Jefra Bland and her boyfriend Jared Hines exchanged vows only a few short days after Survivor: Cagayan -- Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty's live reunion taped on May 21.
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"I had some butterflies, but once I got to the church, we did a first look where Jared and I could be together and have a quiet moment alone. It was very emotional. At that moment, I knew that everything was going to be perfect. And it was."
Bland, a 23-year-old former Miss Kentucky Teen USA, reportedly tied the knot with Hines in a chapel at Campbellsville University in Kentucky in front of 275 guests.
"I wasn't a bridezilla. I was pretty easy to please. All that mattered to me was that I was getting married," Bland said.
Bland, who was the eleventh castaway voted out of Survivor's most recent edition, explained her nuptials were very sweet and feminine. The wedding reportedly featured seven bridesmaids, who wore light pink, and seven groomsmen, who sported gray suits.
"Everything was so airy and dainty," said Bland, who carried a bouquet of white flowers down the aisle. "That's the opposite of what I normally do, but I really wanted it to be light and pretty."
The bride wore an off-the-rack strapless gown from Oleg Cassini complete with lace and a sweetheart neckline, according to the magazine.
"People always said you'd know when you found the right dress," Bland explained. "I had tried on gowns all day, literally 25 dresses, and this was the last one I put on, and I fell in love with it. It's simple and timeless."
Bland's hometown is Campbellsville, KY and she's known as a country girl, yet she told People she still didn't want her wedding to be a country theme. Once everyone left the chapel, the couple and guests reportedly celebrated on the grounds of her aunt's farm and ate spinach stuffed pork, Hawaiian chicken, garlic mashed potatoes and string beans for dinner.
"I wanted it to be outdoors. Just laid back and casual," she noted, adding that the ceremony concluded with a fireworks display and the release of Chinese lanterns.
Besides having the perfect gown, Bland explained she was very particular about wanting her photographer to capture every moment.
"That was the one thing that I went overbudget to do," Bland said of hiring Malicote Photography. "Even if I'm losing my memory when I'm 80 years old, at least I'll be able to look at pictures of my wedding to remember it."
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
