lace fashioned over peau de soie. The capped sleeves, scooped neckline, and V-cut back were finished in antique lace. An added detachable overskirt of gathered silk chiffon, open in the front to showcase the original lace gown, was underlain by layers of Italian tulle and clasped with a chiffon bow at the waist. The dress was slightly modified and altered by the bride from its original 1935 design, and also altered by her mother, aunts, and cousin who had worn the gown at their weddings.

The bride’s chapel-length veil of off-white Brussels lace, another cherished family piece, was attached to a comb affixed above a low bun. She wore pearl accessories, and she carried a full bouquet of multicolored fresh Tennessee country garden flowers, including purple larkspur and lisianthus, blue cornflowers and delphinia, green hydrangea, pink echinacea and sweet William, white Queen Anne’s lace and wax flowers, orange roses and dahlias, and yellow billybobs.

The bride’s maid of honor was Ms. Hannah Peacock, of Little Rock, Arkansas, and her matron of honor, Ms. Sara Terashima, of Sacramento, California. Both are childhood friends of the bride from summers spent at Camp Monterey, in Monterey, Tennessee. The bridesmaids were Ms. Stefany Ortega, of Smithville, the bride’s nextdoor neighbor–the two grew up together; Ms. Ana Mallozzi, of Cranston, Rhode Island, sister of the groom; and sisters Ms. Katy Kidwell, of Sacramento, California, and Ms. Liz Kidwell, of New York City, friends of the bride since high school at University School of Nashville.

Two of the bride’s cousins, Miss Audrey Schwendinger, of Washington, D.C., and Miss Loren Carter, of Salt Lake City, Utah, served as junior bridesmaids. Little Miss Annabell Overton, of Nashville, niece of the bride, was flower girl.

The bridal attendants wore floor-length, dusty blue, chiffon gowns and pearl jewelry, and carried colorful flowers matching the bride’s bouquet. The junior bridesmaids’ bouquets were bound in fabric that their mothers had worn as attendants in the bride’s parents’ wedding, years before. The flower girl spread blossom petals for the bride’s entrance from a white woven basket that her grandmother, the bride’s mother, carried as a flower girl in an Evins family wedding many decades ago and that has been used in all family weddings since.

Mr. Alex Pendergrass, of Kingstown, Rhode Island, friend of the groom since earliest childhood, attended Mr. Mallozzi as his best man. Serving as groomsmen were Mr. Max Fisher, of Providence, and Mr. Alex Fraioli, of Newport, Rhode Island, the groom’s friends from North Kingstown High School; Mr. Andrew Ziegler, of Brooklyn, New York, who attended Brooklyn College with the groom; and Mr. Magnus Skatvold, of Trondheim, Norway, formerly an international student in New York, where he and the groom became friends, and the two have remained professional colleagues, making documentary films together.

Serving as junior groomsmen were cousins of the bride: Mr. Will Schwendinger and Mr. Graham Schwendinger, both of Washington, D.C., Mr. Ben Carter, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Mr. Landon Carnahan, of Boulder, Colorado, who escorted the junior bridesmaids. Master Aidan Leonard, also a cousin of the bride, was the couple’s ring bearer, carrying their wedding bands on a family pillow tied with satin ribbons.

The groom and his attendants wore navy blue suits, dusty blue ties, and colorful Tennessee flower garden boutonnieres.

Reception & Celebration

Following the ceremony, the bride and groom, their parents, and the groom’s grandfather welcomed guests on the Overton front porch. In the yard, hors d’oeuvres were passed to friends and family who mingled, visited, and gathered at small tables and on lawn chairs scattered under trees throughout the garden, while they listened to the fiddle tunes of Watson and Meade. The violinists accompanied Smithville attorney and friend of the bride, Ms. Sarah Cripps, who sang Dolly Parton’s “Longer Than Always” and the O’Kanes’ “When We’re Gone, Long Gone” during the afternoon reception.

