ERNEST Delivers A Touching First Dance Performance At Jamey Johnson’s Wedding
ERNEST performs at Jamey Johnson's wedding (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for ACM, Instagram/ernest )
Jamey Johnson Marries Longtime Love Brittney Eakins
Country singer Jamey Johnson tied the knot to Brittney Eakins in an intimate ceremony surrounded by family and friends on Tuesday, May 20 at Graystone Quarry in Franklin, Tennessee. Country singers Jerrod Niemann and Lee Brice served as groomsmen.
According to People, Randy Travis, Oliver Anthony, Zac Brown, Ella Langley, Randy Houser, Kid Rock, and Lukas Nelson were in attendance. The wedding was scheduled for a Tuesday to ensure that Johnson, along with his country music friends would be able to attend despite their touring schedules.
They exchanged vows in a private ceremony in front of their family and closest friends before doing a larger ceremony for all 350-guests. That ceremony was officiated by Randy Houser. Actor and singer John Schneider shared a few photos from the soiree.
See more details about the wedding, and photos, here.
Jamey and Brittney’s Love Story
The pair met in January 2019 at Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves’ inauguration. Jamey was invited as a guest of Reeves, and Brittney was in attendance because she was a law clerk for Justice David Ishee at the State Supreme Court.
“I proposed the next day out in front of Walker’s Restaurant,” Johnson told People.
Brittney chimed in, “I said no. I think I said, ‘How about we go on a date first? Let’s see how it goes from there.’ He looked at me so disappointed. He said, ‘How about we skip the dating? Let’s go ahead and get married and have some kids, and we’ll talk about a date after that.’ The worst part is, he said it in a way that I couldn’t tell if he was kidding or not. He didn’t laugh. He looked at me and said, ‘You have no idea how long I have been looking for you.'”
They navigated a long distance relationship the next few years, until Brittney moved to his city towards the end of 2023. On March 1, 2023, Jamey officially proposed with a “two-carat solitaire round radiant cut diamond on a gold band.”
After the engagement, they turned the diamond into a pendant, which she wore for the wedding. They also designed a new, custom ring together.
Eakins explained that the proposal took place just across the street from where they first met.
She told People, “I had left for lunch and came back to work. When I walked through the sliding glass doors, I saw him standing in the lobby, staring up at something on the wall. It took me a second to process that he was there. He asked me to take a walk with him, so I did. I don’t remember our conversation, but I remember we were right across the street from where we met. He got down on one knee and proposed. I said yes this time!
Their First Dance Was Incredibly Romantic
One of the first things that newly married couples do after saying, “I do,” is have the first dance. Plenty of country love songs are perfect for first dances, but Johnson always knew which song he’d like to dance to with his new bride, Chris LeDoux’s “Look At You Girl.”
Not only did Jamey want to dance to this iconic love song, he wanted to find the right person to sing it for him and Brittney, who have been engaged since March 2023.
Jamey Asked ERNEST To Sing His First Dance Song
Jamey’s first choice to sing “Look At Your Girl” was ERNEST, who he just recently did a pop up show with at Loser’s Bar in Nashville!
ERNEST shared a screenshot of a text thread with Jamey asking him to perform “Look At You Girl” for his first dance with Brittney. ERNEST told his buddy that he would try to see how comfortable he could get with the song before giving him an answer, as he did not was to “f*** up” Jamey’s first dance.
“It’s a tradition with me,” Jamey replied. “I’ve sang that song at so many weddings. You’re the only one I know that would appreciate the tradition and do it the justice it deserves.”
ERNEST shared a clip of himself singing the iconic song at the wedding on his Instagram alongside the caption, “I have played some nerve racking moments. But singing the first dance song for @jameyjohnsonofficial takes the (wedding) cake.”
The new Mr. and Mrs. Johnson danced back and forth on the white dance floor with a spotlight on them with ERNEST singing the lyrics,
“Just look at you, girlStandin’ here beside meStarlight on your hairLookin’ like a dream.”
A sweet moment occurred when the lyrics, “But it’s written all across your face plain as it can be. You’re all that I was lookin’ for, now you’re all that I can see.” The newly married couple began to just stare into each other’s eyes.
It’s clear why Jamey asked only ERNEST to perform this song. His voice is incredible on this song, performing with just an acoustic guitar.
Watch the moment below.
