Rachel Ward becomes Mrs. Blake Felts

James Monroe Ward, III, and Angelique Boudreaux Ward, of Kingwood, TX, are proud to announce the marriage of their daughter, Rachael Ward, to Blake Edward Felts, son of Bruce and Tami Felts, of Lake Charles, LA.
The happy couple was wed by Pastor John Burris on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, at the Kingwood Country Club.
The bride received both her BA and MA from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX.
She is the granddaughter of Beverly and Bobby Hebert, of Abbeville, LA, as well as Genevieve Boudreaux, of Monroe, LA, and the late Bernard “Ben” Boudreaux, of Abbeville, LA.
The groom received his degree from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA.
He is the grandson of Jim Felts and the late Deborah Felts, of Comanche, TX, as well as Don Seelbach and the late Anna Sellback, of Lufkin, TX.
The bride was escorted by her father. She wore a beautiful cathedral-length gown with a strapless, sweetheart neckline and full, layered tiers of pearl organza. She wore a fingertip-length veil, trimmed with details reflected in the skirt of the gown.
She carried a rounded bouquet of ivory and blush English garden roses, hydrangea, lisianthus, tea roses, seeded eucalyptus and lambs ear. The bouquet was hand-tied and set with her father’s SEC Tennis Championship ring.
The mother of the bride was escorted by her husband, Jim Ward, wearing a lovely latte knee-length lace dress. The mother of the groom was escorted by her husband, Bruce Felts, wearing a beautiful floor-length dress of lavender with a bolero jacket.
Serving as maid of honor was Caroline Ward, sister of the bride, of New York, NY. Bridesmaids included Ashley Perry, sister of the groom, of Lake Charles, LA; Melanie Barrickman, of Kingwood, TX; Ashley Davis and Nikki Vidos, of Abbeville, LA; Morgan Knauth, of Wylie, TX, and Erin Rose, of Houston, TX, all friends of the bride. All wore black, knee-length dresses with asymmetrical necklines and full A-line skirts. They carried bouquets of blush tea roses, anemones, brizilla berry and seeded eucalyptus.
Brandon Downs of Tyler, TX, friend of the groom, stood as best man. Groomsmen included Nolan Arnold of Lufkin, TX, and Dean Seelbach of Hilton Head, SC, cousins of the groom, as well as Zach Moss of Tyler, TX, and Luke Fauss of Lake Charles, LA, friends of the groom. All wore matching black Vera Wang tuxedos with boutonnieres of tea roses, lemon leaf and hypericum berry.
Emma Cunningham, cousin of the bride, of Annapolis, MD, acted as flower girl. She wore a white dress with charcoal gray accents and carried a pomander ball of blush rose petals.
Ushers for the ceremony included Matthew Morris and Matthew Barrickman, friends of the bride and groom.
Music for the ceremony was provided by the string trio, Harmony Strings.

Immediately following the ceremony, a reception was held at the Kingwood Country Club overlooking the golf course greens. Music was provided by the The Doppelganger Band. Food stations offered tastings of a Texas and Cajun fusion. A signature cocktail, inspired by the bride’s maternal grandfather, was offered.
The couple will honeymoon in St. Lucia later this year. Mr. and Mrs. Blake Felts currently reside in Abbeville, LA.