At a lovely afternoon wedding on October 20, 2012, at Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, Ga., Jessica Louise Wilbanks, daughter of Ms. Jo Slade Wilbanks of Macon and the late Mr. Thomas Warren Wilbanks of Statesboro, became the bride of Nicholas Lewis Bennett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles William Bennett of Covington. The Reverend Beverly Chapman Markham of Dallas, Texas, cousin of the bride, officiated at the lakeside double-ring ceremony.
    The bride is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Joseph William Slade of Sandersville and the late Mr. and Mrs. Warren Guy Wilbanks of Bellville. The groom is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Willis Lee Lewis of Rome and the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wesley Bennett of Atlanta.
    Preceding and during the ceremony, classical nuptial music was provided by All Things Strings of Atlanta and James Donald Anderson III of Lawrenceville.
    The bride was given in marriage by her mother and escorted by her cousin, Patrick Thomas Wilbanks of Statesboro. She wore a diamond white strapless satin ballgown with beautiful detail. The lace bodice was adorned with embroidery and crystals fashioned with a waistline antique ivory silk satin sash with Swarovski crystals accenting the ends. The elegant satin skirt was finished with covered buttons along the chapel-length train. The bride's veil was ivory and fingertip in length with a pencil edge and embroidered detail with crystals on the edges. She carried a bouquet of white and champagne garden roses in two varieties and white hydrangeas with minimal greenery stems wrapped in French satin ribbon with pearl buttons. Within the bouquet was a locket holding a photo of her father and a handkerchief that belonged to her maternal grandmother, which was taken from the bride's mother's bouquet. She wore an heirloom pearl bracelet that was a gift from her mother.
    Attending the bride as her matron and maid of honor were Lacey Young Stevens of Gray and Iris Katey Anderson of St. Augustine, Fla. Her bridesmaids were Katie Elizabeth Banister of Dothan, Ala., sister of the bride; Lori Bennett Arnold of Covington, sister of the groom; Elizabeth Rainey Pearson of Auburn, Ala.; Erica Deeb Cannon of Savannah; and Bridgett Kelly Battaglia of Covington. Audrey Slade Markham of Dallas, Texas, cousin of the bride, served as junior bridesmaid.
    The bridesmaids wore black strapless silhouette dresses of silk taffeta highlighted with a dramatic twisted self bow on the bodice.
    The groom's father served as best man. Groomsmen were William Robert Chapman of Monroe, cousin of the bride; Andrew Neil Arnold of Covington, brother-in-law of the groom; Jacob Kelvin Lewis of Dublin; Ryan Allen Davis of Rock Hill, S.C.; Cole Thomas Lewis of Savannah; Justin Bass Kennedy of Eatonton; and Sean Rollin Wright of Covington.
    Program attendants were Bryce Elliott Waldrip and Andrew Chapman Waldrip, cousins of the bride. The groom's niece, Madison Nicole Arnold, and the bride's cousin, Rosalyn Tora Chapman, were flower girls, and the groom's nephew, Charlie Lewis Arnold, was ring bearer. Nell Frances Chapman and Fieldon Marcus Chapman, twin cousins of the bride, carried the placard "Here Comes The Bride," and at the conclusion of the ceremony, "And They Lived Happily Ever After." The wedding was directed by Kelly Somogy of Madison and Jayne Smith of Macon.
    Following the ceremony, a seated dinner was hosted by the bride's mother at Waterside on Cuscowilla. Music was provided by Groomsman Entertainment. All floral designs were by Kent Duffey. The bride's and groom's cakes were created by Cakes by Debra.
    The groom's parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge on the eve of the wedding.
    The bridesmaids' luncheon, held at Gaby's by the Lake at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge, was hosted by Lynn Chapman Waldrip, Beverly Chapman Markham and Kathryn Sanders Chapman, all cousins of the bride.
    After honeymooning in St. Lucia, Virgin Islands, the couple now resides in Loganville. Jessica is product manager with Stradis Healthcare and Nicholas is a physical education teacher with the Newton County School System.