Nall (Right) & Tuscia’s (Left) vow renewal (Image courtesy of The Nall Institute LLC.)

My relationship with Nall began with my Grandmother, Leona Henderson Wood. She and Nall’s Grandmother, Miss Lucy, were very good friends.Our families were buddies. Nall always had a soft spot in his heart for Troy because of Miss Lucy Nall. She was probably one of the biggest contributing factors for Nall’s interesting and unique personality. She was a very funny and wonderful woman. She and my mother were so southern…they had been in Troy forever and were matriarchs of the town. Nall moved from Troy when he was about 11 but would come back to visit often.

I lost touch with Nall for years but we reconnected when he came back to do an Artist in Residency at Troy. But our big connection really and truly was the wedding—Nall and Tuscia’s renewal of their wedding vows. It was an event! It was designed by Nall, a production put on by Nall and probably the most unique event that Troy, Alabama had ever seen. It was held at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama.

My friend, Charlotte Gibson, who was Director of the museum asked me to make the wedding cake and I was thrilled. I was a working baker at the time. I asked him what he would like on the cake. He said that he loved anthuriums. I contacted a flower distributor in Montgomery and ordered a number of red and green anthuriums which I placed on the three-tiered cake. We worked so hard. If you think brides can be difficult, you haven’t worked with Nall. He was bridezilla in the kitchen.

Three Tiered anthurium decorated cake by Charolette Bent (Image courtesy of The Nall Institute LLC.)

His creativity overflowed. This event was like an empty canvas for him. Nall designated Charlotte and me heralds of the wedding, having us wear long white chiffon dresses and carry staffs that were decorated with ribbons and tuille and seashells and all kinds of other items. He decided to have a native American influence. He wanted everyone to be ‘saged’ by a shaman whom he somehow found in Georgia. A few of the local native Americans weren’t happy because this was supposed to be a sacred ceremony and they thought that Nall might be making fun of it. But no, he wasn’t. He was fully and sincerely participating in it. The shaman chanted and saged the audience.

The entire day was incredible. I can remember the music, the swirl of so many different people and the shaman. Mr. Poole brought his gorgeous team of percherons and a wagon and they drove people all around. It was a magical, beautiful day in early June—the most fun and different experience I had ever had.

Charlotte Bent—Long time friend of Nall’s

The Renewal by Charolette Bent

Tallulah Darling by Sheree Le Mon