Rebecca Johnson weds Ryan Latiola in Iota

Rebecca Ann Johnson and Ryan Joseph Latiola, both of Egan, were united in holy matrimony on Saturday, May 10.

The 6 p.m. Nuptial Mass was officiated by Fr. David Broussard at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Iota.

The bride is the daughter of Belinda and Robert Andrus of Suffolk, Virginia, and Larry Johnson of Moss Bluff. Her maternal grandparents are Euna Hollier of Mamou and the late Auley Hollier, and her paternal grandparents are Dallas Johnson of Oakdale and the late Mary Alice Johnson.

Rebecca is a 2005 graduate of Mamou High School and a 2013 graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She is presently employed with Thibodeaux Hebert Deshotels LeBlanc, L.L.C., in Lafayette.

The groom is the son of Darlene and Keith Latiola of Iota. He is the grandson of Lucy LaCasse of Iota and the late Henry “Blanc” LaCasse, and the late Ovela and Anatole “Toy” Latiola.

Ryan graduated from Iota High School in 2005 before attending Morgan Smith Vocational Technical School in Jennings, where he graduated with a degree in electricity in 2006. He is currently employed in Jennings as a lineman with Entergy Corporation.

Guests were greeted with wedding programs by Anna Broussard and Elizabeth Broussard, close friends of the bride and groom.

They were ushered to their seats by Dustin Cormier and Gregg Schneider, friends of the groom.

Music for the ceremony was provided by organist Jimmy Broussard and vocalists Sandra Ritter and Monica LeJeune.

Selected scriptures were read by Alison Trudell, cousin of the groom, and John McCrory, close friend of the couple.

In memory of their late grandparents, the bride and groom had two arrangements of fresh cut flowers placed at the altar of the church.

Given in marriage by her father, Larry Johnson, the bride was beautiful in a breathtaking strapless ballgown of ivory satin. The fitted bodice featured an elegant straight across neckline, and heavy beading defined the gown at its waistline. The back of the dress was finished with satin-covered buttons that ran the length of the chapel train.

Rebecca paired her dress with a waist length veil trimmed in heavy beading that matched her dress, affixing it with a jewelled comb.

She carried a clutch bouquet of light pink, ivory and peach roses interspersed with hydrangeas and baby’s breath. Entwined among the flowers was her late paternal grandmother’s rosary.

To ensure luck in her marriage, the bride incorporated all of the traditional items into her wedding. Her late maternal grandfather’s handkerchief and her late paternal grandmother’s rosary were “something old,” and her wedding dress and jewelry were “something new.” The champagne glasses used in the toast were “something borrowed,” while her shoes were “something blue.
Additionally, her father placed a penny from the year of her birth into her shoe for a long and happy life.

The bride’s two sisters, Alyson Madere and Jesselyn Green, served as matron and maid of honor, respectively. Katie Latiola, sister of the groom; Katelyn Deshotels, niece of the bride; Meagan Bourgeois, friend of the bride; and Barbara Benoit, friend of the couple served as bridesmaids.

They wore strapless knee-length dresses of coral-colored crackle chiffon. The bodices featured criss cross ruching forming sweetheart necklines and gentle pleating at the waistlines, allowing the fronts of the skirts to gently cascade.

The attendants carried bouquets of fresh miniature roses in ivory, light pink and coral mingled with hydrangeas and baby’s breath and hand-tied with gray satin ribbon.

Emersyn Latiola, godchild of the groom; Taylore Madere, godchild of the bride; and Kylie Madere, niece of the bride, served as flower girls.

The girls were lovely in floor length ivory satin dresses with sheer overlays and coral ribbons at the waists. They carried pink hydrangea pom pom bouquets tied with ivory ribbon.

On the way into the church, Emersyn carried a sign announcing to the groom that his bride was on the way. During the recessional, Kylie carried a sign declaring that they were forever happily united.

To serve as best man, the groom selected his best friend, Anthony Fontenot. Standing as groomsmen were Brent Pousson and Kody Istre, cousins of the groom; Aaron Johnson, brother of the bride; Leonard Cloud Jr., childhood friend of the groom; and Lance Benoit, friend of the couple.

The groom was handsome in a dark gray tuxedo with an ivory tie, and the groomsmen were similarly attired with coral ties. 

Ring bearers were Lance Beasley and Christian Beasley, cousins of the groom. Christian bore a Bible belonging to the groom’s late paternal grandmother.

For Rebecca’s wedding, her mother, the former Belinda Hollier, chose a sleeveless dark gray tiered sheath dress. The neckline was embellished with pearl and silver beading, and the look was completed by a dark coral pashmina shawl.

The mother of the groom, the former Darlene LaCasse, selected a gold shantung silk sheath dress featuring a pleated skirt, foldover V-neckline and cap sleeves.

They both wore wristlets of fresh coral roses and baby’s breath finished with coral ribbon.

The father and stepfather of the bride, along with the father of the groom, wore sophisticated black tuxedos with matching black ties.

Following the nuptial ceremony, the newlywed couple was fêted with a reception held at the International Rice Festival Building in Crowley.

The building’s foyer had been transformed into a virtual garden, filled with a variety of plants. A ceramic garden tile monogrammed with the couple’s last name was placed on an easel in the center.

A memory table bearing photographs of the newlywed couple’s late grandparents stood in a corner, while a distressed wooden dresser adorned with a cross bore the guest registry. The dresser also bore a second monogrammed ceramic tile surrounded by garden plants.

A canvas portrait of the bride stood atop an easel next to an old door from which photographs of the bride and groom as children had been hung with twine. An old window was used to display photographs of the bride and groom during their courtship.

The guest tables were covered in ivory cloths and topped with arrangements of fresh cut ivory roses, pink roses, hydrangeas and baby’s breath. The tables glowed with tealight candles in Mason jars wrapped with burlap and lace.

The bride’s four-tiered ivory cake featured both round and square tiers, and its layers included butter pecan praline, red velvet, lemon and strawberry. Served atop a sterling silver cake tableau surrounded by flickering tealight candles, the cake was decorated with pearl drops and a script initial “L” on the middle tier. It was topped with an assortment of fresh flowers and served by the bride’s godmother, Lola Fontenot.

The cake was displayed against a backdrop of white sheers and old French patio doors surrounded by ferns.

The groom’s cake was a square two-tiered double fudge chocolate confection decorated with Reese’s peanut butter cups and edible shotgun shells to reflect the groom’s love of chocolate and hunting. It was displayed before a cypress backdrop on a table decorated in camouflage and hunting gear, along with the groom’s Entergy work shirt and hard hat. The table also bore photographs of Bre, the couple’s dog, and of the bride dressed in camo gear along with her wedding dress. The cake was served by the groom’s godmother, Sharon L. Pousson.

Guests at the wedding registered from Arkansas, Georgia, Virginia, Texas and numerous points throughout Louisiana.

On the Thursday evening prior to the wedding, the groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at the Iota home of the groom’s godfather, Hal Pousson, and his wife, Charlotte. The guests were served stuffed chicken breasts, crawfish fettuccine, green beans and rolls, with strawberry/banana cream cake for dessert.

Following a honeymoon trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, the couple will reside in Egan.