Reba McEntire Is ‘Proud’ of Only Son Who Got Married Last Year — She Sweetly Danced with Him at Fairytale Wedding

After ending her marriage of 26 years, country singer Reba McEntire has found happiness again. The singer attended her son's wedding with her new boyfriend. She also shared a special mother-son dance with fans gushing over this significant moment.

Country sensation Reba McEntire and producer Narvel Blackstock ended their marriage after 26 years. The former couple shares a son Shelby Blackstock.

The reasons behind the separation are unknown, but the country singer admitted that it was not her idea to divorce.

McEntire said she would never want to end her marriage, but she did not want to be the reason behind her husband's misery.

The singer said her faith, friends, and family had helped her through this tough time. However, her son's engagement also brought reason to let go of the drama and busk in the joy and excitement of the wedding.

Shelby Blackstock, a former race car driver, proposed to his long-time girlfriend Marissa Branch in front of Spaceship Earth at Disney's Epcot theme park in January 2021. This is a special place for the couple because it is where Shelby said "I love you" for the first time.

McEntire Raised Her Son to Be Humble

When McEntire welcomed her son Shelby in 1990, she was already a country superstar, with 57 million sold copies, a Grammy award, and had been the host of the Country Music Awards 16 times. Therefore, her son was born into a wealthy family, but McEntire ensured that none of it went over his head.

Firstly, the singer practiced what she preached. She’s a Southern girl raised to be humble and respectful. For instance, when the singer arrived three minutes late for an interview, she apologized not once but three times.

Then went on to say her mother used to tell her, 'If you tell somebody you're going to be somewhere at a certain time, you show up," so she's passed down the same teachings to her son.

The country star reminded her son that things did not come easy, even in simple activities such as playing board games. She said she would never let Shelby win during a game because he would not learn anything from it.

She wanted her son to learn to be a go-getter and left him with these words that stuck with him until his adult life, 'I'll always love you, but I want other people to like you. So don't be a little jerk. Don't be a spoiled brat.'"

Shelby admitted that his mother's teachings were impactful because he was often told that he did not behave like someone who came from a wealthy family.

As a mother, McEntire was proud of the man Shelby grew up to be. She was specifically proud of her son's work ethic and his resilience.

She confessed that Shelby grew up with ADHD and struggled with reading at school; however, he never gave up; instead, he made sure to read ten books that year.

"He's always trying to improve and do better. His daddy did a great job, too." the proud mother said. “I am proud of him,” she added. However, Shelby was not the only one learning from the singer. McEntire also admitted that motherhood came with a lot of lessons about herself.

She confessed that she was somewhat self-centered before becoming a mother, then the arrival of her son gave her the important job of protecting, nurturing, and being selfless in raising him. "Shelby is a gift from God to me, she gushed.

Nonetheless, the “Consider Me Gone” singer did not take all the credit; she also shone a light on the amazing nannies she that helped her raise her son. Even though she was a superstar juggling motherhood, she did her best to squeeze in special moments with Shelby.

She would take him on tour; on days when she could not, she would fly home early, get him ready, and drive him to school. When she had to fly out, she would spend the first half of the day playing with him before taking her flight.

Now that her son is older and married, she loves to visit them in Nashville. They love going shopping, having brunch, lunch, or dinner together.

McEntire has not stopped prioritizing her child; in fact, she loves to see her family expand since she now has a daughter-in-law whom she also adores.

Shelby Blackstock and Marissa Branch's Fairytale Wedding

Social media influencer, licensed esthetician Branch, and her fiance Shelby tied the knot at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

The wedding was all sorts of magical, with fireworks and the architecture of Walt Disney as the background of their vow ceremony. It was an actual Cinderella moment.

But it was fitting because the couple also considered their love story to be magical. Branch and Shelby met on Tinder but stayed friends for a while before they started dating.

Their friends thought they made a good match, but the couple did not see it yet, said Branch. However, once they matured, it became evident that they shared something special and even referred to their story as "Tinderella."

Branch also admitted that had they dated before taking the time to grow and understand the essence of a true partnership, they would not have appreciated each other enough.

When Branch and Shelby turned their "Tinderella" story into a lifetime commitment, they were surrounded by family and friends, including McEntire's new boyfriend Rex Inn and Shelby's half-brother Brandon.

