Emily Ann Roberts recently married her high school sweetheart Chris Sasser at Marblegate Farm in Friendsville TN.
The Voice season 9 runner-up from Team Blake Shelton met Chris in her high school Spanish class. The 22 year olds have been dating for five years.
The couple planned a fall wedding
The two were engaged last October on Emily Ann’s 21 birthday, and immediately began planning a fall wedding.
“The fall season has always been a favorite of ours, especially with growing up so close to the Smoky Mountains,” Emily Ann told People magazine. “We always make trips to the mountains to see the gorgeous colors of the leaves before they fall, so when we were picking our wedding date and colors, we knew we wanted to pull inspiration from the beautiful colors of fall in East Tennessee.”
The bride wore a gown designed by Wtoo by Watters and purchased earlier this year from Lillian Ruth Bride in Knoxville, Tennessee.
“I tried on so many dresses that I loved, but the one I picked truly just felt like me,” Emily explained. “I felt like a bride. It’s everything I wanted in one dress — fun, big, sweet and unique. The lace flower detail added a sweet country touch that I love.”
Emily Ann borrowed her older sister’s wedding veil, and clutched a handkerchief from her nana. The wedding party was made up of her sister and the couple’s best friends.
“When we were picking our wedding party, we knew we wanted the people who have been through everything with us and will continue to be there for us through thick and thin,” said Emily Ann.
Emily Ann walked down the aisle to a song she co-wrote
The couple walked down the aisle to “Infinity” a song Emily Ann co-wrote with songwriter Stephanie Chapman.
“The song is really about my relationship with Chris and how forever just didn’t seem like a long enough time to love him,” explained Emily Ann, who recently released her new single “Change My Tune.” “I asked our string quartet to learn it and it turned out absolutely perfect.”
The couple then exchanged rings, with Emily Ann going with a vintage style while Chris chose a wooden wedding band with a guitar string inlay.
“He loved the wood, because he builds furniture and he said the guitar string reminds him of me,” said Emily Ann.
The couple’s first dance
Come reception time, Emily Ann changed into a dress from BHLDN Weddings and designed by By Watters along with shoes from Bella Belle Shoes, heels which contained notes from her bridesmaids on the bottoms.
The couple danced their first dance to “Take the World” by Johnnyswim.
“We drove out to the lake one night and sat in [Sasser’s] truck listening to so many love song options for our first dance and this one touched our hearts from the beginning,” said Emily Ann. “We got out of the truck and practiced our dance in the headlights. It’s a moment we will never forget.”
The COVID-19 pandemic made wedding planning more complicated
“We decided two weeks before to get married outside, which was never the original plan, but we knew it would be the best decision for everyone’s safety,” said Emily Ann.
“There were also many guidelines set in place by our venue we had to abide by, but we’re so thankful to the team at Marblegate and every single vendor we worked with for helping us through the planning…and sometimes re-planning process.”
“A piece of advice we’re taking into our marriage with us is to always talk things out,” Emily said. “We’ve both learned in every other relationship in our lives how important honesty and communication is. We know it is even more important to always be on the same page to make a marriage work.”
For more photos check out People magazine
