Couple gets married at Bass Pro Shops in Tennessee, next to big tank of trophy fish

A couple in Tennessee got married Friday at Bass Pro Shops, romantically exchanging their vows near an aquarium stocked with trophy fish.

It was a small affair, with the bride, Pam, “glowing” in a white lace gown with flowing train and the groom, Lonnie Harris, in blue jeans, shirt casually untucked and a boutonniere.

“Here at Bass Pro, we will sell you a boat, a gun, even some clothes. Shoot, you might as well even get married here!!” the store posted Friday on Facebook.

It shared photos of the ceremony, showing the procession came through the Fishing Center, as customers lingered and watched.

Why the couple, who live in Tennessee, chose to marry at a Bass Pro Shops in Kodak, Tennessee, was not explained. However, the store is just west of the Great Smoky Mountains and tourist towns in the region pride themselves on being a wedding and “adventure elopement” destination.

One hint for their choice might be in the fact Lonnie Harris announced the wedding via a fishing Facebook group based at Douglas Lake. He told McClatchy News that they’re both avid anglers.

Pam “is the love of my life,” he wrote.

“I’m truly blessed,” she responded on Facebook.

The couple’s friends seemed to understand, with none offering wisecracks about a “trophy wife” or jokes predicting where they would spend their honeymoon.

One woman suggested on Facebook that staging her own wedding at Bass Pro Shops might be the only way to get her boyfriend to commit, while others envisioned similar “destination wedding ideas” that might involve Walmart.

The store’s Facebook post of the ceremony has been shared nearly 400 times in the past few days with Brandon Rose dubbing the romantic affair “Tennessee in a nutshell.”

This story was originally published January 6, 2020 at 9:31 AM with the headline "Couple gets married at Bass Pro Shops in Tennessee, next to big tank of trophy fish."