Boy Named Banjo’s Ford Garrard Is Married! Inside the Elegant Wedding and Jazzy Afterparty (Exclusive)

Ford Garrard married Taylor Davis!

Bassist Boy Named Banjo exchanged vows with his longtime girlfriend in front of their family and friends after a weekend-long special celebration that included an elegant and traditional ceremony with a fun afterparty in Nashville, Tennessee.

The couple tells PEOPLE that their wedding kicked off with an epic welcome party at a rooftop bar called LA Jackson, where they welcomed family and friends from the city and beyond before their wedding day.

Taylor Davis and her bridal party.

Photo by Leah Margulies

After everyone got to know each other, the wedding party spent the next day preparing for the ceremony at St. George’s Episcopal Church, which was filled with white and green hydrangeas and several varieties of roses and sprinkles.

The bride wore an elegant strapless A-line gown designed by Lela Rose and incorporated some family traditions into the elegant ceremony, including wearing her great-great-grandmother’s brooch on her bouquet. She also walked down the aisle to the classic “Trumpet Voluntary” by Jeremiah Clarke.

Ford Garrard and Taylor Davis on their wedding day.

Photo by Leah Margulies

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The ceremony was conducted by the Rev. J. Malone Gilliam with the church. While the couple kept the traditional outlines of their wedding, reciting their traditional vows in front of their families and friends, they also chose to exchange vows privately during a first look ahead of the ceremony.

The couple was also serenaded by Garrard’s cousin, Eleanor Garrard, who is an opera singer.

Ford Garrard and Taylor Davis pose with their groomsmen.

Photo by Leah Margulies

While the ceremony was held in “classic black tie” style, the after party at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was a different story. The couple tells PEOPLE they wanted to make sure their guests had a good time. “We are both entertainers; we’re just excited for everyone to have a good time,” shares Garrard.

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The afterparty was a pleasant cocktail hour inspired by lounge jazz that was held in a special area. The venue was draped in merlot velvet with hundreds of candles flickering around and 40 sparkling crystal chandeliers hanging over the golden marble dance floor.

The key theme of the evening was music as a jazz trio performed throughout the night.

Ford Garrard and Taylor Davis hit the dance floor during their stunning wedding.

Photo by Leah Margulies

“I wanted it to feel like it represented both of us equally, not just ‘the wedding of brides,’ which is why we got together in a jazz lounge and chose classic palettes,” Davis tells PEOPLE.

The couple took to the floor for their first dance to “Heart in Motion,” written by Garrard’s band Boy Named Banjo, and played live by his band members. The groom tells PEOPLE that the song has great significance in their relationship.

Ford Garrard and Taylor Davis share a kiss during their wedding.

Photo by Leah Margulies

“It’s a song the band put out a few years ago, and the lyrics have something to do with Texas. Taylor and I were in a long-distance relationship for a while when she was back in Texas and I was in Nashville, so it definitely always felt like our song,” says Garrard.

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Garrard and Davis tell PEOPLE they were smitten from the start. The pair first met in the same music business class at Belmont University in Nashville, before bumping into each other again at The 5 Spot bar in East Nashville, where they chatted and flew sparks.

Photo by Leah Margulies

Musician The Boy Named Banjo eventually popped the question on Davis’ birthday on February 10, 2023. The couple went for a walk with their dog, Wallace, on Garrard’s family farm and came across a gazebo, where the bassist proposed. The couple told PEOPLE that Davis “just grabbed the ring box from Garrard and that was it, easy.”

The couple said after being together for so many years through all the ups and downs, they felt it was the right time to settle down. “I feel like our lives have become so intertwined and we’re just one life at this point,” Garrard tells PEOPLE.

Ford Garrard and Taylor Davis on their wedding day.

Photo by Leah Margulies

He adds: “Marriage is just a way to seal the deal. I knew for a long time that we would be together forever. It’s the least scary thing I’ve ever done.”

The couple will next prepare to spend their honeymoon in Italy where they hoped for “unlimited access to pasta and wine”. Davis says the trip is exciting because “we rarely get to travel on our schedule.”

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