Thibodeaux, Mitchell exchange vows

Miss Rhea Kathryn Thibodeaux and Mr. Adam Ryan Mitchell were united in holy matrimony on Friday, April 20, at an evening ceremony at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Crowley.
It was the scene of the bride’s own christening as an infant, and it was the church where both her parents and her paternal grandparents made their wedding vows. Fr. Clint Trahan officiated at the ceremony.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Burton Thibodeaux of Spring, Texas. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Dorothy Thibodeaux, who was there to share their joy, and the late Mr. Alec Thibodeaux. Her maternal grandparents were the late Dr. Lawrence Erbe and Janet Pearlstein Erbe.
The groom is the son of Ms. Elizabeth Mitchell of Morgan City and Mr. Gary Mitchell of Dexter, Missouri. Adam is the grandson of the late Patsy Mae and Evans Arthur Hebert Jr. and Sharon Kay Mitchell. Adam’s paternal grandfather, James Mitchell of Michigan, was unable to attend the festivities.
Rhea was escorted down the aisle by her father as “Trumpet Voluntary” announced her presence. Wearing an elegant ivory dress featuring a stunning open cowl back with a cathedral length train finished with satin buttons down the entire back length of the dress, the bride was radiant. Framing her face, the bride’s veil echoed the cathedral length of her dress and was accented in delicately appliqued lace edging.
The bride carried a whimsical bouquet of roses, tulips and ranunculus in shades of red and pink. The bouquet was crafted to include a rosary as her something blue. A piece of her mother’s jewelry served as her something borrowed. The bride’s father provided the something old by selecting a sixpence for his daughter’s shoe.
The bride’s maid of honor was her sister, Miss Tori Thibodeaux. Her bridesmaids were her close friends Alexis Guidry, Katheryn Kalinowski, Anna Laughlin and Michelle Dourrieu; her cousin Katie Merkord; and sisters of the groom Kimberly Aucoin and Morgan Mitchell. The bridal attendants wore floor length gowns in a morning mist shade in various styles. Complementing their dresses, the bridal attendants carried bouquets similar to the bride’s.
Following the bridesmaids were the flower girl and ring bearer, the groom’s niece and nephew, Kinsley and Landon Aucoin.
Waiting for her at the altar, flanked by his best man and longtime friend Steve Rowe, Adam wore a black tie and tux. Standing as his groomsmen were Mauricio Tabora, Mat Moore, Brady Acosta, Ethan Hardy, Larry Aucoin and Jacob LeCoq. The men wore boutonnieres featuring ranunculus accented with sprigs of rice gathered from the family’s rice fields.
Ushers greeting the wedding guests were Andrew Erbe, Charles Primeaux, Bob Moore and Sammy Hebert, all uncles of the bride and groom, respectively.
For her daughter’s wedding, the bride’s mother wore a floor length black dress with an off-the-shoulder ivory ruffle. Her corsage fashioned of ranunculus and greenery added a splash of color.
The mother of the groom chose a knee-length beaded black dress with flutter sleeves and wore a similar corsage.
Musical selections for the ceremony were provided by Will Green, Linda Kidd and Andrea Mouton.
The gifts were brought to the altar by Mrs. Connie Falcon and Mrs. Vanessa Primeaux, aunts of the bride.
Scripture readers during the ceremony were Mrs. Priscilla Rue, the bride’s godmother and aunt, and Mrs. Susie Moore, aunt of the groom.
Following the ceremony, family and friends assembled outside the church to form a Cajun “Second Line” as a celebration of the new couple’s shared heritage. The musicians, Karlon Thibodeaux, Andre Thibodeaux and Wade Falcon, all family of the bride, led the guests as they danced and marched their way to the reception at the Grand Opera House, a short distance from the church. The venue was decorated to enhance its already elegant atmosphere with fresh flowers, lanterns and votives.
Music at the reception was provided by Louisiana Red.
The bride’s cake, a three-tier confection of traditional white almond cake with layers of amaretto raspberry, lemon and Bavarian cream, was decorated simply with fresh flowers. After the new Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell cut the first piece of cake, Mrs. Linda Cormier assumed the courtesy of serving the cake.
The groom’s cake, an outline of the distinctive shapes of the bride and groom’s birth states, Texas and Louisiana, was symbolic of a shared past and promised future: the groom, born in Louisiana, now embracing a new life in Texas with his bride, and the bride, born in Texas but with deep Louisiana roots anchoring her to generations of tradition and heritage.
The bride and groom celebrated with an extended circle of family and friends, some of whom traveled from as far as New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, California, Virginia and Florida, as well as a large contingent of guests from Texas and Louisiana.
The bride and groom are both graduates of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
The bride graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and works as an ICU nurse in The Woodlands, Texas. The groom received a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and is employed at CPaT Global in Spring.
Upon their return from their honeymoon in Ireland, the couple will make their home in The Woodlands, Texas.