Zach Bryan’s New Wife Honored His Late Mom With Her Wedding Dress

Zach Bryan tied the knot with Samantha Leonard last week, in a private San Sebastián ceremony on New Year’s Eve. After a whirlwind romance, the couple was married in the enchanting Basílica de Santa María del Coro.

Though the Spanish setting was worlds away from the Oklahoma landscape where the country singer-songwriter was raised, there was one important touch of home in the proceedings. According to Bryan, Leonard’s dress incorporated a piece of lace from the dress his late mother wore during her wedding. (Bryan’s mother, Annette DeAnn Bryan, died in 2016, when the singer was just 20 years old. He named his first album, DeAnn, after her.)

The white dress, designed by Cavanagh Baker and handmade in her New York City atelier, is a veritable riot of lace. On their website, the brand noted that more than 30 yards of French Chantilly lace went into the construction, and the 600 buttons adorning it are also covered in lace. It was topped off by long sleeves and a softly structured bodice.

On his Instagram account, Zach Bryan explained the heirloom addition along with a photo of Leonard getting reading. “Samantha went out of her way to put the lace from my mom's wedding dress on her dress, and I cried for a long time,” he wrote. “It meant so much, honey, thank you.” A small gesture, which the artist wanted to celebrate by also posting a photo of his mother on her wedding day. He added, “I wish you were here right now.” Leonard’s simple yet loving tribute transformed the already special dress into something more meaningful.

After a slew of snapshots from the wedding—including a video of him performing during the reception—Bryan shared the album art from his upcoming release With Heaven on Top, which is due out on Friday. "See you guys then,” he said. “Hope you don’t hate it.”

Originally published in Vanity Fair Italy.