Laura Heather Elkins and Benjamin Cole Cotton were married at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, 2012, at the Chattahoochee Country Club. The bride is the daughter of Dr. Jeanne Schul and Dr. Randy Elkins of Rome. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffery Cotton of Dawsonville.

Dr. James Gaines of Dawsonville performed the double-ring ceremony. Bouquets of white roses and peonies adorned the arbor where the ceremony was held. Family pews were marked with candles and ribbons.

A program of wedding music was provided by Dr. Keith Jeffcoat of Gainesville. Selections included Canon in D and Clair De Lune.

Julia Elkins, sister of the bride, of Rome, was the maid of honor. Sonya Sallis, sister of the bride, of Smyrna, was the matron of honor. Ashley Hubbard of Atlanta, Aurora Schul of Sanborn, N.Y., Kristina Baugher of Atlanta, and Megan Tanner of Smyrna were the bridesmaids. They wore knee-length kelly green silk halter dresses with an ivory lace insert at the neck. They carried hand-tied bouquets of white garden roses, green hydrangea, green hypericum berries, and white snapdragon.

The bride, escorted by her parents, wore a formal gown of ivory satin. The sweetheart, strapless bodice was accented along the waist by antique lace, and was trimmed in an ivory satin sash. The A-line skirt finished into a chapel-length train. A fingertip-length veil, trimmed in lace to match the gown, completed the look. She carried a hand-tied bouquet of ivory garden roses, green hydrangea, green hypericum berries, and white peonies. The bouquet was wrapped in a lace trimmed handkerchief, an heirloom from Thelma Schul.

Michael Cotton, brother of the groom, of Sandy Springs, was the best man. Brandon Clark of Blairsville, Eric Little of Alpharetta, Grayson Godley of Loveland, Oh., Matt Barber of Atlanta and Nolan Wells of Atlanta were the groomsmen.

The mother of the bride wore a long dress of turquoise satin with an ivory satin sleeveless bodice. The mother of the groom wore a long shawl collar dress of fuchsia silk. The mothers were presented with nosegays of white gardenias.

Following the ceremony, a reception was held at the Chattahoochee Country Club. Refreshments included the bride’s four-tier cake alternating key lime and chocolate with swirled creamcheese icing.

The evening before the wedding, the groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at a private chateau overlooking Lake Lanier. Other pre-nuptial parties included an engagement party hosted by Nolan Wells, Jarred Bussert and Will Curry, a bridal shower hosted by Susan Cotton, Katie Cotton, Anita Wyatt and KayKay Atkins, and a miscellaneous shower hosted by Sonya Sallis, Ashley Hubbard, Kristina Baugher and Megan Tanner.

After their honeymoon to Antigua, the couple will reside in Milton.