Kannon’s Clothing Dresses Wedding Party and Parents of the Couple for a Family Wedding

For more than 11 years, Mary-Kannon Jefferson has dedicated her professional life to Kannon’s Clothing, which was opened in 1916 by her great-grandfather Isaac George Kannon. The store has remained family owned for more than a century, and now operates women’s and men’s stores in Raleigh’s Village District, stocking an array of elegant and formal attire perfect for bridal showers, engagement parties or rehearsal dinners, in addition to mother of the couple gowns and custom made-to-measure suits. “We can dress you from the bridal shower to the wedding itself,” Mary-Kannon says.

Currently Kannon’s assistant manager and buyer, Mary-Kannon provides behind-the-scenes support for countless wedding looks. On June 3, 2023, she took the spotlight herself to tie the knot with Matt Gosnell. The pair met as college seniors while Mary-Kannon attended N.C. State University and Matt the University of Virginia, and after five years of dating, Matt proposed at Asheville’s Grove Park Inn.

Garden Party Wedding Theme at Carolina Country Club

The couple held their summer ceremony at St. Eugene Catholic Church in Wendell, North Carolina, and reception at Carolina Country Club. The celebration carried a garden party theme inspired by Mary-Kannon’s love of summer flowers, particularly hydrangeas. A blue and white color palette informed floral arrangements, linens and bridesmaids’ Mestiza dresses.

Wedding Party Attire from Kannon’s Clothing

Naturally, Kannon’s played a significant role in the big day. Matt, Mary-Kannon and their mothers all found their rehearsal dinner looks from the family business. And, after walking down the aisle in a gown from Alexia’s Bridal Boutique, Mary-Kannon slipped into a yellow Badgley Mischka dress from Kannon’s.

“My aunt bought me some yellow shoes, so I really started from the bottom up on that one. I love yellow and knew I wanted to incorporate the color somehow,” she says. “Even though I wanted to be in my wedding gown most of the night, I figured the A-line dress would be great for the send-off ! It was originally a gown that Kannon’s tailored into a tea-length dress.” Kannon’s offers in-house alterations, with full-time tailors on staff at both the men’s and women’s stores.

Kannon’s also provided wedding day attire for the mothers of the couple, formalwear, earrings for the bridesmaids and Max’s tuxedo. “I was able to get a black tux off the rack and they ordered me a white dinner jacket,” Matt says. The whole process was “quick and seamless,” he adds.

The big day was a special one not only personally for Mary-Kannon, but also as a valuable professional learning experience. “It was great to work in the industry and then go through the process yourself,” she says. “Now I really know both sides and can honestly help my customers better because of it.” Mary-Kannon advises to-be-weds not to stress about sticking to white or any other palette when it comes to what you wear. “If you fall in love with a print or certain colors, wear what you love!”

Some of Mary-Kannon’s favorite memories of the day are dancing with friends and family during the reception. “Matt and I had a private dance at the end of the night, which was great,” she says. “My family is Lebanese so we danced a dance called the Dabke at the reception. It was so much fun!”

Want to learn more about Kannon’s Clothing? Read our tips for parents of the couple attire!