Brittany Howard, the Grammy-winning singer, guitarist and songwriter behind Alabama Shakes, is a married woman. The Athens, Alabama native wed Anna-Maria Babcock on October 24, 2026, at Southall Farm & Inn in Franklin, Tennessee, with a ceremony and reception built around the couple's shared heritage.
The wedding details come from a slideshow published by Vogue, as noted by AL.com. Per that account, the couple wanted guests to feel the full weight of who they are, saying they hoped their people would feel like they knew exactly whose wedding they were at — one that was, in their words, very Black, very Mexican and very queer. A mariachi band performed during the festivities, and the reception reportedly featured a spread of Mexican and Southern food. Babcock is of Mexican heritage, while Howard grew up in Athens, Alabama.
A Nashville Meeting and a Pizza Rolls First Date
Howard and Babcock's story traces back to 2023, when they met at a show by musician Becca Mancari at The Blue Room in Nashville, a venue owned by Jack White. Their first date, per Vogue's account relayed by AL.com, involved pizza rolls and mocktails. Babcock, a former New Orleans resident and University of Indiana graduate, has worked in both the music industry and advertising; the couple is now based in Tennessee.
The proposal came a year later, on November 15, 2024, during what was billed as a fishing trip to Smith Lake in Alabama. Babcock was the one who popped the question. Howard later said of the moment, “Little did I know, this was more than a fishing trip.”
Music Down the Aisle, Family in the Crowd
The wedding soundtrack leaned into the same cultural blend the couple wanted the day to represent. Festivities included Stevie Wonder's “Isn't She Lovely” and Roberta Flack's “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” the latter performed by the mariachi band as part of the ceremony. Guests included both brides' families, among them their dads and moms.
A Big Year for Alabama Shakes' Frontwoman
The wedding caps a busy stretch for Howard, who fronts Alabama Shakes as singer, guitarist and songwriter. The band released its third studio album, “I Must Be Dreaming,” its first since 2015, and toured the U.K., Europe and North America behind it. The band's song “Hold On” was named by Rolling Stone as one of the 200 greatest rock songs of the 20th century so far, and Alabama Shakes also reunited for Tuscaloosa Get Up 3 at the Bama Theatre on December 18, 2024.
Howard's recent work has stretched beyond the band as well. She performed music from the film “Sinners” at the Academy Awards, appeared onstage with Buddy Guy and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and played the 2026 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
