Country Singer Marries 'Best Friend' in Kentucky Ceremony
Dillon Carmichael is a married man! Nearly five years after first meeting the woman of his dreams, the country singer married his longtime girlfriend Shayla Whitson in a romantic ceremony in his home state of Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 1, the couple celebrating their nuptials on social media, where Carmichael revealed, "this weekend I got to marry my best friend, and I feel like the luckiest man in the world."
On the respective accounts, Carmichael and Whitson gave fans a glimpse into their big day via images they also shared with PEOPLE. With the country musician writing, "I love you forever Mrs. Carmichael AKA 'Dimples' Carmichael," his bride also marked the special occasion on her account, writing alongside a gallery of images, "October 1, 2022 will always go down as the best day of our lives." Whitson went on to thank "everyone who made it possible," adding, "I'm so excited to be Mrs. Carmichael and grow old together with the love of my life."
The couple tied the knot at the Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky in a ceremony officiated by Carmichael's longtime friend Phil O'Donnel, they told PEOPLE, with Whitson walking down the aisle a stunning Modern Trousseau dress, with Carmichael wearing a tux courtesy of designer Aaron McGill. They both donned Lucchese boots during both the ceremony and the reception, and they also paid homage to family, with Whitson in possession of her late grandpa's turquoise bolo tie and Carmichael wearing the matching belt buckle.
The Oct. 1 nuptials came five years after the newlyweds first met at the Austin City Saloon, where Carmichael performed back in December 2021. According to Carmichael, as soon as he saw Whitson, he knew she was the one, and they "just got along so well from day one. We were best friends first. My being on the road kept us from forming a romantic relationship in the beginning, but then we started dating during a stint of my being off the road. We just kept it going after that!' The couple became engaged in February 2021, with Carmichael dropping to one knee during a photoshoot that was meant to celebrate their two-year anniversary of dating.
Now married, and having returned to the Austin City Saloon to celebrate their nuptials with family and friends, Carmichael and Whitson are looking forward to a life together. Carmichael told PEOPLE, "I am excited to own a house with her and spend my time making it a home. She is excited to have the same last name and get to do life together as one," with Whitson sharing, "We put God first in our relationship and be sure to FaceTime every night when Dillon is on the road." The couple is set to enjoy a week-long honeymoon in Costa Rica.