ASHLIE ELIZABETH ATKINSON LEON WILLIAM CHASE
Wedding vows were exchanged by Ashlie Elizabeth Atkinson and Leon William Chase at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at the White Water Tavern. Brad Hoblitzell of Oxford, Ohio, cousin of the groom, officiated.
The bride is the daughter of Mary Elizabeth and Dr. William Edward Atkinson Jr., 22 Old Delmonte Drive. She is the granddaughter of the late Addie and Sanford Varnell of Pine Bluff and the late Mildred and William Atkinson of Fordyce.
Parents of the groom are Nancy Williams of Cincinnati and Sandra DiPaola-Chase and William Chase of Carleton, Mich. He is the grandson of the late Eileen and Emerson “Bud” Williams of Cincinnati and the late Mary and Lloyd Chase of Phoenix.
The ceremony site, the tavern’s stage, was decorated with hundreds of colorful handmade paper flowers. The groom and wedding party entered to a recording of “Rumble” by Link Wray and the bride’s processional was “That’s How Strong My Love Is” by Otis Redding.
The bride walked down the aisle with her father. She wore a sleeveless chiffon gown with a ruched waistline and deep neckline embellished with silver thread and pearls. She carried a bouquet of wildflowers.
Serving as bridesmaids were Leah Capel of Little Rock, sister of the bride; Sarah Jane Chase of New Orleans, sister of the groom; Emma Gordon of Queens, N.Y.; and Jennifer Williams of New York. They wore dresses in the style of their choice in shades of green and blue and carried simple bunches of white daisies.
Groomsmen were Aaron Capel of Spartanburg, S.C., brother of the bride; Neil Magnuson of New York; Steve Chesney of Chicago; and Mike White of Westland, Mich.
A reception at the White Water followed the ceremony with a tented dinner outside and dancing inside. Paper flowers decorated the tent. Guest tables covered in blue and white checked cloths were centered with Mason jars full of wildflowers. Music was by DJ Mike Poe.
The bride has a bachelor’s degree in theater arts from Hendrix College in Conway. She was named the 2014 Outstanding Young Alumna. She is also a graduate of Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater in New York and is an actress.
The groom is a cum laude graduate of Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, with a bachelor’s degree in written communications. He is a lighting technician.
The couple will make their home in Brooklyn after a honeymoon in Agistri, Greece.