Kristin Chenoweth Marries Backroad Anthem’s Josh Bryant
Kristin Chenoweth is officially a married woman. The actor and singer tied the knot with Josh Bryant, a guitarist and founding member of country-rock group Backroad Anthem, on Saturday (Sept. 2.)
"I have been a self-proclaimed bachelorette my whole life. I was never going to get married. I even got engaged before and couldn't do it. Until I met Josh," Chenoweth explains to People, who shared the details of her wedding ceremony. "Then I was like, 'Why would I ever let this guy go?' I'm so blessed."
Chenoweth and Bryant's Dallas, Texas wedding combined traditional elements and personal touches: The ceremony even paid homage to the bride's favorite color with a pink theme that extended to the couple's outfits. Chenoweth steered clear of a traditional white dress, opting instead for a sheer nude Pamella Roland gown with a pink overlay and a bow on the back. Bryant matched his bride with a gray suit and a soft pink flower in the lapel pocket.
The couple said their vows in front of about 140 guests, including their dog Thunder, who served as the ringbearer for the ceremony and walked out to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck." Throughout the wedding, the music choices reflected Chenoweth and Bryant's values and personalities: Their Christian faith was represented in a performance of "The Prayer" by Marissa Rosen, Crystal Monee Hall, Nikki Kimbrough and Melinda Doolittle, and during the reception, the pair led a jam session with their musical friends. Katharine McPhee, David Foster and Chely Wright were a few of the stars in attendance.
Ty Herndon was another guest at the ceremony, and he, Toby Freeman and Mary-Mitchell Campbell performed a rendition of "Can't Help Falling in Love" for the couple's first dance.
The food at the wedding also reflected a blend between tradition and personality. The couple cut into a decadent, five-tier Mexican vanilla bean wedding cake, and attendees enjoyed sweet delicacies like chocolate salami and Belgian chocolate bon bons. But simpler tastes were also well-represented: Dunkin Donuts and 7-11 Slurpees were provided as late-night snacks, and the guest goodie bags included Doritos.
Chenoweth and Bryant dated for three years before getting engaged in October 2021. They met back in 2016, when Backroad Anthem was hired to perform at Chenoweth's niece's wedding. Two years later, Bryant was once again a performer at a family wedding, and he and Chenoweth had become friends.
"Josh asked me where I was going to be playing next, and it was North Carolina," Chenoweth recounted to People. "I said, 'I'm busy, I don't have time, da da da. And he shows up to the concert and that was it for me.
"I guess it was the right time," she continued. "God knew what he was doing with that. Josh is 14 years younger than me, and I thought that was ridiculous. I'm never going to do that in my life, ever. But he's made me feel very confident and beautiful and loved at any age."
"When we first met, I knew there was something special. I always go back to that," Bryant added. "When you just have that feeling when you first see somebody."
Though Chenoweth is best known for her portrayal of Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked, she and Bryant share a passion for the country genre. Chenoweth has been treating fans to her spin on country music for years, and in 2019, her For the Girls album covered songs by some of the genre's female legends, and included duets with Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton.