Vicksburg Living Wedding Edition: Graceful union

Published 9:16 am Wednesday, January 24, 2024

By Terri Cowart Frazier

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Photos by Tacy Liz.

When Vicksburg native Wailes Kemp met Grace Bomba in 2020 at the Drift — a trendy bar in the Houston Heights area — it didn’t take him long to realize she was special.

“I called my good friend Patrick Murphy and said, ‘I just met the girl I’m going to marry,’” Wailes said. And on Aug. 12, 2023, the couple were married at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Houston, Texas.

St. Joseph is the second oldest Catholic Church in Houston, and Wailes and Grace started attending shortly after they began dating.

The ambiance of the historic church had been a perfect setting for the couple’s wedding ceremony. In fact, Grace said, “The ceremony was our favorite part of the weekend.”

For her wedding, Grace wore a beautiful ballgown-like dress with long sleeves and a high neck. The gown was accented with delicate lace flowers throughout. She also wore a coordinating cathedral length veil.

Inspired by the styles of Grace Kelly and Kate Middleton, Grace said, “I always wanted a classic, timeless, and elegant wedding dress for my big day, and this one was the first dress I tried on.”

Completing the ensemble, Grace wore a pair of pearl and diamond earrings that belonged to her great-aunt.

“These have been passed down through many family weddings — my matron of honor even wore them in her wedding,” Grace said.

Father Victor Perez served as the celebrant for the ceremony. Grace and Wailes met him early in their relationship, Wailes said.

The intimate service was a full Catholic Mass with the couple surrounded by their family and close friends.

A reception followed at the Junior League of Houston and included a formal sit-down dinner, followed by music and dancing.

Before the couple left for their honeymoon in Hermitage Bay, Antigua, Wailes said, “Everyone had lined up for the exit and Grace and I shared a last dance to one of our favorite songs. We would highly recommend people doing this!”

Grace is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Byron Bomba. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. James Henry Pocza, the late Mr. James Henry Pocza and the late Mr. and Mrs. Boniface Daniel Bomba.

Wailes is the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Thomas Kemp III. He is the grandson of Mrs. William Thomas Kemp Jr., the late Mr. William Thomas Kemp Jr. and the late Mr. and Mrs. John Allen Derivaux Sr.

Wailes and Grace are at home in Houston. Grace is employed at Amanda Simmons Interiors, working with residential clients across the United States. Wailes serves as a Tax Manager at Corient, focusing on high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individual tax planning and consulting.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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