Iris Qian Zhao and James Bray Jones were married in an intimate family ceremony on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, at 6:30 in the evening on the grounds of the historic Jiggetts Home in Canton.

The bride is the daughter of Jingke Zhao and Hua Zhang of the provinces of Nanjing and Sichuan China.

The groom is the son of Marianne May Coker of Madison and Howell Robinson Jones, Sr. of Irving, Texas. 

The groom is the grandson of Raymond Beatty May of Vicksburg, the late Marie McGraw May and the late Lucy Imig Jones and Edley Hicks Jones Jr., all of Vicksburg.

The Rev. Joe Mathews officiated the ceremony. 

The wedding and reception were celebrated at the Jiggetts Home in Canton. The groom is a descendant of the Jiggetts family, who originally built the home.   

The bride was escorted by her brother, Wei Zhao.

Debbie Gow of Shanghai China served as maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Ella Lu and Sherry Wang, both of Shanghai China.

The groom’s father served as best man. The groom’s brothers, Howell Robinson “Rob” Jones Jr. of New Orleans and Eric McGraw “Mac” Jones of Nashville, served as groomsmen.

Special guest and attendant at the ceremony was the couple’s Golden Retriever, Lucky.

The bride and groom met while both were living and working as English teachers in Shanghai China. 

The bride is a 2011 graduate of Chengdu University in the province of Sichuan China with a major in Translations. She is currently a Marketing Sales Manager for Beukay Cosmetics in Los Angeles, CA.

The groom is a 2007 graduate of St. Aloysius High School, and a 2011 graduate of the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts in English. He is currently completing his Masters in TESOL at the University of Miami and working in sales with Vivint Solar in Los Angeles, CA.

The couple is at home now in Irvine, California.