Walt Disney's location was unique to Branch and her family and held deep memories. The influencer said,

"My mom worked there when she was younger, managing the Small World ride. It was my Nana's favorite. She passed away in 2006 at the age of 57, while I was in middle school. She was my rock, and her passing affected me deeply."

The wedding ceremony was filled with tributes to Branch's grandmother. The bride had her flower girls walk to the song "It's a Small World," which made her mother very emotional. Branch was certain that her Nana was there holding her hand through this milestone in her life.

Unlike other weddings where the dinner is had after the ceremony, Branch and Shelby let their guests enjoy their meals at Rotunda Bistro at Epcot.

The guests also got to enjoy fireworks before the vow exchange ceremony took place at the park once it was closed for the day.

However, Branch revealed that she and her husband shared personal vows in the dressing room before they walked down the aisle, just as an intimate moment between them. The wedding was officiated by their best friend Tom Ellis, who also wore the hat of being a best man that night.

When it came to the wedding tradition of something new, old, and borrowed, Branch had a blue handkerchief from childhood, her “blue hanky.” The influencer incorporated it stylishly stitched into her wedding gown, which turned it into something new and old.

The bride wanted to feel like a princess on her wedding day; she said she was most excited to walk down the aisle to the "Beauty and the Beast" song "Tale as Old as Time."

The influencer felt that the song embodied the fairytale moment of walking to the altar and finding her soon-to-be husband waiting for her.

The Cinderella wedding was magical, but Shelby admitted that the drama surrounding this day's planning could be turned into a sitcom.

However, what remains essential is the love that the family shares. Branch wished her mother-in-law a happy birthday and described her as "kind, beautiful, strong, brilliant, supportive, and genuinely fabulous."

McEntire and Branch had a strong connection even before she became her son's wife, which puts both Branch and her husband at ease about their new life.

The Special Mother-Son Moment at McEntire's Son's Wedding

Having a mother who is also a hit-making singer means that wedding guests get to have a surprise performance. The queen of the country took the cinderella wedding up a notch when she performed her hit "Fancy."

Another memorable moment followed at the reception when McEntire and her son danced to another one of her hits, "You're Gonna Be (Always Loved by Me)" from 2005

The song was special because it is about a mother that has unconditional love for her child regardless of the challenges that come with life. It includes this verse;

You’re gonna fly with every dream you chase

We just have to believe things work out like they should

Life has no guarantees, but always loved by me

You’re gonna be, always loved by me”

The special moment between the singer and her son was captured by a wedding guest and musical Zach McCabe, and it had fans' hearts exploding. Later on, McEntire gave a solo performance of the song.

Shelby and Brandon had a beautiful Cinderella fairytale wedding, but it was more of an embodiment of all the significant moments in each of the couple's life, and it made everything extra unique and memorable.

As Shelby and Branch step into this new chapter, they hope to remember that a partnership can have ups and downs but what's important is the compromises.

They also want to continuously romanticize the small things like taking out the trash or remembering one another's coffee order.

At the time of their wedding, the COVID-Pandemic was still alarming, so the couple decided to put their honeymoon on hold. They knew they wanted it to be somewhere warm, but in the meantime, they were going to continue dating each other.

One Year and Happily Married

This year the couple shared their first wedding anniversary. Branch shared their engagement photos in disbelief that she had already been married for 365 days.

Even when the couple made it to the halfway mark, Branch shared another picture from their fairytale wedding and expressed how excited she still was to be going through life with her husband. The influencer even hinted that they would be going back to Disney for the first anniversary.

She thanked everyone involved in the wedding festivities and the creative photographers who took their beach engagement photos.

Shelby and Branch are still happily married and excited to embark on this journey of forever together. However, the influencer also shared pictures from her wedding with a funny story behind one of them.

She said she was cleaning the house and listening to a podcast when the topic of epic falls came about. The conversation triggered a memory from her wedding, specifically the moment the groom was meant to kiss his bride.

Shelby held his new wife, kissed her, and held her back as he slightly tilted her over a bit, but Branch admitted that her husband lost grip of this footing, and she was left to hold him from falling and ruining their moment.

Branch was reflecting on this moment and wondering what would have happened if she had lost her strength and they both fell during their first kiss as husband and wife. Nonetheless, the couple handled the mishap perfectly, and it remained their little secret until now.