Caption This: Gil and Bobby

Now that Tori and Bobby are officially Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Bobby sits down with father-in-law Gil  Bates to look back at old photos and come up with captions. The two of them seem to have a pretty close relationship, don't you think? Knowing how high Gil's standards are for his sons-in-law, that's saying a lot.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Meet Lawson in Georgia

Do you live near Atlanta, Georgia? Lawson Bates and his band are performing in your area!

The show will benefit Arria Grace Ingram, a three-year-old who, due to a rare genetic disorder that causes one side of her body to grow larger than the other, has a tumor-like tissue surrounding the organs in her abdominal cavity that will eventually cause organ failure if left untreated.

Saturday, May 19th, 2018
Lawson Bates concert in Monroe, GA
7pm-9pm
Lighthouse World Outreach Center
609 Gene Bell Rd.
Monroe, GA 30655

Tickets:
Ages 6-12: $8
Ages 12-adult: $12
VIP: $55*

Tickets can be purchased on Lawson's website

*VIP ticket includes a meet and greet, a chance to hang out with Lawson and his band before the show, an autographed album, a photo opportunity, and preferred seating.

Photo courtesy of UP

Bates in Nashville

This weekend, Lawson, Carlin, Tori, and Bobby are in the Nashville area visiting Evan. Next month, Tori and Bobby will relocate to a nearby town so Bobby can begin working at Bible Baptist Church.

Evan Stewart, Carlin Bates, Tori (Bates) Smith, Bobby Smith

Photo courtesy of Carlin Bates/thebatesfamily.com

Bates #16 Turns 11

Wishing Ellie Bates a happy 11th birthday!

Addallee and Ellie Bates

Ellie Bates and Everly Paine

Brooklyn Paine and Ellie Bates

Photos courtesy of thebatesfamily.com

Bates Fan File 717

Happy weekend! Before I log off to enjoy my Friday evening, I wanted to share this week's Bringing Up Bates Fan File with you. Be sure to look back at the wedding photos I posted in two different posts earlier today.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

MORE Photos from Tori's Wedding

It was the wedding of the season, for sure. Tori Bates and Bobby Smith became husband and wife during a dreamy, winter wonderland ceremony on December 16th, 2017. If you haven't yet seen our exclusive wedding photos, click here to take a look. Below are several pictures from talented photographer Taryn Yager.

 Tori and Bobby pray together before the ceremony

 Tori and her sisters

Katie Bates, Whitney Bates, Erin Bates Paine, Carlin Bates, 

Michael Bates Keilen, Josie Bates, Alyssa Bates Webster

 Bobby and his groomsmen

Chad Paine, Trace Bates, Nathan Bates, Evan Stewart, 

Kelton Balka, Zach Bates plus 3 others

(Lawson not pictured)

 Tori's bouquet

 Gil Bates walks Tori Bates down the aisle

At the altar

The first kiss!

 Tori and Bobby

Photos courtesy of tarynyagerphotography.com

Exclusive Bates/Smith Wedding Photos

Good morning, readers! Hope you enjoyed watching Tori Bates and Bobby Smith tie the knot last night on Bringing Up Bates. I (Ellie) had a great time at the wedding, and although it was a tight space filled with lots of guests, I took as many photos as I could.

As we approached the church, we were directed by several signs positioned along the road. 

When we pulled into the parking lot across the street from the church, several boys, some of the Duggars, pointed us toward the open spaces. The road between the parking lot and the church was busy, but the church had an underground tunnel connecting the two. It wasn't an especially large or fancy church, so we were surprised to see the tunnel.

Additional signs led us to the sanctuary.

The decorations were just beautiful. We took a seat off to the side--house left--so I could take a few photos without disrupting the ceremony. We sat near dress designer Renee Miller's fiance and enjoyed catching up with him while we waited for the wedding to start. Shortly before the ceremony began, we were joined by the entire Duggar family, minus Jinger and Jeremy.

