“She Said Yes!” — ‘Y&R’ Star Camryn Grimes Marries Brock Powell in a Magical New Orleans Wedding md23

The Young and the Restless star Camryn Grimes is married!

The 35-year-old actress wed voice actor Brock Powell at the Columns Hotel in New Orleans on Saturday, Nov. 8. The “intimate” celebration featured a local pianist, vibrant street parade, and tarot card reader.

“Travel is very important to both of us,” the couple tells PEOPLE. “We wanted our friends and family to feel like they’re on an adventure with us — a few days to explore a new place, eat some incredible food, and take in everything New Orleans has to offer. And at the end, throw an incredible party and thank them for their support and love!”

Grimes and Powell wanted their wedding to feel like they were “on vacation with those closest” to them. They invited approximately 75 guests, including the bride’s uncle and actor Scott Grimes, actor Robert Palmer Watkins, actress Hayley Erin, voice actor Eric Bauza, and Phineas and Ferb creator Dan Povenmire.

Brock Powell (left) and Camryn Grimes.
Mo Davis Photography
The couple ultimately decided on New Orleans because it represented “the intersection of a lot of different passions and loves.” Their venue also “really spoke to” them, inspiring the sophisticated and spooky “vibe” of their wedding.

“It’s a little moody, a little funky but at the same time very classy and historic,” Grimes explains.

Powell adds, “Visiting the venue gave us a classic Haunted Mansion feel, and as a former Disney tour guide I was in love instantly.”

Camryn Grimes’ wedding venue.
Mo Davis Photography

Yoko Shimomura’s “Dearly Beloved,” one of Grimes and Powell’s favorite themes from the Kingdom Hearts video games, played during the wedding procession.

The Daytime Emmy Award winner opted for an elegant two-piece look from KYHA, which she “fell in love with” during her first bridal appointment at En Blanc in Santa Monica, California.

“That was it!” she remembers. “I’m not a terribly fussy shopper and I could just tell when I got it on that it was the one for me.”

Camryn Grimes in her wedding gown.
Mo Davis Photography
To celebrate the couple’s mutual Scottish and Irish heritage, the ceremony incorporated the Celtic ritual of handfasting in which the pair’s hands were bound together to symbolize their union, hence “tying the knot.” The bride and groom also exchanged handwritten vows.

The couple say they were most looking forward to “solidifying our love in front of our friends, family and our first son Bridger,” who was born on Dec. 13, 2023. For Powell, marriage represents, “a commitment to the best versions of ourselves, each other and a promise to help make the dreams of the other person become a reality.”

The ceremony was officiated by Bill Rogers, who has been nicknamed “The Voice of Disneyland” for his park announcements.

“When Cam and I first met, he assisted with a holiday surprise during 2020 that allowed us to bring Disneyland home,” Powell says.

In true New Orleans fashion, there was a second line parade after the ceremony. A brass band led the newlyweds and their guests dancing in the street with handkerchiefs.With a goal of “good food, good music, [and] good friends,” the celebration continued with a first dance to “Crystal” by Stevie Nicks, a buffet-style dinner and freshly baked beignets “with a special wedding flair” from the Beignet Box. There was also a table dedicated to deceased loved ones so that everyone could “celebrate with them in spirit.”

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Grimes and Powell joke that their wedding was “a long time coming.” The couple romantically connected in early 2020 after meeting during the pandemic lockdowns in Los Angeles. Two years later, Powell popped the question in an Up-themed proposal on Jan. 7, 2022, Grimes’ 32nd birthday. “Honestly, my mind was blank and all I could say was, ‘Oh, my God,’ over and over again … It was so deeply touching,” Grimes told PEOPLE at the time.

Brock Powell (left) and Camryn Grimes.
Mo Davis Photography
“I knew very early on that I wanted to do life with this person, and we have had some crazy things to contend with thus far,” she continued after her engagement. “Every day we choose each other, so as a team, anything seems possible.”

The next chapter for the newlyweds will consist of a family trip to New Zealand, then a Fiji getaway for just the two of them. Plus, lots of pets, travel and rest. The near future will also involve some work, as Grimes and Powell plan to collaborate on a children’s book dedicated to their son in honor of their passion for reading bedtime stories to him.

“[We look forward to] sharing a name and being able to publicly celebrate this partnership every day we are together,” the couple says. “And building a life and home together with intention and wonder.”