There was a bluegrass wedding in Illinois over the weekend, as Emily Bankester married Mo Pitney. The happy couple, surely both among the finest young vocalists of their generation, tied the knot at the Bankesters home church, Hope Church, in Carbondale.
You can tell it was a bluegrass wedding, as both the groom and the Father of the Bride wore a tuxedo jacket over blue jeans, and Mo and Emily were accompanied in the recessional procession by their trusty dog.
Emily plays fiddle with her family’s group, The Bankesters, and stands out as a premier singer in a trio of strong female voices. Mo is a rising star in the country music world, but cut his teeth playing and singing bluegrass, which he stills does from time to time.
They even met bluegrass cute, running into each other at festivals when they were teens, with Emily keeping the young crooner at arm’s length for several years before they started to date about two years ago.
Hope Church pastor Josh Schatzle and Mo’s grandfather Buddy Brown presided over the ceremony, with music provided by Mark Stoffel (of Chris Jones and the Night Drivers) and friend Kelly Sims. Additional music featured Mo’s siblings Holly and Blake, and Emily’s sisters Melissa Triplett and Alysha Bankester.
A very special moment for everyone was when Mo sang a song, You Touched Me, he wrote especially for his bride.
The newlyweds are honeymooning in Colorado before they return to their new home near Nashville.
Congratulations to Emily and Mo, and the whole Bankester and Pitney families!