The ceremony was lovely! The parents and grandparents were seated to "The Christmas song," the bridal party entered to "Silver Bells," and Tori and Gil made their entrance to "A Thousand Years." The recessional was "Carol of the Bells."

We got a great view of the sneaky little brothers who spent most of the wedding sitting in the empty balcony and then came down to shoot off confetti cannons during the kiss.

The reception took place downstairs, in the fellowship hall. It didn't look like a large space when we walked in, but it ended up being the perfect size.

We enjoyed meeting several new friends, who also happened to be blog readers.

The meal was a baked potato bar.

The lemon-blueberry cake made by Kelly's sister Kay was out-of-this-world-delicious...and beautifully decorated, too.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Smith soon arrived, and the festivities began. They cute the cake, and Tori tossed the bouquet. We laughed when Gil begged his kids to stay away, and then we laughed again when Josie caught the bouquet.

Tori and Bobby greeted all the guests in a receiving line, and then it was time for the sendoff.

 Myself (Ellie) with the bride and groom

Family and friends lined the hallway between the reception room and the front door and waved wands--made with wooden dowels, purple and silver ribbon, and bells--while Tori and Bobby exited the church.

If you enjoy this blog, be sure to visit Ellie's other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

'Tori's Winter Wonderland Wedding' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Tori's Winter Wonderland Wedding" 

• A few days before the wedding, Tori and Bobby meet at their future residence, an apartment where Bobby is already living, to pack for their honeymoon. They will fly to San Francisco, driving to Carmel, and then head to Yosemite to spend time in a beautiful cabin.
• Meanwhile, Gil and the boys start spray painting the trees, but the paint doesn’t stick. “This is called a lesson about procrastination,” declares Kelly. “Last week, the weather was warm, and last week, the paint would have stuck, and the trees would have dried. This is the whole theme of the wedding right here in this yard. Y’all have to do better than this.”
• Elijah, a friend of the Bates, solves the problem with a paint sprayer. “Y’all get a bonus for this job,” says Gil.
• Michael arrives from Chicago, and Kelly puts her to work adding slips to the flower girl dresses.
• On Friday, the day before the wedding, family and friends are at the church decorating. Bobby’s family arrived the night before and is busy setting up for the rehearsal dinner, at which they will serve Mexican food. Tori decides to do the dinner first so the rehearsal isn’t delayed by wedding party members arriving late.
• When Tori and Bobby see the finished sanctuary, they are tickled. “I feel like I’ve poured so much into this wedding emotionally, so it meant a lot to me to make this just perfect for her,” says Kelly.
• It wouldn’t be a Bates rehearsal dinner without tears and sweet words. Carlin admits that she is a little jealous because she would like to switch places with Tori. Gil stands up to protest, with a smile on his face. “Wait a minute! Whoa, whoa! One at a time!”
• In the words of Josie, “The rehearsal was chaos.” But with such a large wedding party, that’s almost a given.
• On the morning of the wedding, Tori says she is scared, nervous, and excited. While she has her hair and makeup done, others run around making final preparations. The time comes for her to unveil the dress to her bridesmaids and some family members.
• Bobby puts on a blindfold so he and Tori can pray together before the ceremony.
• The guests are all seated, the wedding party has entered, and it’s time for Gil and Tori to walk down the aisle. “She’s walking to me, and we’re about to start the rest of our lives together,” says Bobby. “It literally felt like the entire world just stopped.”
• When the other pastor asks Gil who gives the bride away, Gil responds, “Her lovely mother, myself, and all of her 18 siblings.”
• After the sermon, Bobby sings a love song that he wrote for Tori, while playing the piano. “And the rest of our lives begin here today, but I just want to stay right here with you. Wherever we go, come whatever may, we’ll never forget these promises. Like two notes on a page, just follow my lead. You know that I’ll take us where we need to be. Keeping this love within, our song never ends.”
• During the couple’s vows--which are the traditional ones, lead by Gil--Tori stumbles over the words “lawful wedded husband.” After that, Tori starts laughing uncontrollably, although some members of the audience think she is sobbing, and she becomes embarrassed and is concerned that she’s messing things up. “This is your day,” Gil assures her. “You’re not doing anything wrong.”
• “The whole wedding, I was just honestly trying to make everything so perfect and do everything so perfect,” says Tori. “It’s just not me to be perfect.”
• While Tori and Bobby tie their unity braid, Lawson performs a song that he wrote for them, accompanied by Rachel Leftwich, Andy Leftwich’s wife. “We’re not in this thing alone. We won’t get it right on our own. It’s gonna take help. It’s gonna take faith, but with you and God and me, one plus one equal three.”
• Before they know it, Tori and Bobby are sharing their first kiss, and it’s slow and sweet just like the bride wanted.
• During the reception, Gil announces the bouquet toss, adding a plea. “No Bates kids, please. No more Bates kids for a couple years. Give me a break.” Josie ends up catching it!
• “It seems like as soon as we recover from one wedding, another daughter is announcing a wedding date,” says Kelly. “We’re happy for Tori, we’re happy for the future of our other girls, but we are praying it will slow down.”

