Published Friday, May 28, 2010 7:19 AM

Thompson-Dare Wedding

Claire Lee Thompson of Nacogdoches, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Leland Thompson of Nacogdoches, and Michael Hahn Dare, son of Milton L. and Sandy Dare of Fredericksburg and Kerrville, Texas, were married at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 20, 2010, at First United Methodist Church, Nacogdoches, with Dr. William B. Gandin Jr., pastor of First United Methodist Church, Nacogdoches, and the Reverend Steve Newton, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Nacogdoches, officiating. The bride was escorted by her father.

 The ceremony featured Amazing Grace, Claire da Lume, and Happy Land piano solos and the traditional wedding march performed by Dr. Andrew Parr and the Lord's Prayer sung by the groom's father.

After the ceremony, the bride's parents' hosted a dinner and reception at the Piney Woods Country Club, which included wonderful food and a 'cake buffet' consisting of seven different cake varieties, for the guests' choosing.  On the eve of the wedding, a rehearsal dinner was hosted by the groom's parents at the Hotel Fredonia in downtown Nacogdoches.

Grandparents of the bride are the late Marvin and Frances Williams, formerly of Old Hickory, Tennessee, and the late Elgin C. and Rebecca Thompson, formerly of Nacogdoches. Grandparents of the groom are Dorothy Dare and the late Dr. Milton King Dare of Fredericksburg, Billy J. McCullough and the late Melba Katt McCullough of San Antonio, Judy Wesch and the late Calvin Wesch of Friday Harbor,Washington.

Attending the bride as maid of honor was the bride's sister, Laura Frances Thompson of Belton, Texas. Bridesmaids were Whitney Kirkland of Nacogdoches and Monica Wallace of Huntsville.

Best man was the groom's brother, Matthew Lee Dare of Austin. Groomsmen were Dennis Shafer, Nick Shumard and David Miniel, all of Huntsville, Texas.

Ushers included the bride's brothers, Michael Thompson of Nacogdoches and Christopher Thompson of Bee, Nebraska, Curt Swenson of Austin, and the groom's uncle, Mark Dare of Marble Falls.

Many out-of-town guests arrived for the festivities from Tennessee, Washington, Colorado, Nebraska, and from all parts of Texas, including Dallas, Houston, Austin, the Brazos Valley and the Texas Hill Country.

The bride graduated magna cum laude in December 2009, receiving her bachelor's degree in English from the Eliot T. Bowers Honors College of Sam Houston State University.  The groom graduated in May 2009 from Sam Houston State University receiving his bachelor's degree in construction management and was honored as an outstanding construction science student.  He is employed as a field engineer with Robins & Morton Construction Company of Birmingham, Alabama, and is currently working on the completion of Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital in Elkin, N.C.

The couple traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina for their honeymoon and are at home in Elkin, North Carolina.