Lainey Wilson did not wear a typical bridal gown when she married Devlin “Duck” Hodges in May 2026. She wore a custom Oscar de la Renta look that was built to reflect a singer who almost never wears dresses, and she called the moment one of the most special chapters of her life.
The wedding took place Sunday, May 10, at the Ruskin Cave in Dickson, Tennessee, after the couple picked the site from a billboard they saw while driving Tennessee backroads. Wilson said Hodges asked if she wanted to get married there and she answered, “Done deal,” a decision that turned into a ceremony at the foot of a waterfall with family and friends gathered close.
Wilson and Hodges first met on a blind date in 2021 and were engaged in February 2025 at George Jones’s estate in Franklin, Tennessee. That proposal, Wilson said, was set up with rose petals and photos from their years together, and she added that he knew it would mean a lot to her to do it at George’s front porch. By the time they reached their wedding day, the relationship had already stretched across four years and become, in her words, nearly inseparable.
The couple wanted the day to feel warm rather than formal. Wilson said they aimed for something special and beautiful, but also welcoming and comfortable for guests, and that they tried not to take themselves too seriously. That approach shaped everything from the setting to the music to the food. She brought Cajun flair to the event with a 12-piece jazz band called Rebirth and a Cajun meal from the chefs at her bar, Bell Bottoms Up.
The most personal choice was the dress. Wilson worked with stylist Alexandra Mandelkorn and the Oscar de la Renta team on a custom look, and the design featured tiny Japanese cherry blossoms around the neckline and scattered throughout. Wilson said the cherry blossom represents living in the moment, which matched the mood of the day. For an artist known for denim bell bottoms and a wardrobe that rarely includes dresses, the custom piece gave her something she said she would not soon forget.
Hugh Howser and Kate Steele of H Three Events were brought in to help execute the wedding vision. On the day itself, Wilson arrived in a white horse-drawn carriage, walked down the aisle with her Deddy, and joined Hodges at the altar while Wes Williams officiated. The ceremony included communion in front of family and friends, and after it ended, Raye’s “Where Is My Husband!” played as the celebration continued.
Hodges matched the setting with his own custom details. He wore a bespoke suit by D. Lacquaniti, along with a custom bolo, cufflinks and hat pin made with Mud Lowery, plus custom boots from Golden West Boots and a cowboy hat by Charlie 1 Horse. Wilson said she had never seen him smile as big as he did then, and that the day left her giddy about turning the page into marriage. The clean answer to the question her look raised is simple: yes, the Lainey Wilson Acm Awards Dress search may bring people in, but what they find is a bride who made the whole wedding reflect exactly who she is.