Under a large white tent on the lawn, wedding punch was served from a crystal punch bowl on the Overtons’ dining table covered with a white cutwork linen tablecloth. The coinsilver ladle used to serve the punch is a family heirloom made from 16 silver dollars in 1806 for the wedding of the bride’s great-great-great-great grandmother Nancy Trigg Simpson in Bedford, Virginia. The over-200 year old ladle is now owned by Mr. William Polk Sims of Sparta.

Adjacent under the tent, on a second dining table spread with a family cutwork tablecloth, the wedding cake was served. The golden buttercream, Lambeth-piped, three-layered wedding cake was topped with an old-fashioned bride-and-groom cake topper featuring a couple arm-in-arm under an arch of baby’s breath, tulle, and a wedding bell. The cake topper was first used at the wedding of the groom’s maternal grandparents, Irene Leskiewicz and Stanley Palenski, in 1947 at St. Mary’s Church in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and nearly forty years later in 1986 it sat upon his parents’ wedding cake at St. Joseph’s Church in Central Falls, Rhode Island. In addition to the tiered wedding cake, which was strawberry, sheet cakes of coconut, lemon, yellow, and German chocolate, each covered in the same golden icing, were also served to guests.

Assisting in the hospitality were Ms. Georgia Madison Smartt, the cake baker, Ms. Tammy Smartt, and Ms. Alex Smartt, cousins of the bride from McMinnville who served the wedding cakes; and Ms. Marylou Turpin and Dr. Laura Clark, family friends from Murfreesboro who served the fruit punch.

Blue hydrangea were arranged in vases on both the cake and punch tables. Colorful Tennessee country garden flowers including daisies and irises were on dining and serving tables and on the front porch. Hydrangea, crepe myrtle, roses, echinacea, delphinia, and whirling butterfly gaura bloomed across the lawn and garden. Queen’s Anne’s lace, pink sweet-pea blossoms, and other wildflowers were set in vases through the home, as were colorful zinnias cut from the garden of Ms. Nallely Ortega Prater of Woodbury. Mr. Dub Evins, cousin of the bride, graciously provided pots and pots of beautiful blooming hibiscus, hydrangea, butterfly bush, and day lilies to further enhance the lawn and tents.

Later in the afternoon, near the Tennessee tulip poplar in the Overtons’ yard, the bride and groom planted the Rhode Island state tree, a red maple, signifying the bringing together of the two families from two regions of the United States, with the intention that the tree will grow strong and healthy and put down deep roots in Tennessee soil.

Beginning at 6 o’clock in the evening, the Smithville Community Chorus practiced its live dress rehearsal at the Iris Pavilion of the Ann S. and Joe L. Evins Park adjacent to the Mallozzi-Overton wedding reception, getting ready for the opening ceremony of the 51st annual Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree the following evening. Wedding guests were invited to step across the street to listen to the chorus singers, whose patriotic music wafted into the reception as the tree was being planted and the wedding supper beginning to be served.

For those who stayed to continue the celebration after sunset, a buffet wedding supper, toasts, and dancing under three large white tents followed the afternoon reception. Twinkling lights lit the tents, candles in silver candlesticks under glass hurricane lanterns lit the dining tables, and garden lights in trees and among the flowers lit the lawn. The Tennessee Stifflegs band from Knoxville performed for the guests, and Mr. Tyler Crawford, known professionally as “T-Claw,” who is a music and dance coordinator at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina, called square dances for the party-goers. Music for the final dance was played at 10 p.m., after which the bride and groom exited the reception under a shower of sparklers.

Following a honeymoon trip to Italy, the couple will reside in Nashville, where the bride, who attended the University of Tennessee and the Rhode Island School of Design, is a landscape architect and Mr. Mallozzi, who attended Brooklyn College and Rhode Island College, is a documentary film maker.

