Taylor Carwell, Peyton Batson marry
Taylor Carwell and Peyton Batson, both of Columbia, were united in marriage July 12 at Magens Bay on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The bride is the daughter of Jesse Carwell and Tina Carwell of Columbia. She is the granddaughter of Ronnie and Ellen Maddox of Blythewood and Annemarie Carwell of Columbia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, and she is employed with Three Rivers Behavioral Health.
The groom is the son of Anita Lynn Layton-Donald and Maxey Batson. He is the grandson of Charles E. Layton of Newberry and Buford Minter of Dallas. He holds an associates degree in applied sciences, and he is employed with Westinghouse Electric Company.
The bride was escorted and given in marriage by her father.
Maid of honor was Karen Shelton of Irmo. Best man was Jeromy Ross of Savannah, Georgia.
The noon ceremony featured a steel drum soloist. A reception followed at Mafolie Hotel & Restaurant in Mafolie, U.S. Virgin Islands.
After their honeymoon in England and Ireland, the couple resides in Columbia.
In her own words
Q. How did you meet?
A. Through the maid of honor, Karen. She took us on a blind date with her boyfriend at the time, and we hit it off from there.
Q. When did you know your spouse was “the one”?
A. Right off the bat!
Q. Tell us about the proposal.
A. We went on vacation to different parts of Virginia and West Virginia back in 2014, and toward the end of our stay, in a snow-covered cabin, he got down on one knee in front of the beautiful fireplace and proposed.
Q. What was your favorite part of the wedding day?
A. My favorite part of the wedding was getting to marry the man of my dreams in paradise, celebrating with all the people I love.
Q. How did you choose the venue where you were married?
A. We chose Magens Bay in St. Thomas because of its beauty. The crystal blue water and white sand made the setting unreal!
Q. What was the significance of the music played during your ceremony?
A. The steel drum player that our wedding planner provided completely set the whole “tropical paradise wedding” mood.