Self-described hopeless romantic Ken Davis never thought he would fall in love again. At 61, he had been married twice; his first marriage ended in divorce, and he was made a widower with his second. But he did find true love again, and he wanted his bride-to-be to have a fairy-tale wedding.
Judy Bailey, also 61, and Davis were married Saturday in a formal church service with bridesmaids and groomsmen, a flower girl and a ring bearer, and a horse-drawn carriage with two coachmen in waiting.
“Ken planned the carriage, from Hundley Carriages,” Judy said. “He kind of wanted me to have a fairy-tale wedding, but with all the true love.”
Following the wedding and pictures, the couple took the leisurely mile ride from Grace Lutheran Church to their reception, which was being held where they first met, Chester Junction on Centre Street. Upon arrival in the regal carriage pulled by two white horses, they greeted around 50 friends and family in front of the restaurant.
Judy had been a cook at Chester Junction for six years. She was not looking for love. Ken was a regular at the restaurant. “It wasn’t love at first sight,” she said. “But we talked and found that we have a lot in common.”
They dated for about seven months before Ken knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. “He proposed to me at his house with a few friends he called over to be there when he did it,” she said. “He got down on one knee, held my hand, and said how much he loved me and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me; I said yes! He is an awesome man, my sailor man, and as he says, ‘a hopeless romantic.’”
Ken is retired Navy after serving 20 years, and has been on the job with IMC for 18 years. Between the kids and grandkids, they add an additional 14 members to their union. “They are all very happy for us,” said Judy.
KEN DAVIS AND JUDY BAILEY WERE MARRIED SATURDAY, MARCH 18 AT GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH. THE COUPLE RODE TO CHESTER JUNCTION FOR THEIR RECEPTION.
Located on Hopkins Road, Hundley Carriages has provided horse-drawn vehicles for special occasions in the Mid-Atlantic states and beyond. Their antique carriages bring the elegance and charm of a bygone era to any event. The coachmen for the Davis wedding, Jim Hundley and Ricky Robertson, have been enjoying giving carriage rides for 30 years.
