Country Singer and 'The Voice' Alum Taryn Papa Marries Fiancé Brett Ehmen: 'We Have Each Other Forever'

Mary Komarova, The Wedding Avenue Brett Ehmen and Taryn Papa

Country singer Taryn Papa is married!

The musician and The Voice alum married fiancé Brett Ehmen on Saturday aboard the Sun Dream yacht in Fort Lauderdale, Florida after two years of dating.

Papa, 33, and Ehmen, a 35-year-old risk advisor/producer, said "I do" on a four-hour cruise up the Intercoastal Waterway in a ceremony that was officiated by the captain of the yacht.

"The moment I saw the yacht photos and where the ceremony would take place, I knew I wanted a big floral arch to say our vows under," Papa tells PEOPLE. "I wanted something really simplistic and romantic, lots of candles and beautiful red roses."

Mary Komarova, The Wedding Avenue Taryn Papa and Brett Ehmen

The bride walked down the aisle in a Morilee by Madeline Gardner wedding dress that served as her "something new," as it was given to her by a late fan whose wife runs Oconee Bridal in Eatonton, Georgia.

"He had been following me and my music career for years [and] they generously asked if they could gift me a dress," she says. "I know God is giving him front-row seats to see one of his last wishes come true!"

Mary Komarova, The Wedding Avenue Taryn Papa

For her "something old," Papa made the dress even more special by stitching a piece of her mother's wedding gown inside, and she also reworked a family heirloom into a new keepsake.

"I had my late grandmother's wedding band disassembled into two bands to surround my diamond engagement right, made to resemble hers, to always have her close to my heart," she says. "I grew up loving and admiring her ring so much and I am honored to have the opportunity to incorporate this heirloom and symbol of her true love on my wedding day."

Mary Komarova, The Wedding Avenue Taryn Papa

Papa completed her wedding day look with a blue garter belt given to her by her mother, and a veil borrowed from her sister, who wore it on her own wedding day. As her sister is happily married to her high school sweetheart and recently welcomed a baby, Papa says the veil "makes for a perfect good luck charm!"

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Mary Komarova, The Wedding Avenue Taryn Papa

For food, the pair kicked things off with a selection of hors d'oeuvres, including vegetable spring rolls, mojito shrimp skewers, ancho lime chicken skewers and caprese bruschetta.

Dinner was served buffet-style, and guests worked their way through dishes like pan Asian salmon, parmesan lemon chicken and slow-roasted prime rib. For dessert, there were brownies, a tropical shooter with rum and coconut and a vanilla cake with vanilla pudding from Mainstreet Gourmet Bakery that was covered in red roses.

Mary Komarova, The Wedding Avenue

The flowers popped up once more on the couple's sweetheart table, as Papa — who serves as The Voice correspondent for NBC's WSMV Channel 4, as well as co-host of TODAY in Nashville — says she's saved every rose Ehmen ever sent her, and sprinkled their petals atop the table.

Ahead of the ceremony, Papa said she was most looking forward to her first dance with Brett, as they often used music as a way of feeling close to one another when their relationship was long distance.

"For a little over a year, we had a long-distance relationship. One of the ways we connected and felt close was through music," she says. "From the moment we met, Brett would send me sweet songs that reminded him of our love, or how he felt about me. It was an easy choice for us when it came to picking 'our song.' It was one of the first songs he sent to me and I am looking forward to having a moment that's just ours."

Mary Komarova, The Wedding Avenue Brett Ehmen and Taryn Papa

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The pair — who Papa says "clicked right from the start" — first met in March 2021 at Redneck Riviera on Broadway in Nashville. During a welcome party, Ehmen stopped by the bar while visiting from Nebraska on a business trip, and caught Papa's performance.

"I saw him the minute he walked in the door. He leaned up against a high-top table near the front of the stage and I lost all focus on my show," she recalls. "I finished the song, told my guitar player to sing something and immediately hopped off stage. I walked right over to Brett and said, 'I'm supposed to know you.' It was a powerful feeling that felt sent from above."

She continues: "I am so happy I didn't let it pass me by! We still laugh to this day because he told me he was winking at me from the table but there was no way I would have been able to see that with the stage lights!"

Mary Komarova, The Wedding Avenue Taryn Papa

Ehmen asked her to stick around for a drink once she'd finished her set, and he later walked her home to her apartment, where they shared their first kiss under a streetlight — a moment that later served as inspiration for her EP Awake.

The couple spent more than a year of their relationship doing long distance, which Papa says taught them how to be "excellent communicators." She says they've also bonded over their faith and transparency, which has given them "a strong foundation."

"We are deeply connected and share the same spirituality, love languages, passion for music and found a true friendship in each other," she says. "I completely love him and my two future stepchildren, and look forward to growing and sharing in that love every day."

Mary Komarova, The Wedding Avenue Brett Ehmen and Taryn Papa

The couple is now headed to Odense, Denmark, where Papa is playing at the 2023 Nashville Nights Songwriters Festival. Ehmen will join her on stage on guitar, and the pair plan to extend the trip and visit several other countries while they're across the pond.

"[I'm most excited] to become a wife and start our life together," she says. "Knowing that no matter what the day may bring, challenges or triumphs, we have each other forever."