Multiple country stars made life-altering decisions in 2023 in the name of love.
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Some, like "She Had Me at Heads Carolina" hitmaker Cole Swindell, became engaged to their longtime partner. Others, ranging from Lily Rose to Hank Williams Jr., wed their better half.
Last year saw quite a few country music weddings, with Mitchell Tenpenny marrying fellow country artist Meghan Patrick and such stars as Hailey Whitters, Hardy, Brooke Eden and and Parker McCollum among those tying the knot with their significant other. Lauren Alaina got engaged to Cameron Arnold in October of 2022, and based on her recent hunt for a wedding dress as chronicled on social media, she'll likely make next year's list.
It's not a complete list when it comes to celebrities. After all, this is the year in which American astronaut Buzz Aldrin got married on his 93rd birthday. No do we cover every noteworthy engagement, such Noah Cyrus saying "yes" to fashion designer Pinkus. Plus, as our final entry reminds us, even public figures can be private sometimes when it comes to matters of the heart.
Read on for Wide Open Country's roundup of country stars that got married or engaged in 2023.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic Country-rocker Marcus King wed his partner Briley Hussey on Feb. 19 in a ceremony at Nashville's Schermerhorn Symphony Center. "I fell in love, hard!" King told People about the couple's first encounter. "She waltzed up on my bus like she owned it, and I was taken with her sweet southern drawl. She asked to connect to the Bluetooth, blared Linda Ronstadt and Aretha Franklin and we sang and danced till it was time for the bus to leave. I told her the next morning to quit her job and marry me instead." Jason Kempin/Getty Images Singer-songwriter Lily Rose married her longtime girlfriend, retail marketing manager Daira Eamon, in late March. "I'm married. It's wild," Rose told Taste of Country at the CMT Music Awards carpet on Apr. 2. "To finally just be able to call her my wife is, you know, it's the end goal. It's like getting the record deal, after all the years of hard work. She's my wife, and I love her so much." The couple got engaged in October of 2021. Jason Kempin/Getty Images for BMI Georgia native and "Why'd We Break Up Again" singer Dylan Marlowe married Natalie Barber in Nashville on May 19. To commemorate the occasion, Marlowe released "You Were Right (Nat's Song)." "I wrote this song about my girlfriend at the time who I am marrying today," he shared in a press release. "It's funny because a line in the song talks about selling my Jon boat to buy a ring, which luckily I didn't have to sell my boat! (Thanks to Jon Pardi) haha... I'm super excited for this song because I'm dropping it on our wedding day (today) as a surprise for Nat. She loves this song and I think she thinks I'll never put it out, so it'll be a good surprise for her." Rick Kern/Getty Images for Spotify Cole Swindell announced his engagement to Courtney Little, his girlfriend of approximately two years, on May 8. Swindell broke the news with a series of Instagram photos from the moment he got down on one knee. The snaps show Swindell popping the question and then the couple popping some champagne to celebrate. In one photo, Little shares an up close look at her diamond engagement ring while Swindell kisses her on the cheek. In the caption, the singer admits he's not entirely sure what he said in the big moment, but he is undoubtedly happy with her answer. "Still couldn't tell ya everything I said down on one knee.. All I know is she said 'YES!'" he wrote alongside the picture. "We're so excited!" Jason Kempin/Getty Images Travis Denning wed longtime partner Madison Montgomery on May 20 in Lebanon, Tenn. Denning popped the question in New York City in October of 2021 after a little over two years of dating. His new wife is country music royalty. She's the daughter of John Michael Montgomery and the niece of Montgomery Gentry's Eddie Montgomery. Paras Griffin/Getty Images for iHeartRadio Jana Kramer announced in May that she was engaged to former Scottish soccer player and coach Allan Russell. The engagement came after six months of dating. Russell relocated to Franklin, Tenn. after he and Kramer became a couple. They welcomed their first child, a son named Roman James Russell, on Nov. 13. Erika Goldring/Getty Images Ty Herndon said "I do" to fiancé Alex Schwartz on Aug. 26, in Chapmansboro, Tenn. The two hosted the wedding at Owen Farm, mixing "the formality of black and white" with "the casual backdrop of the farm," Herndon told People. "We like to call it country chic and everyone loved having a little bit of both experiences," he told the publication. Herndon and Schwartz became engaged in February 2023 after six months of dating. Michael Kovac/Getty Images Kristin Chenoweth married Josh Bryant in a wedding ceremony in Dallas, Texas on Sept. 2. People shared exclusive details from the event, including about Chenoweth's stunning, pink gown. Chenoweth expanded upon her previous belief that she would never get married, saying she has been a "self-proclaimed bachelorette" her whole life. "I was never going to get married. I even got engaged before and couldn't do it. Until I met Josh," she said. "Then I was like, 'Why would I ever let this guy go?' I'm so blessed." Bryant plays guitar in the country-rock band Backroad Anthem. C Flanigan/FilmMagic/ Instagram/Hank Williams Jr. Seventy-four year-old Country Music Hall of Famer Hank Williams Jr. tied the knot with his fiancée, 43-year-old Brandi, in a small ceremony in Alabama, according to a post on the singer's official Facebook page. "Please congratulate Mr. And Mrs. Hank Williams Jr! Hank and Brandi were married on Sept 9, 2023 at Enon Baptist Church in Banks, Alabama in front of a small group of family and friends," the post read. "A reception followed at Kendall Hall in Troy, Alabama." The post went on to explain that Williams Jr. got engaged to Brandi earlier this year on Mother's Day and that the two have known one another and been friends since 2003. Jason Kempin/Getty Images Firerose met Billy Ray Cyrus 12 years ago on the set of "Hannah Montana," with an assist by Cyrus' dog. The singer-songwriters got engaged in Oct. 2022 and wed this year on Oct. 10. "10/10/23 will always be the beautiful, joyous day that our two souls united as one in holy matrimony," they wrote in a joint Instagram post. "It was the most perfect, ethereal celebration of love we could have ever imagined. "For both of us to hear the preacher say, 'Billy Ray and Firerose Cyrus . . . I now pronounce you husband and wife' that was the sacred moment our new forever began. Long Live Love!," the post concluded. Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for BMLG On Sept. 27, "Creek Will Rise" singer Conner Smith revealed through an Instagram reel that he'd popped the question the prior day to his girlfriend Leah Thompson, and she said "yes." Smith revealed the significance of Sept. 26 to Thompson as well as the sweet story behind her diamond ring. "My girlfriend always wanted her grandma's diamond as her wedding ring," he wrote. "So I asked her to marry me on what would have been her grandmother's 90th birthday." Frazer Harrison/Getty Images/ Noam Galai/Getty Images for WarnerMedia Company A celebrity couple that went public in April, "Yellowstone'" star Hassie Harrison is dating co-star and Grammy-winning country singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham. By the end of the year, both were wearing what appear to be wedding rings, as shown in social media clips and from the couple's appearance at National Finals Rodeo (NFR) functions. Though TMZ reports that the couple wed in October, neither Harrison nor Bingham have confirmed or denied the reports.Marcus King and Briley Hussey (Married)
Lily Rose and Daira Eamon (Married)
Dylan Marlowe and Natalie Barber (Married)
Cole Swindell and Courtney Little (Engaged)
Travis Denning and Madison Montgomery (Married)
Jana Kramer and Allan Russell (Engaged)
Ty Herndon and Alex Schwartz (Married)
Kristin Chenoweth and Josh Bryant (Married)
Hank Williams Jr. and Brandi (Married)
Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose (Married)
Conner Smith and Leah Thompson (Engaged)
Ryan Bingham and Hassie Harrison (Maybe)
