Charlene Tilton throws wedding for her daughter Cherish Lee
Dallas star Charlene Tilton and her ex-husband - country crooner Johnny Lee – have been divorced for 30 years. But they came together to celebrate the wedding of their only daughter Cherish Lee.
And where else would the woman who played Lucy Ewing in Dallas hold such a celebration but at Southfork Ranch in Parker, Texas,.where Charlene co-starred in the hit TV series from 1978 until 1985 and again from 2012 until 2014.
Cherish, 31 tied the knot with her fiancé of only two months, 31-year-old Matt Dunn at the very ranch last month. Both are country singers.
'Southfork was my second home since I began playing 17-year-old Lucy Ewing in 1978,' Tilton, 55, told Mail Online in an exclusive interview.
Scene setter: Where else would Lucy Ewing hold such a celebration as her daughter's wedding but at Southfork Ranch in Parker, Texas. Charlene and Cherish's dad country singer Johnny Lee divorced 30 years ago
Deja vu: Dallas castmembers Patrick Duffy ( Bobby Ewing), Victoria Principal (Pamela Barnes Ewing), Barbara Bel Geddes ( Eleanor 'Miss Ellie' Ewing), Larry Hagman (John Ross 'J.R.' Ewing, Jr.), Charlene Tilton ( Lucy Ewing), Jim Davis (John Ross 'Jock' Ewing), and Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing) at Southfork ranch in 1979
Here comes the bride: Mom and Dad walked Cherish down the aisle
Hitched: Cherish, 31, tied the knot with her fiancé of only two months, 31-year-old Matt Dunn at Southfork
'Larry Hagman was like an uncle to me and I have many great memories of our times together. His death greatly affected me and I miss him very much.'
Hagman died in November, 2012 of complication from acute myeloid leukemia.
'When my daughter Cherish was born in 1982, I used to bring her down on the set, and she loved running around the ranch and through the fields at Southfork, and we both agreed it would be a dream location for a wedding.
'The ranch staff could not have been more accommodating,' she adds.
RELATED ARTICLES
Just married! Bradley Cooper's ex-wife Jennifer Esposito... 
Check out her ring! Benedict Cumberbatch and fiancée Sophie...
Share this article
Share'They booked me into the 'Miss Ellie Suite,' at the nearby Southfork Hotel (named after the late Dallas actress Barbara Bel Geddes who died in 2005) and the chef laid out a huge spread offering beef and chicken skewers and lots of Southwestern fare, including mini tacos and homemade guacamole.
'And Cherish's Auntie baked her a three-tier white cake with white icing and flowers covering the layers.
'As you might imagine, with such a talented family, the music flowed,' she says. 'My two-ex husbands… Cherish's dad Johnny and my second husband Dominick Allen, a Vegas entertainer, serenaded her, and her new husband Matt Dunn performed a song he'd written especially for the occasion.
'And Cherish and her dad even performed a few duets.'
We love Lucy: Charlene co-starred in the hit TV series from 1978 until 1985 and again from 2012 until 2014
Dream come true: 'When my daughter Cherish was born in 1982, I used to bring her down on the set, and she loved running around the ranch,' Charlene tells MailOnline. 'We both agreed it would be a dream location for a wedding'
Tilton married 'Lookin' for Love' singer Johnny Lee in 1982. Their daughter was born later that year. And despite the fact Charlene and her ex once shared a stormy relationship; they came together earlier this year when he lost his only son, 23-year-old Johnny Lee Jr., from a drug overdose.
'My daughter and her-half brother were very close,' says Tilton. 'And she was devastated over his loss.
'But I believe God has a way of healing grieving families by bringing them together to share the joy we were all able to share on Cherish's wedding day.
'When tragedy strikes, we need to let bygones be bygones, so I reached out to Cherish's distraught father in an effort to offer comfort.
'We have been able to forge a new, more amicable relationship and while it's still a work in progress, we are both determined to be there for our daughter and new son in law, and of course for any grandkids that come along!'
The heartbreak of losing her only sibling may actually have played a part in Cherish and her new man finding each other.'
Soon after her brother died, Cherish went to stay with her father in Dallas. And that is where she met her new husband.
'Although Matt is a singer and guitar player, he spent four years with the army in Afghanistan,' says Tilton.
'When he returned to the States in 2011, he signed on as the opening act for Johnny Lee. He and Cherish met in June, and it was love at first sight.
'He actually proposed out under a tree at Johnny Lee's ranch, and they were married just four months after they met!
Cherish is off to Nashville to record a new album next month. She and Matt will also tour the US performing together.
Wheels: Cherish Lee arrived at her wedding venue in her dad's vintage red Camaro convertible with dad at the wheel and she and mom seated in the back. She was then escorted down the aisle by both proud parents.
'Not only do Cherish and Matt have their performing in common while my daughter was grieving the loss of her brother, Matt was mourning the loss of his father who died last year as the result of a freak accident,' she said.
Cherish Lee arrived at her wedding venue in her dad's vintage red Camaro convertible with dad at the wheel and she and mom seated in the back. She was then escorted down the aisle by both proud parents.
'Cherish looked amazing,' says her mom. 'She wore a floor length, white, strapless, Vera Wang couturier gown accompanied by a traditional white veil. She carried a bouquet of white hydrangeas with white and peach colored roses, and seven bridesmaids and seven groomsmen were in attendance.
'There were about 105 invited guests, including my Dallas co-star Sheree Wilson who played April Stevens.
'And while Matt and Cherish said their vows outdoors with Southfork Ranch as a back drop, we later moved indoors for the reception, music and dancing.'
Charlene says the couple hope to have a more traditional honeymoon in the near future, but with only a few days free, they opted to stay close to their new Dallas apartment and do a few things on their bucket list like visit the zoo, and attend a WWE wrestling match.
'Cherish is off to Nashville to record a new album next month,' shares the proud mom. 'And she can't wait to get started. She and Matt will also tour the US performing together, and they are really looking forward to that.
'Of course like any mother of the bride, I hope they will have children someday, but for the time being I'd like to see them concentrate on their careers because they are both extremely talented.'
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKymqLWww8GisWiZoqm2pLjEZmlxbGBlfXV7qK1krGWDpMK1tMWoqaRlp5qxpbXNoGR9mZyhrrR50q2Yq2Vzna6zuMSnnGaMmaHBsLqMrZ%2Brp6eoeqm7zJ5kmp6WlrazecKorKesoq56tLXNoJyrZZSWwqi0056pZqqRo7CpecWapKito2KSuLXNoKpnoKSiuQ%3D%3D