Many soldiers at war are eager for the day they reunite with family and loved ones and forget the memories they’ve acquired overseas. Family and loved ones are equally eager for their return. One couple who planned to have their dream wedding once home from Afghanistan received more than they had hoped for.

Retired Central Baptist Academy Administrator Bill Bright of Magnolia surprised his granddaughter, Maghan Bright, and her fiancé, Army Private First Class Riely Barber, in Clarksville, Tenn., as they stood at the altar on Feb. 16.

Pictured, Maghan Bright (left) welcomes home Private First Class Riely Barber (right) on the Lifetime television series “Coming Home.”

Bill began the story by explaining Barber’s journey home from Afghanistan. Maghan received notification of when Barber was returning to the U.S. and was told he would be stationed at Fort Campbell, Ken. She then made arrangements to move from Florida, where the couple met in college, to Clarksville, Tenn. The base is only a short distance from Clarksville.

According to Bright, Maghan and Barber had been engaged about 16 months, during which time Barber had been deployed to Afghanistan for a year.

At that time Maghan was told that the Lifetime Production Company was on the army base with applications for loved ones to be a part of its new television series, “Coming Home.”

“Maghan said ‘well sure,’ and they picked her,” he said.

Producers interviewed Maghan for nearly a week, then filmed the reunion of the couple. Once Barber arrived in Clarksville filming continued and through the interviews Maghan expressed her desire for a dream wedding.

“In the course of the conversation my granddaughter said ‘I want to get married in a church that has stained glass windows. I want a beautiful wedding dress,’ and she said ‘I kind of hoped that my grand-daddy could perform the wedding,’” he said.

According to Bright, Lifetime informed Maghan that they would be unable to fulfill her wish to have her grandfather perform the wedding.

However, producer Alex Walton had made other arrangements. Bright said he was contacted by Walton, who told him about the show.

“They called me and asked me if I would be willing to fly up,” Bright said. “He said ‘We don’t want Maghan to know anything about it.’”

After arriving at the airport in Tennessee, Bright and his wife, Reta, met their future son-in-law for the first time. He explained his plans, saying that he had told Maghan to meet him at a church that he wanted her to visit.

The couple went to the church the following day. Barber kneeled and proposed once again.

“He already had the dress and the camera crew was ready,” Bright said. “She said yes and he said, ‘Well we are getting married today.’”

Barber explained to Maghan that the church staff knew of his plans, the wedding dress was with him and there was already a pastor ready to marry them.

Bright said that as Maghan proceeded to walk down the aisle, camera crews warned her not to look ahead because of the camera lights that were still being set up for the ceremony.

“She starts down the aisle and they are playing the music and about half way down she looked up and saw me,” Bright said. “She broke down and began to cry and when she began to cry I began to cry.”

“Some things touch you and that really touched us,” he said.

Bright explained that he and Maghan are very close and she has been more like a daughter.

“Maghan is the only granddaughter and she is very special,” he said. “We are just a very close-knit family.”

Bright and Reta have lived in Magnolia for 21 years and worked for the Central Baptist Academy during those years. They have been married almost 50 years.

After the show was filmed, Maghan and Barber traveled to Europe for their honeymoon.

The entire family will reunite in Florida on March 20 for a reception and celebration.

The “Coming Home” episode featuring the Brights and Barber will broadcast March 20 at 8 p.m. on Lifetime.

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