Wedding Episode Snapshots

It's Thursday, which means the big wedding episode is only hours away. Are you looking forward to watching Tori Bates become Tori Smith? Below are a few snapshots to help you get psyched up for tonight's special.

Erin Paine and Whitney Bates

Tori Bates and Alyssa Webster

Bates/Smith wedding party

Tori Bates

Tori Bates and her 10 bridesmaids

Carson Paine, Chad Paine, Erin Paine, Brooklyn Paine

Tori and Bobby share a special moment during the ceremony

Knowing that Bobby can play piano and sing, what do you think he's doing in this photo?

Taking wedding photos

Photos courtesy of UP

Preview of Tori and Bobby's Wedding

Here it is, folks, the first sneak peek of the Bates/Smith wedding episode! It was a lovely event, and we were grateful to attend. We know you'll enjoy watching it on Bringing Up Bates. Look for our exclusive photos after it airs.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Trace Injures His Ankle

Following an ankle injury sustained while playing basketball with friends, Trace Bates was diagnosed with severely torn ligaments. We know that he would appreciate prayer as he heals.

Trace Bates and Jeb Bates

Photo courtesy of UP

Callie: 'Mom, It's See Through!'

The episode featuring the wedding of Tori Bates and Bobby Smith is only two days away! Are you excited to watch them say 'I do'? In the preview clip below, Callie Bates is thrilled to receive her flower girl dress, but the eight-year-old spitfire quickly informs her mom that she can't wear it as-is.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Bates Grandkids Spring into Spring

You may have noticed that our comment moderation has been a little spotty over the past several days. We were on a short blogging break (or semi-break) but we're back in full swing now. Hope your week is off to a good start. Below are a few photos of some of the Bates grandchildren for your enjoyment.

Kaci Bates, Brooklyn Paine, Carson Paine, Bradley Bates

Isaiah Bates and Kaci Bates

Kaci Bates and Carson Paine

Photos courtesy of thebatesfamily.com

Tori's Dress Day: Exclusive Photos 2

Ellie and Tori

A few weeks ago, I (Ellie) shared behind-the-scenes photos from the day that Tori Bates chose her wedding dress. As friend of the Bates and of dress designer Renee Miller, I had a blast being present for this special occasion. I was able to dig up a few more snapshots, so I thought I would share them with you.
 

 Tori has her hair and makeup done before beginning to try on dresses

 When they have some downtime, the ladies enjoy the shops of Mt. Sterling

Tori tries on a couple pure white gowns, and while some of the other ladies really like them, Tori isn't thrilled.

When she comes out of the dressing room wearing "the dress," Tori is beaming. With a layer of champagne underneath shear lace, it isn't your traditional wedding gown, but Tori loves it. Kelly says it would work perfect for a candlight service, which is something that Tori and Bobby are considering. Tori requests a few changes, including a little bit of "bling," buttons all the way down, a longer train, and a lower neckline.

 

First and last photos are property of batesfamilyblog.com; all other photos are property of Renee Miller. Photos may only be used with written permission.