On July 11, 2025, Nashville witnessed a love story decades in the making finally reach its most beautiful chapter. Reba McEntire, the Queen of Country, said “I do” to longtime love Rex Linn in an intimate, emotionally charged ceremony at Graystone Quarry in Franklin, Tennessee. Surrounded by limestone cliffs and the glow of lanterns, Reba walked down the aisle to the tune of “Fancy,” stunning in a cream Ralph Lauren gown that shimmered with delicate embroidery. Guests were already misty-eyed, but the real tears began when Blake Shelton whispered something to her that stopped the bride in her tracks: “You’re gaining a man who’s already head-over-heels, worshipping every note you sing.”
The couple, both in their late sixties, shared a history dating back to 1991, but their romance didn’t bloom until they reconnected in 2020. That long friendship formed the foundation of their ceremony—full of warmth, wit, and deep love. Rex, overcome with emotion, teared up the moment Reba came into view. Their vows were a blend of heartfelt promises and playful nods to their careers, with Reba swearing to “love you through every rerun and rodeo,” and Rex grinning as he quoted her 1986 classic: “I’ve been waiting for this since I heard ‘Whoever’s in New England.’”
After being pronounced husband and wife by Carson Daly, the couple’s first kiss lit up the night like fireworks. But what followed next was pure magic: Reba and Rex surprised their guests with a slow, soulful duet of “I Had The Time of My Life,” a favorite from their shared love of Dirty Dancing. As the lyrics soared, guests—including Kristin Chenoweth and Vince Gill—couldn’t hold back tears. The couple swayed gently beneath a pergola of roses, completely lost in the moment, as phones lit up across the venue to capture what one guest called “country music’s most romantic night ever.”
But nothing compared to the reception inside the warmly lit barn, where fairy lights twinkled and the air smelled of cornbread and fresh-cut flowers. Blake Shelton, ever the sentimental showman, pulled Reba aside for a quiet moment. His voice cracked as he told her: “You’re gaining a man who’s already head-over-heels, worshipping every note you sing.” Reba, overwhelmed, hugged him tight, her tears flowing freely. Moments later, Blake and Gwen Stefani took the stage for a surprise duet of “Happy Anywhere,” dedicating the love song to the newlyweds. With Dolly Parton looking on and Kelly Clarkson clapping through her own tears, the room became a choir of sniffles and smiles.
Reba’s wedding was never about extravagance—it was about authenticity. Guests dined on Rex’s favorite comfort foods: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and a vanilla cake crowned with a tiny cowboy hat and microphone. The newlyweds shared their first dance beneath a tunnel of sparklers, laughing and twirling like teenagers. “It felt like a family reunion,” Reba’s sister Susie said. “No pretenses. Just love.”
Blake and Gwen, celebrating their fourth wedding anniversary the same week, felt like the emotional glue of the evening. Their Oklahoma roots, shared pasts with Reba, and raw tenderness during their song helped seal the night as unforgettable. “Blake’s been my cheerleader since his mullet days,” Reba joked in a quiet moment later. But it was his presence—and his whisper—that became the soul of the ceremony. The country community, still healing from recent tragedies, found hope again in this union.
As fireworks soared over the Tennessee hills and the newlyweds slipped away to their Montana honeymoon, Nashville stood still for just a moment. A love story that began as friendship ended in vows, harmonies, and a kiss that reminded the world what country music has always known: love is the melody that makes everything else make sense.
