Jamey Johnson is a married man. The 49-year-old married his longtime girlfriend, attorney Brittney Eakins, on May 20. The two got married at Graystone Quarry in Franklin, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville, with more than 350 guests in attendance.
“The best thing about our wedding by far has been bringing together so many people that we love and putting them all in one place,” the couple tells People. “It’s been so special to watch all of our friends from different places and phases of our lives become friends.”
Johnson’s good friend, Randy Houser, officiated the ceremony. Numerous artists were in attendance as well, including Zac Brown, Lee Brice, Alla Langley, Randy Travis and his wife Mary, Gary Allan, Chapel Hart and more.
Johnson and Eakins met in early 2019, at Governor Tate Reeves’ first inauguration. For Johnson, it was love at first sight.
“I proposed the next day out in front of Walker’s Restaurant,” Johnson remembers.
“I said no. I think I said, ‘How about we go on a date first? Let’s see how it goes from there.’ He looked at me so disappointed,” Eakins adds. “He said, ‘How about we skip the dating? Let’s go ahead and get married and have some kids, and we’ll talk about a date after that.’ The worst part is, he said it in a way that I couldn’t tell if he was kidding or not. He didn’t laugh. He looked at me and said, ‘You have no idea how long I have been looking for you.’”
The couple waited more than two years to get married after Johnson proposed — and she accepted — on March 1, 2023.
“I had left for lunch and came back to work,” Eakins remembers. “When I walked through the sliding glass doors, I saw him standing in the lobby, staring up at something on the wall. It took me a second to process that he was there. He asked me to take a walk with him, so I did. I don’t remember our conversation, but I remember we were right across the street from where we met. He got down on one knee and proposed. I said yes this time!”
Johnson’s wedding might have been a star-studded affair, but the Grand Ole Opry member still wanted to keep things comfortable, with a “cowboy black tie” dress code.
“It’s a nod to our Nashville friends and to let them know they could wear their hats and boots,” Eakins explains
“It was a way to tell all of my friends who can’t be told what to do or when to do it, ‘This is an idea of what you could wear. Put on the stuff you wear when you want to wear something nice,'” continues Johnson.
Johnson’s signature cocktail was a non-alcoholic margarita, since he no longer drinks. See photos of the wedding here.
Johnson’s latest album, Midnight Gasoline, is out now. Find all of his music and upcoming shows at JameyJohnson.com.
Photo Credit: Addie Jernigan Photography