Country Singer Mackenzie Carpenter Marries Cole Neuber in Seaside Ceremony: See the Photos (Exclusive)

"We wanted some of our favorite people to make memories and experience it with us," the singer tells PEOPLE of marrying at the couple's favorite Florida destination

It was a whirlwind week in May 2022 when country music artist Mackenzie Carpenter got engaged to her longtime love, Cole Neuber, in the picturesque community of Watercolor in Seaside, Florida. And so, when it came time to get married, the couple tells PEOPLE they knew they wanted to return to that very same area to become man and wife. 

"The area of Seaside is one of our favorite places," Carpenter, 24, says in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. "We wanted some of our favorite people to make memories and experience it with us on our big day."

And so they did on Monday, Oct. 16, as Carpenter and Neuber recited their vows to one another after five years of dating.

"It just felt like the right time," says the singer-songwriter, who made her Grand Ole Opry debut this past summer, a year after signing her first record deal and releasing her debut single the same week she got engaged to the 24-year-old commercial real estate mogul. 

Related: Mackenzie Carpenter Got Engaged, Signed a Record Deal and Released Her First Single in the Span of One Week

She adds, "I wrote a song about marrying him a week into knowing him. That would typically freak someone out, but it showed us both that I knew him so well in such a little time. We immediately clicked and never thought twice."

That song was "See Where This Is Going." And not only did Carpenter end up recording a new version of the record, she also walked down the aisle to the tune. "It was a sweet surprise for Cole," she says of her now-husband.

The sweetness, however, began to flow even before the couple took their vows. 

Their wedding weekend began with the couple getting baptized together. It also included a pickleball tournament, paying homage to a sport that Carpenter says is "one of our favorite things to do together."

Following a rehearsal dinner — which featured the cuisine from their favorite restaurant, Amici Italian Kitchen — the couple soon found themselves walking down the aisle while friends — including fellow country music comrades Conner Smith, Dylan Marlowe, Nicolle Galyon and Rodney Clawson — and family basked in the love of the moment. 

Related: Dylan Marlowe Marries Natalie Barber and Dedicates a Song to Her on Wedding Day: 'My Sweet Side'

Carpenter paid homage to the past on the day of the ceremony, choosing to utilize everything from her mother’s dress to her grandparents' cake topper to the very same champagne flutes that she and Neuber drank out of on the night of their engagement. Even Carpenter’s wedding ring had ties to the past, as it was thoughtfully created by Georgia-based Chaplin’s Jewelry using her grandmother’s very own diamonds. 

Carpenter wore a stunning dress and veil purchased at Dressing Dreams in Hartwell, Georgia, as she walked down the aisle to the adoring eyes of her future husband as well as of her father, Jim Carpenter, who officiated the service alongside family friend and Neuber’s longtime mentor, Tim Ellmore.

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Once at the altar, the couple recited a series of traditional and original vows to one another before heading back down the aisle as husband and wife. 

"Our faith in Jesus and our willingness to understand each other is something that is sure to keep our relationship strong," says the Georgia native, who first tasted country music success when she scored co-writing credit on Lily Rose’s breakout hit "Villain." 

She has since expanded on that success with the release of her own songs, "Don't Mess with Exes," "Huntin' Season" and "Country Girls (Just Want to Have Fun)," which includes clips from Carpenter’s own bachelorette party in the accompanying music video. 

The ceremony, which was captured on camera by Storylive Productions and in a series of exclusive wedding pics taken by photographer Jessica Steddom, was followed by a food-filled reception.

A series of stations allowed guests to indulge in a meal that was made even more special with the cutting of a five-tiered wedding cake featuring flavors such as almond, pink champagne and banana bread with salted caramel.

Now, with the wedding behind them and fall fully taking over, this season usually a time when country artists like Carpenter begin to take a much-needed break after a grueling year. For the performer, that means honeymooning with Neuber in Mexico before "traveling together, living together, and creating a life together." 

And when they get home? "We are getting cows," Carpenter says with a laugh.

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