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Wedding rings
Songstress and actress Kristin Chenoweth may have starred in Hallmark‘s “A Christmas Love Story,” but she just got married in a real-life Labor Day love story. Chenoweth, 55, got married for the first time over the holiday weekend — on September 2, 2023 — after decades of thinking she’d always be single.
“I have been a self-proclaimed bachelorette my whole life,” Chenoweth told People. “I was never going to get married. I even got engaged before and couldn’t do it.”
But when she met and fell in love with musician Josh Bryant, 41, everything changed.
She said, “Then I was like, ‘Why would I ever let this guy go?’ I’m so blessed.”
Kristin Chenoweth Opted for ‘Nontraditional’ Pink Wedding Gown
The couple got married in front of family and friends at a private residence in Dallas, Texas, awash in all shades of pink — including her wedding gown, designed by Pamella Rowland.
“I didn’t want to wear white,” Chenoweth told People. “I went with a sheer nude and Chanel pink overlay with a big bow in the back. Very structured. It has tiny pearl flowers all over the bodice that ombré out to the floor.”
“Simple and elegant,” she continued. “I never thought I’d get married, so I went very nontraditional with the gown. I love it.”
For the wedding reception, People reported that Chenoweth changed into a short pink dress, also by Pamella Roland, paired with pink Nike sneakers. At the party, they served specialty cocktails including the “Wicked Margarita” — a nod to Chenoweth’s Tony-nominated Broadway run as Glinda the Good Witch in “Wicked.”
And though neither Chenoweth or Bryant have children, they think of their pets as being part of the family. So the wedding would not have been complete without a role for their dog Thunder, who was who served as their ring bearer, People reported, as the bride made her entrance while the AC/DC song “Thunderstruck” played. The couple even served a drink named after him, the “Thundertini.”
In 2019, Chenoweth received Hallmark’s Adoption Ever After Award at the Hero Dog Awards for her “extraordinary efforts in pet rescue” work. An adoptee herself, Chenoweth said during her acceptance speech that pet adoption became a passion once she realized she wasn’t going to adopt a child as she’d dreamed of doing when she was young.
“I thought maybe when I grow up I’ll adopt a child,” she said. “Well, I didn’t adopt a child, but I have adopted many, many dogs.”
Kristin Chenoweth & Josh Bryant First Met at Her Niece’s Wedding in 2016
GettyJosh Bryant and Kristin Chenoweth with their dog, Thunder
The couple first met in 2016 at the wedding of Chenoweth’s niece, where Bryant was performing with his band, Backroad Anthem, according to Vogue. He was playing again in 2018 at her nephew’s wedding, and sparks flew.
“We had become friends by this time, and that’s when he came on strong,” Chenoweth told People. “Josh asked me where I was going to be playing next, and it was North Carolina. I said, ‘I’m busy. I don’t have time, da, da, da.’ And he shows up to the concert and that was it for me.”
Bryant proposed in October 2021, per Vogue, on the rooftop of the Rainbow Room in New York City. Chenoweth tweeted photos from their proposal, writing, “I love you and I’m never letting you go.”
The couple divides their time between Nashville and New York, where Chenoweth stays busy performing and appearing in projects like her AppleTV+ series “Schmigadoon!” which wrapped its second season in May, per EW.
In late September, Chenoweth will hit the road for a series of performances, including multiple holiday concerts that will likely feature her new husband, too.
“Josh has his own career outright, but I’ve kind of stole him away and he plays on a lot of my gigs with my band,” she told People.
In 2022, Chenoweth’s performances included a surprise set at Hallmark Channel’s “Countdown to Christmas” kickoff in New York City, per Broadway World, where she performed holiday tunes and sang a duet with “A Holiday Spectacular” star and fellow Broadway actress Ginna Claire Mason.
Liv Lane is an entertainment writer who covers the Hallmark Channel, The Voice, American Idol and HGTV for Heavy. She has three decades of experience as a radio host, publicist and motivational speaker, and is an accomplished watercolor artist. Liv attended the University of Minnesota and is based in the Twin Cities. More about Liv Lane
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