Marian Humphreys, JT Brittingham marry
Marian Elizabeth Humphreys and James Truitt “JT” Brittingham III, both of Columbia, were united in marriage June 24 at The Inn at Warner Hall in Gloucester, Virginia. The Rev. Ryan G. Rike of Midtown Fellowship Church in Columbia officiated the 5:30 p.m. ceremony.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Mark Humphreys of Richmond, Virginia. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. Parks Morgan of Chesapeake, Virginia, and Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth M. Humphreys of Waynesboro, Virginia. A graduate of Douglas S. Freeman High School in Richmond, she earned her bachelor’s degree in art education from the University of South Carolina, where she was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She is employed with Cru, an international mission organization, working with students at USC.
The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Truitt Brittingham Jr. of Lexington. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Finley and Mrs. James Truitt Brittingham Sr. and the late Mr. Brittingham, all of Lexington. A graduate of Lexington High School, he earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Furman University. He is employed with Nephron Pharmaceutical Corporation as an environmental coordinator.
The bride was escorted by her father and given in marriage by her parents. Bill and Pam Gurley and Jack Cowardin provided music. The groom’s sister, Mrs. Meredith Brittingham Pendley, was violin soloist.
Maid of honor was Miss Helen Seely of Columbia. Bridesmaids were Miss Ann Moore of Houston, Miss Emily Greenwell of Charleston, Mrs. Laura Johnston of Columbia, Mrs. Meredith Pendley of Duncan, and Miss Caroline Brittingham of Lexington.
Best man was the groom’s father. Groomsmen were Mr. Paul Aluri of East Palo Alto, California; Mr. John Doerfler of Smyrna, Georgia; Mr. Stephen Tagert of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Mr. Marshall Smith of Cincinnati; Mr. Zachary DeMoya of Columbia; and Mr. Parks Humphreys of Richmond.
A reception followed at River Terrace and Reception Pavilion at Warner Hall.
After their honeymoon in Barbados, the couple will reside in Columbia.
In their own words
Q: How did you meet?
A: Mari was living in Columbia, post USC, with two of her girlfriends from college and was a bridesmaid in her roommate Laura’s wedding over Labor Day weekend in 2015. JT and Laura had grown up next door to each other, and their mothers were close friends. JT and his mother went to drop off a wedding gift at Laura’s parents’ house and the subject of his recent move to Columbia and desire to meet new friends and a “nice girl” arose. That weekend, he went to the wedding and saw Mari as a bridesmaid and was a bit smitten. He had just moved to Columbia to start his job with Nephron, and they actually met the day after the wedding at “First Sundays” – a once-a-month potluck dinner hosted by young members of Midtown Fellowship Church (where Laura, Mari, Helen and Laura’s new husband went to church). JT saw her there and introduced himself. They talked briefly but started communicating regularly. When she went home to Richmond during the Columbia flood in September 2015, it became apparent that there was a connection. They were texting while she was in Richmond and even though there was a “boil water” advisory in Columbia, she left Richmond and drove to Columbia because she a had a date with a really nice guy and she was going on that date!
Q: When did you know your spouse was “the one”?
A: Mari says, “There were multiple moments when I knew he was the one. Our first date was a 14-hour date – starting with breakfast and watching sports and walking on the lake, and I didn’t stop smiling the whole time!”
Q: Tell us about the proposal.
A: JT proposed at the same venue (the Lake Murray Dam) where we had part of our first date. After walking along the dam, he pulled me aside to a picnic table, where his sisters and my friends had set up a white tablecloth, flowers, and pictures of the two of us. My friends were hiding in the bushes snapping photos of the incredible moment. Afterward, we went to his parents’ home nearby, where we celebrated the happy news with our friends and my parents, who had driven from Virginia to surprise me!
Q: What was your favorite part of the wedding day?
A: One of our favorite parts was a “no-peek” session just before the ceremony. We were dressed and ready for the wedding and were led to opposite sides of a large tree, where we held hands, talked to each other and exchanged letters we had written to each other celebrating what was about to happen. Without seeing each other, we felt the excitement of holding hands and reading each other’s emotions.
Q: How did you choose the venue where you were married?
A: We wanted to get married in Virginia (Mari’s home state) at a historical site that would complement the Southern charm of both Virginia and South Carolina. Warner Hall is the plantation home of George Washington’s great-great-grandfather and is located on the river in Gloucester County. We also wanted our pastor from Midtown in Columbia to preside over the service.
Q: What was the significance of the music played during your ceremony?
A: JT’s sister (Meredith Pendley) performed a violin solo of “The Lord’s Prayer,” during the ceremony and this was especially moving to us. We also had local musicians play the mandolin, violin and guitar during the prelude, processional and recessional – highlighting a mix of Colonial and Celtic sounds.
Q: Did you have something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue? What were they?
A: Mari borrowed a diamond tennis bracelet from her cousin’s wife, Leah, who was married in September 2016 in Virginia and wore that bracelet at her own wedding. Mari’s gown also featured 32 satin buttons from her maternal grandmother’s wedding dress which were added to the back of her gown as her “something old.” The wedding dress, purchased at London and Lace in Columbia, was her “something new.” Finally, the seamstress who fitted her wedding gown added a lovely hand-stitched (in blue) monogrammed message with Mari and JT’s initials and wedding date inside the front panel of the dress.
This story was originally published July 30, 2017 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Marian Humphreys, JT Brittingham marry."