NEW ORLEANS — Here comes the bride! And here comes 34 of her bridesmaids.
Casme Carter is the bride whose wedding photos are getting thousands of views across the United States. She says she didn’t intend to have that many people in her wedding party at first, but when you’re from New Orleans it’s hard not to do it big.
“I went from my New Orleans girls, of course right off the bat. My sisters, I have six sisters,” Carter said.
Carter comes from a large New Orleans family. On top of that, her singing career took her to Nashville and later to Atlanta, so she’s made connections with people from all over.
“Before you know it, it had been 50 women that I reached out to,” Carter said.
At one point, Casme’s husband Gary Carter asked her to cut down the list bridesmaids. But after careful planning, she fit nearly three dozen into the ceremony and a total 150 guests into their budget. The result: a beautiful sunrise ceremony in Destin, Fla. on June 2.
Gary found himself with about a third as many groomsmen, just 12. It was just as difficult to whittle down his list. He also has a large network of friends through his construction business and a big family that includes a brother and son who are both elected officials.
“There were plenty of nights that I was by myself and I was like ‘Lord, please send me a husband please,” Casme said.
Casme met Gary at a charity event and later attended his church. After three years, Gary proposed and Casme planned her dream wedding.
“So what better place than to be in front of heaven and the earth giving our vows and committing to each other?” she said.
The wedding party wasn’t record-setting, but it wasn’t about being the biggest.
"The people we're around, they love us back. And so this has truly been a blessing because the love we have put out,” Casme said.
“When you live a life of giving then there comes a time that you receive," Gary added.
And just in case you're wondering, the Guinness World Record for the highest number of bridesmaid is 168. It was set in 2015 by a woman in Florida.