After ending her marriage of 26 years, country singer Reba McEntire has found happiness again. The singer attended her son’s wedding with her new boyfriend. She also shared a special mother-son dance with fans gushing over this significant moment.
Country sensation Reba McEntire and producer Narvel Blackstock ended their marriage after 26 years. The former couple shares a son Shelby Blackstock.
The reasons behind the separation are unknown, but the country singer admitted that it was not her idea to divorce.
McEntire said she would never want to end her marriage, but she did not want to be the reason behind her husband’s misery.
The singer said her faith, friends, and family had helped her through this tough time. However, her son’s engagement also brought reason to let go of the drama and busk in the joy and excitement of the wedding.
Shelby Blackstock, a former race car driver, proposed to his long-time girlfriend Marissa Branch in front of Spaceship Earth at Disney’s Epcot theme park in January 2021. This is a special place for the couple because it is where Shelby said “I love you” for the first time.
Shelby Blackstock and Marissa Branch’s Fairytale Wedding
Social media influencer, licensed esthetician Branch and her fiance Shelby tied the knot at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
The wedding was all sorts of magical, with fireworks and the architecture of Walt Disney as the background of their vow ceremony. It was an actual Cinderella moment.
But it was fitting because the couple also considered their love story to be magical. Branch and Shelby met on Tinder but stayed friends for a while before they started dating.
Their friends thought they made a good match, but the couple did not see it yet, said Branch. However, once they matured, it became evident that they shared something special and even referred to their story as “Tinderella.”
Branch also admitted that had they dated before taking the time to grow and understand the essence of a true partnership, they would not have appreciated each other enough.
When Branch and Shelby turned their “Tinderella” story into a lifetime commitment, they were surrounded by family and friends, including McEntire’s new boyfriend Rex Inn and Shelby’s half-brother Brandon.
Walt Disney’s location was unique to Branch and her family and held deep memories. The influencer said,
“My mom worked there when she was younger, managing the Small World ride. It was my Nana’s favorite. She passed away in 2006 at the age of 57, while I was in middle school. She was my rock, and her passing affected me deeply.”
The wedding ceremony was filled with tributes to Branch’s grandmother. The bride had her flower girls walk to the song “It’s a Small World,” which made her mother very emotional. Branch was certain that her Nana was there holding her hand through this milestone in her life.
The bride wanted to feel like a princess on her wedding day; she said she was most excited to walk down the aisle to the “Beauty and the Beast” song “Tale as Old as Time.”
The influencer felt that the song embodied the fairytale moment of walking to the altar and finding her soon-to-be husband waiting for her.
The Cinderella wedding was magical, but Shelby admitted that the drama surrounding this day’s planning could be turned into a sitcom.
However, what remains essential is the love that the family shares. Branch wished her mother-in-law a happy birthday and described her as “kind, beautiful, strong, brilliant, supportive, and genuinely fabulous.”
McEntire and Branch had a strong connection even before she became her son’s wife, which puts both Branch and her husband at ease about their new life.
The Special Mother-Son Moment at McEntire’s Son’s Wedding
Having a mother who is also a hit-making singer means that wedding guests get to have a surprise performance. The queen of the country took the cinderella wedding up a notch when she performed her hit “Fancy.”
Another memorable moment followed at the reception when McEntire and her son danced to another one of her hits, “You’re Gonna Be (Always Loved by Me)” from 2005
The song was special because it is about a mother that has unconditional love for her child regardless of the challenges that come with life. It includes this verse;
You’re gonna fly with every dream you chase
We just have to believe things work out like they should
Life has no guarantees, but always loved by me
You’re gonna be, always loved by me”
The special moment between the singer and her son was captured by a wedding guest and musical Zach McCabe, and it had fans’ hearts exploding. Later on, McEntire gave a solo performance of the song.