Sixty years ago, on May 30, 1966, country superstar Dolly Parton married the love of her life, Carl Dean, in a tiny, intimate ceremony. While the singer has kept much of their nearly six-decade relationship out of the spotlight, she has shared a handful of heartfelt stories over the years that offer a glimpse into their enduring romance.
As Parton became one of the biggest stars in the world, Dean preferred a quiet life away from the cameras—a remarkable choice given his wife’s global fame. The couple spent nearly 59 years together before Dean died in March 2025 at age 82. Read on to learn how the pair met, what Dean thought when he first laid eyes on Parton and what their small wedding day was really like.
Dolly Opens up About Her Marriage to Carl: ‘We Were Different People’
Dolly’s wedding was very small
For a superstar like Dolly Parton, you might’ve expected the singer would have a huge bash full of celebrities and friends and family. However, Parton and her husband opted for a much smaller affair, thanks to a warning from her then manager, Fred Foster.
Although the couple had expected to have a larger party, Foster told Parton that tying the knot would “make it so much harder” with “all this promotion,” as she was on the verge of her big break. So the two eloped to Ringgold, Georgia, where they exchanged vows in front of the pastor, his wife and Parton’s mother, Avie Lee Owens.
For the wedding dress, Parton went for a more understated look than her usual attire, opting for a simple, white, knee-length dress. As for the rings, Parton and Dean had to borrow money from his mother to get them.
“When my husband and I got married back in 1966, we didn’t have the money to buy anything, but my mother-in-law, Carl’s mother, she had a credit at Sears, a charge account,” Parton explained. “So we bought our rings at Sears on her account. I was working a little bit and [Carl] was working, so we paid her every month on my wedding rings.”
How did the couple meet?
Parton and Dean had a very simple meeting that feels straight out of a romantic comedy. The two first locked eyes while outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee.
“I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me),” Parton explained of their meeting. “He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”
Dean recalled the thoughts that were running through his mind when he first met Parton. He said, “My first thought was ‘I’m gonna marry that girl,’ My second thought was, ‘Lord she’s good lookin.’ And that was the day my life began. I wouldn’t trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth.”
It was just two years after that first meeting that the couple decided to get married on May 30, 1966. Then fifty years later, the couple decided to renew their vows on May 30, 2016. This time, the couple had the big, elaborate ceremony they couldn’t have the first time around.
“If I had it to do all over, I’d do it all over again, and we did,” Parton said of their vow renewal. “I’m dragging him kicking and screaming into the next 50 years.”
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