Wedding Guests

            Wedding attendees whose spouses, partners, or family members were part of the wedding party included Dr. Lisa Gussak and Ms. Sara Fisher, Providence, Rhode Island; Ms. Teresa Dillon, North Providence; Mr. Leonard Davenport and Mr. Andy Kientz, Cranston, Rhode Island; Ms. Jocelyn Evans and Ms. Lauren Bernardo, Kingstown, Rhode Island; Ms. Wendy Pendergrass, North Kingstown; Ms. Ecaterina Fraioli and Little Miss Sofia Fraioli, Newport, Rhode Island; Mr. Mark Misrok, Astoria, New York; Mr. Jimmy Pakidis, Brooklyn, New York; Ms. Jane Evins Leonard and Mr. and Mrs. Jon Schwendinger, Washington, D.C.; Dr. Hannah Snitzer and Mr. Peter Thom, Sacramento, California; Mr. Colin Carnahan, Boulder, Colorado; Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Carter, Salt Lake City, Utah; Ms. Leslie Newell Peacock, Little Rock, Arkansas; Ms. Bridget Esterhuizen and Little Misses Freya and Sable Crawford, Murphy, North Carolina; Ms. Carmen Ortega, Smithville; Mr. John Prater, Mr. Adrian Prater, and Ms. Gabrielle Prater, Woodbury, Tennessee; Mr. and Mrs. Randy Kidwell, Hermitage, Tennessee; Ms. Joanna Evins Carnahan, Ms. Nora Jane Overton, Master Alan Evins Overton, Mr. and Mrs. John Leonard, Master Owen Leonard, Ms. Lacey Galbraith Robison, and Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Wright, Nashville; and Ms. Live Schille, Trondheim, Norway.

            More family and friends from Rhode Island and neighboring areas of New England included Mr. Zan Berry, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Chase, Ms. Adrienne Emmerich, and Ms. Kayla Murgo, Providence; Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Walker, Coventry, Rhode Island; Ms. Lizzie Hunt and Mr. Kevin Divver, East Greenwich, Rhode Island; Mr. Michael Palenski, Ms. Wendy Baker, and Mr. Brian Banner, Attleboro, Massachusetts; Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Collins, Somerville, Massachusetts; Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Palenski, Cromwell, Connecticut; and Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Cavazos, Monroe, Connecticut.

Wedding guests from Nashville and Davidson County included Mr. and Mrs. Doug Berry, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Burgess, Mr. Harrison Bryant, Ms. Blythe Cate, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Droitcour, Ms. Laura Esposito, Ms. Leigh Fitts, Mr. Abraham Fongnaly, Ms. Talia Greenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Rod Hare, Mr. Corey Hutchens, Mr. and Mrs. Evan Johnson, Lt. Col. and Mrs. Madison Morris, Mr. and Mrs. Wade Rick, and Mr. James Polk Smartt III.

Other Tennessee family and friends who attended were Mr. and Mrs. Philip Parsons, Cookeville; Ms. Sarah Basiri, Ms. Erin Bicknese, Ms. Tasha Hansen, Ms. Erika Kessler, Mr. James Miller, Ms. Jane Stroud, Mr. John Smartt, and Ms. Barbara Froula, all from Knoxville; Ms. Karlen Evins, Lebanon; Ms. Mehgan Kosa and Mr. Nate Zeitlin, Lobelville, Perry County; Ms. Teresa Barrett, Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Priestley, Mr. George Smartt, Mr. and Mrs. Keith Smartt, Dr. Jacqueline Smartt, Mr. Jonathan Chastain, and Little Miss Vivian Chastain, McMinnville; and Ms. Jackie Slaten and Dr. Paul Turpin, Murfreesboro.

Wedding guests from Smithville and DeKalb County included Ms. Evelena Ashburn, Dr. and Mrs. David Darrah, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Emmons, Ms. Zully Ferrar, Ms. Linda Fuson, Mr. and Mrs. Rob Harvey, Mr. and Mrs. Billy Miller, Mr. Bill Miller, Mr. Cameron Miller, Ms. Jane Ramsey, Mr. Jake Ramsey, Ms. Darrah Ramsey, Ms. Jackie Smith, and Dr. and Mrs. Alan Webb.

