Lainey Wilson and Devlin “Duck” Hodges stepped out together for their first ACM Awards appearance as newlyweds, sharing a sweet kiss on the Las Vegas red carpet on May 17.
Lainey Wilson and Devlin “Duck” Hodges made their first ACM Awards appearance together as husband and wife on Sunday, May 17, and the cameras caught the moment fans clearly wanted.
Posing on the red carpet in Las Vegas, the country star and her new husband shared a sweet kiss, shown in a video posted by ExtraTV on X. The clip circulated with the caption: “The new Mr. & Mrs.! Lainey Wilson and her hubby Duck Hodges share a kiss at the #ACMAwards.”
Wilson turned heads for the big country night, showing up without her signature wide-brimmed hat. Instead, she wore a strapless red fringed gown by Marmar Halim, a choice that set her apart as she arrived for the event.
The ACM Awards were a major night for Wilson even beyond the wedding glow. She entered with nominations in six categories and performed “Can’t Sit Still” for the audience. Still, despite all that attention, this year she didn’t bring home a trophy.
Last week, Wilson and Hodges had already pushed their relationship into a new spotlight when they tied the knot earlier this month in Dickson, Tenn. Wilson confirmed the surprise wedding on Friday, May 15, on Instagram, and the story was also covered in a glamorous write-up in Vogue.
For the couple, the location came from a detour that turned into a decision.. Wilson told Vogue: “Duck and I were driving backroads in Tennessee and saw a billboard for The Ruskin Cave.” She continued. “Duck said. ‘You wanna get married there?’ I said. ‘Done deal.’ We dropped by. saw the venue. and fell in love with the natural beauty of the cave and the simplicity of the property.”
The bride described the day as deeply emotional and joyful. “I have never seen Duck smile as big as he did then,” Wilson recalled. “It made me feel giddy about turning the page into this next chapter of marriage. We were both anxious to say ‘I do!’”
Their celebration, too, was built to feel warm rather than formal.. Wilson explained to Vogue. “We wanted it to be special and beautiful. but really welcoming and comfortable for our guests.” She added that they aimed to avoid taking themselves too seriously. bringing Louisiana flair into the mix: “Being from Louisiana. I wanted to bring in a little bit of Cajun flair. so naturally we hired a 12-piece jazz band called Rebirth and had a Cajun meal from the chefs at my bar. Bell Bottoms Up.”
Hodges, a retired football player, and Wilson have been together since 2021, when they were set up on a blind date. Wilson later told Vogue, “We’ve been pretty inseparable since.”
The timing of it all has been hard to miss: a May 15 Instagram confirmation of the Dickson, Tenn.. wedding earlier this month. a Vogue profile detailing the cave proposal story and the Cajun-centered celebration. and then—just days later—an ACM red carpet moment that turned their first appearance as Mr.. and Mrs.. into a public display of happiness.
Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Lainey Wilson Duck Hodges ACM Awards Las Vegas country music marriage red carpet kiss ExtraTV Vogue