“Self-Proclaimed Bachelorette” Kristin Chenoweth on Being a First-Time Bride at 55: “It’s About Damn Time!”

Kristin Chenoweth and Josh Bryant — (Image credit: Getty Images)

At 55, Tony Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth was, in her own words, a “self-proclaimed bachelorette”: “I was never going to get married,” she told People. “I even got engaged before and couldn’t do it. Until I met Josh. Then I was like, ‘Why would I ever let this guy go?’ I’m so blessed.”

Chenoweth married musician Josh Bryant yesterday in a romantic—and very pink—wedding ceremony in Dallas in front of 140 people. The couple’s dog Thunder was the ring bearer and made her entrance, fittingly, to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” before Chenoweth walked down the aisle in a Pamella Roland gown with a sheer nude and pink overlay, a bow detail at the back, and tiny pearl flowers on the bodice. “I didn’t want to wear white,” Chenoweth said. “Simple and elegant. I never thought I’d get married, so I went very nontraditional with the gown. I love it.”

Following the vows, guests sipped on specialty cocktails like the “Wicked Margarita,” a nod to Chenoweth’s role as Glinda the Good Witch in Broadway’s Wicked, and late-night snacks included Chenoweth favorites like 7-11 Slurpees and Dunkin’ Donuts.

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The couple first met in 2016 at Chenoweth’s niece’s wedding, where Bryant’s band performed. Two years later, Chenoweth’s nephew got married, and Bryant’s band played again. “We had become friends by this time, and that’s when he came on strong,” Chenoweth said of Bryant, who is 14 years her junior. “Josh asked me where I was going to be playing next, and it was North Carolina. I said, ‘I’m busy. I don’t have time, da, da, da.’ And he shows up to the concert and that was it for me.” After three years together, Bryant proposed in October 2021.

Of their age difference, she said “I thought that was ridiculous. I’m never going to do that in my life, ever. But he’s made me feel very confident and beautiful and loved at any age.”

The pair shared their first dance to “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You,” and Chenoweth said being a bride at 55 has been a long time in the making: “It’s about damn time!” she said. “All my family would be saying that about me. But for me, this wedding isn’t a dream come true for me because I never dreamed it would happen. It’s almost revelatory. Like if you open yourself up to love, true love, what can happen.”

Though there were traditional elements to the wedding—including their vows—there was one part Chenoweth refused to do: “I am not saying ‘obey!’” she said, laughing.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.