CHARLOTTE – Erin Gail Cloninger and Edward Armen Najarian were united in marriage Saturday, June 27, 2015, at Saint Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church. The Rev. Father Samuel Rith-Najarian served as celebrant for the 5 p.m. ceremony, after which the wedding party and guests enjoyed a reception at the Mint Museum Uptown at the Levine Center for the Arts.
The bride is the daughter of Doctor and Mrs. Kenneth Kyle Cloninger of Cherryville and the granddaughter of Mrs. Jackie Franklin Hodges of Salisbury and the late Mr. Hodges; Mrs. Marion Arnold Cloninger of Dallas and the late Mr. Cloninger; and the late Mr. Lacy Earl Gilbert Jr., formerly of Wagram. Erin is a 2004 graduate of Cherryville High School and earned a diploma from Mercy School of Nursing, Charlotte, and bachelor’s degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Erin was presented to western North Carolina society at the 2004 Shelby Junior Charity League Debutante Ball. She is currently employed as an ICU registered nurse by the Carolinas Healthcare System.
The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Armen Zaven Najarian of McDonough, Ga., and the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Zaven Petrak Najarian; the late Mr. Karatet Oganes Papikyan; and the late Ms. Valentina Anton Papikyan, all formerly of Yerevan, Republic of Armenia. Edward is a 2002 graduate of Henry County High School, McDonough, and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from The Georgia Institute of Technology. He is employed as a territory manager for Alpha Insulation and Waterproofing Company.
Erin was escorted by her father and presented in marriage by her parents. She chose her sister, Mrs. Jacob Charles Timmerman, as matron of honor. Six friends of the bride, Ms. Elyse Allerton Archer, Ms. Samantha Gwen Black, Mrs. Brandon Scott Carpenter, Ms. Margaret Elizabeth Clayton, Ms. Laura Elizabeth Dotson and Doctor Brett Ashton Miller, served as bridesmaids.
Mr. Mesrop Armen Najarian, brother of the groom, was best man. Groomsmen included Mr. Zareh Vazgen Najarian, cousin of the groom; and Mr. Troy Patrick Albright, Mr. Aaron Matthew Clark, Mr. Corey Ray Jackson, Mr. Jinesh Pravin Patel and Mr. Davin Singh Sandhu, all friends of the groom.
On Friday, June 26, the groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner to honor Erin and Edward at Rock Bottom Cafe in Charlotte. Following the wedding weekend events, the bridal couple departed for a trip to Europe.