MCHENRY — Abbey Alexandra Bond and Cpl. Braxten Ray Brodie were united in marriage on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012, at Ridgeview Valley in McHenry. The outdoor, double ring ceremony was officiated by Shon Brodie, uncle of the groom. A retired sergeant major of the United States Marine Corps, Shon serves as a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fredericksburg, Va.

The bride is the daughter of Bill and Carolyn Bond of Frostburg. She is the granddaughter of James and Eleanor Wiebrecht of Frostburg and  Arthur Bond, also of Frostburg, and the late Patricia (Bond) McKenzie.

The groom is the son of Trina and Creade Brodie Jr. of Vale Summit. Braxten is the grandson of Ray and Trudy Whitacre of LaVale and Maxine and Creade Brodie, Sr. of Vale Summit. He is also the great-grandson of Thelma Larry, Cumberland.

The bride and groom were especially happy to have all eight grandparents and a great-grandmother present for their special day, as well as Abbey’s day care mother, Gwen Miller. Each woman carried long-stemmed roses to represent her children. Just three months later, the family lost the bride’s paternal grandmother, to whom Abbey was especially close in childhood.

Given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, the bride wore a Kathy Ireland sleeveless silk taffeta modified mermaid gown with a V-neckline and hand-beaded belt. The directionally-ruched bodice was accented with a side-gathered skirt and chapel length train. The two-tiered fingertip-length veil featured a beaded edge. The earrings and bracelet she wore were a gift of her maternal grandmother. The bride carried a bouquet of white hydrangeas and daisies with white spray roses made by Georges Creek Florist.  

Brittany Bond, sister of the bride, served as maid of honor.  Bridesmaids were Jessica Miller, Shaleena Troutman, Nicole Nightengale, and Lizz Miller.  They wore red and yellow sundresses and carried bouquets of red roses, yellow and white gerbera daisies, and white hydrangeas.

Creade Brodie  III served as his brother’s best man.  Groomsmen were Lance Cpl. John Haney, Matt Rowley, Lance Cpl. Joshua Berkey and Slater Hafer.   The groom wore his Marine Corps dress blue uniform.  The groomsmen also wore dress blues or black tuxes with black vests and ivory shirts and ties.

Flower girls were Halle and Tess Bond, cousins of the bride. Ring bearer was Briar Mann, cousin of the groom.  Junior attendants were James Hosken and Isabella Bond, cousins of the bride.

Danielle Rose and Julie Spause, friends of the bride, distributed programs. Karen Youngblood, aunt of the groom, read Scripture. The bride and groom chose passages from Ephesians, which had also been read by the groom’s family in a prayer chain when he completed The Crucible, the final test of his earlier recruit training at Parris Island, S.C.

Louis Wehler, uncle of the bride and owner of Commercial Sound, provided sound for the outdoor ceremony.  Daniel Bible, friend of the bride and groom, served as vocalist and acoustic guitarist. The groom entered the ceremony to “When I Say I Do.”  Daniel also sang “Here We Stand” during the couple’s unity sand ceremony.

A bouquet of 21 yellow roses represented loved ones in memoriam, as well as all those who have fallen to protect our freedom. The bride and groom chose the floral arrangement in the color of remembrance and in the same number of rounds customarily fired at a memorial service for members of the military.

Photography was provided by Ed Geiss of Moriah K Photography. Videography was provided by Jeremy Murray of J.R. Murray Productions.

A reception followed in the barn at Ridgeview Valley.  Kim and Dan Bible served as reception coordinators. Music was provided by the bride’s nursing classmate, Suzi Dyche, and her husband Todd of DJ Q-Ball. The barbecue-style meal was catered by S and S Catering of McHenry.  

The four-tier wedding cake was almond-flavored with fondant icing and adorned with yellow gum paste flowers and red silk hydrangeas.  The chocolate groom’s cake had an “ooh-rah” Marine Corps theme with gold wings replicated in the icing to represent the Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist breast insignia.  Both cakes were baked by Christine Lewis of Mountain Flour Baking Company in Accident. Mary Bond, aunt of the bride, and Tammi Mann, aunt of the groom, cut and served the cake.  

A rehearsal picnic dinner was held at Ridgeview Valley the evening before the ceremony and was hosted by the groom’s parents. It was also catered by Susan Wachter and family of S and S Catering. A bridal shower was held in June at the Frostburg Glendenning Park and hosted by the bridesmaids.

Both the bride and groom are graduates of Mountain Ridge High School, class of 2009.

Abbey is a magna cum laude graduate of the 2011 December nursing class of Allegany College of Maryland.  She is employed as a registered nurse at Premiere Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Jacksonville, N.C.

Braxten is serving as a corporal in the Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He returned from a 12-month tour of duty in Afghanistan in February of this year.

In honor of the marriage, Ridgeview Valley made a donation to the charity of the couple’s choice. Abbey and Braxten chose the Wounded Warrior Project.

The couple resides in Hubert, N.C.

The bride and groom would like to thank their family and friends for making their entire wedding week memorable and special.