Friends and family from other states who attended the wedding and stayed for all or part of the Jamboree weekend included Mr. and Mrs. John Wagner, Edina, Minnesota; Ms. Reily Kennedy, North Oaks, Minnesota; Dr. Alexandra Bemis and Dr. Emily Wheeler, Ames, Iowa; Ms. Brianna Bartelt and Mr. William Green, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Ms. Selene Mallozzi Smerling, Irvington, New York; Mr. and Mrs. James W. Brown III, Riparius, New York; Ms. Allison Greenwald, Washington, D.C.; Mr. Jed Leonard, Warrenton, Virginia; Ms. Sarah Parker, Richmond, Virginia; Ms. Chelsea Steelhammer, Charleston, West Virginia; Ms. Delce Dyer, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Michonski, and Little Miss Willa Michonski, Asheville, North Carolina; Ms. Amanda Notarfonzo and Mr. Thomas Notarfonzo, Winston Salem, North Carolina; Mr. and Mrs. Gregory DeAngelis, Surfside Beach, South Carolina; Ms. Nancy Palenski and Mr. Ron Bier, Sandy Springs, Georgia; Mr. Alvin Alston, Florence, Alabama; Ms. Rachael Borné and Mr. Jesús Soto Andújar, Little Rock, Arkansas; Ms. Ally Metts, White Salmon, Washington; Ms. Shalu Mittal, Mr. Ramon Solis, and Ms. Shiya Zeng, San Francisco, California; and Ms. Olivia Smartt, Oakland, California, cousin of the bride, who photographed the wedding.

The bride’s aunts hosted a breakfast the morning of the wedding for family members and wedding party getting ready for the big day. The groom’s parents held a private rehearsal dinner gathering at The Restaurant at Short Mountain Distillery the evening before the wedding.

In the weeks leading up to the wedding, the bride was feted at a party in April and a shower in May, at the homes of Ms. Debbie Kidwell and Ms. Pamela Leonard, in Hermitage and Nashville, respectively, and the groom enjoyed a night on the town with his groomsmen in downtown Music City two days before to the wedding.

Vignettes to Remember

● The chance for old friends to visit, reminisce, and catch up under the tents and in the garden.

● The younger set, Alan, Owen, Willa, Vivian, and Sofia, charming the lucky guests, and Freya and Sable demonstrating their complete competence in the creek, buck dancing, and every life skill.

● Flower girl Annabell emptying her basket at the end of the aisle to be sure every last petal got properly spread, and ring bearer Aidan seriously, earnestly, carefully protecting his charge, the wedding bands!

● The homage to the ancestors and all the historic tie-ins, from the family dress and ladle, to the traditional Book of Common Prayer service, to the wedding cake topper and ancestral soils for planting the tree.

● The sweet toasts and remembrances by the maid and matron of honor, the best man, the bridesmaids, and groomsmen.

● The appreciation by groomsman Magnus from Norway, houseguest of Linda Hendrixson Fuson, of his hostess, calling Mrs. Fuson a “masterclass in southern hospitality.”

● T-Claw leading square dances: He makes such fun and never fails to get everybody up, moving, laughing; engaged, swinging their partners, and dancing in big circles.

● The incredible photo video for the rehearsal dinner, of the bride and groom growing up, lovingly made by the brilliant and beautiful Hannah, maid of honor.

● The help, time, and love of so many dear hearts who chipped in to lend a hand to get this couple married. It took the hard work of a village, and the bride and groom are deeply humbled and appreciative.

● When the couple became engaged, Christmas Eve 2021, the idea of planning the wedding weekend to coincide with the 2022 Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree was the groom’s vision, wanting to introduce his friends and family from New England to old-time and bluegrass music, Smithville, Center Hill Lake, Tennessee, and the South to enrich an already special occasion. Mission accomplished, Greg!