May-Thurmond
Couple exchange wedding vows in Oklahoma

Candace and Joey Thurmond

Candace May and Joey Thurmond were united in marriage in a double-ring evening ceremony on April 28, 2007.

Minister Bill Coffin of the Church of Christ at Hobart, Okla., officiated the ceremony at Quartz Mountain Resort in Lone Wolf, Okla.

The bride is the daughter of Mickey and Karen Lilley of Roosevelt, Okla., formerly of Lampasas. She is the granddaughter of former Lampasas residents Willie Lilley May of Roosevelt, the late Kenneth Lilley of Lampasas, and the late Charles and Freda May of Roosevelt.

The groom's parents are Ty and Ann Thurmond of Roosevelt. He is the grandson of J.C. Thurmond and the late Henrietta Thurmond of Altus, Okla., and the late Melvin and Delores Baden of Roosevelt.

The outdoor setting for the wedding featured chairs facing a mountain view and gazebo made from cut trees and twigs. The gazebo was lined with greenery and hanging white berries.

Behind the gazebo was a handmade wooden table holding a nesting three-piece vase with the bride and groom's initials engraved on them, a gift from the bride's mother.

At the beginning of the aisle were two wrought iron stands with a mixture of various colors of roses matching the wedding colors, grasses, pheasant feathers, wheat and decorative sticks. The aisle was lined with tree stumps topped with square vases holding river rocks and a single white candle.

Wedding music included "I Cross My Heart," during seating of grandparents; "Like Red on a Rose," and "Just Might," during the processional; and "Wedding March," during the recessional.

The bride entered to Lohengrin's "Bridal Chorus."

Prior to the ceremony, Reid and Cherrel Davis of Hobart, Okla., sang "The Prayer," and at the ceremony's culmination, the bride and groom poured wheat seed together in the middle vase to "El Cerrito Place."

The bride, given in marriage by her father, wore a one-piece strapless white taffeta gown with a pearland rhinestone-beaded sweetheart neckline, lace-up corset back and a chapel-length pick-up skirt decorated with Swarovski crystals and seed pearls throughout the skirt.

Her elbow-length scalloped headpiece consisted of Swarovski crystals and seed pearls.

To complement her gown, the bride carried a bouquet of roses in various shades of white, orange, pink, yellow, green and purple to match the bridesmaids' dresses. The bouquet was accented with pheasant feathers, wheat and decorative sticks, and the stems were wrapped in raffia.

Maid of honor was Jeana Jeffries of Oklahoma City, Okla.

Matron of honor was Beth Black of Edmond, Okla.

Bridesmaids were Jessica Stauffer of Cleveland, Ohio; Meredith Knowles of Stillwater, Okla.; Leah Clark of Owasso, Okla.; Audra Hays of Henry, Neb.; Jera Stobaugh of Altus; Kendra Barnes of Carney, Okla.; and the groom's sisters, Katie Thurmond of Roosevelt and Lauren Thurmond of Oklahoma City.

Honorary bridesmaid was Cassi Leeper of Midwest City, Okla.

Attendants wore strapless twopiece satin dresses. A medallion of embroidery trimmed the strapless bodice with corset seaming which overlaid a softly-ruched pick-up skirt.

They wore alternating spring colors of tangerine, periwinkle, bubble gum, celadon and turquoise.

Attendants' bouquets consisted of decorative sticks, wheat and assorted roses in the same matching colors, wrapped with raffia.

Serving as best men were Matt Belanger of Oklahoma City, and Justin Stobaugh of Altus.

Groomsmen were Keith Morris of Nacogdoches; Toby Gibson and David Gilliam, both of Altus; Red Gruschke of Brown Mills, N.J.; cousins of the groom, Phillip Defoor, Brian Thurmond and Matt Thurmond, all of Altus; and Nick Morris of Tipton, Okla.

Honorary groomsman was the groom's cousin, Noah Boaz, of Tulsa, Okla.

Serving as ushers were the groomsmen and Kevin Lile of Altus.

Program attendants were Rachel Bobbit of Lubbock, and Raynie Vann of Oklahoma City.

Following the ceremony, the bride's parents hosted a reception in the lodge ballroom. The buffet table had various vegetables, fruits, sandwiches and teriyaki sticks. The table was covered in a white cloth, and scattered throughout the table were white candles sitting atop cut tree slices.

The centerpiece was a three-foot deer ice sculpture, a surprise from the bride to the groom. Behind the sculpture was an eight-foot arrangement of tree limbs made to resemble a tree. A three-tiered lighted fountain served punch.

Guests were seated at round tables covered with white cloths. Centerpieces featured candles embedded with sticks, and were surrounded by greenery, turkey and pheasant feathers and deer antlers.

They were surrounded with white candles resting on wood slices and other candles on small glass platters filled with wheat seed from the family farm.

Pictures of the bride and groom were used as centerpieces for guests to take home.

The bride and groom's cakes sat on serpentine-shaped tables covered with white tablecloths. The center table was draped with a tan square cloth edged with feathers. A three-foot centerpiece was a hollowed out tree stump filled with light-green hydrangeas, deer antlers and decorative twigs. Around it were candles atop cut tree slices. Striped napkins in the bride's chosen colors were arranged around the centerpiece.

The bride's four-tier topsy-turvy carrot cake featured a bottom layer of blue with orange diamond shapes. A second layer was green with pink swirls, and the third layer was orange with black zebra stripes. The top layer was pink with various sizes of circles in colors matching the wedding colors. The cake was topped with a brushed silver "T" monogram. The entire confection sat upon a 24-inch diameter polished tree stump.

The groom's two-tier red velvet camouflage, square cake was adorned with sugar shotgun shells and bullet decorations and sat upon a polished tree stump.

The couple took a wedding trip to a resort and spa at Riviera Maya, Mexico, and also traveled to Cancun and Playa del Carma.

The couple is at home in Roosevelt.

The bride graduated from Navajo High School and earned a degree in agricultural communications from OSU in 2005. She owns her own business, Red Barn Photography and Design, and she ranches.

The groom, a Navajo High School graduate, earned a degree in ag management from Cameron University in 2006. He is owner and operator of JT Trucking.

Prior to the ceremony, the groom's parents hosted a rehearsal barbecue dinner at Quartz Mountain Family Camp.