Former Miss America from Alabama marries girlfriend, warming hearts all around

Miss America 2005, Deidre Downs Gunn, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Alabama, married attorney Abbott Jones in front of 200 guests over the weekend.

The two women marked their Southern-themed wedding celebration using the hashtag "DrandMrsAmerica," according to People, which reported exclusively on the wedding.

The ceremony took place at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Downs Gunn’s 8-year-old son gave away his mother and served as her best man.

Their wedding comes two years after Miss Missouri, Erin O'Flaherty, broke ground by becoming the first openly gay woman to compete in the Miss America pageant.

Pageant chairwoman Gretchen Carlson, Miss America 1989, congratulated the newlyweds on social media. "Here’s to @deidredowns and @abbottjones celebrating their very special day."

Carlson took over the pageant last summer after it became public that top officials had used vulgar language to describe former contestants.

Miss America 2015, Kira Kazantsev, and fans of the pageant also welcomed the news.

Downs Gunn, 37, was crowned on Sept. 18, 2004, and was the third Miss America from Alabama.

After her reign, she attended the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham. According to her website, she is a reproductive endocrinologist at the UAB Medical Center.

In 2008, she married Andrew Gunn and they had a son before they divorced, according to Al.com.

She met Jones, an attorney and writer, online in February 2017, People reported. She proposed on Christmas after they watched Jones’ favorite "Dr. Who" Christmas special.

"Saying our vows in front of our family and friends and making that commitment to the love of my life was the most meaningful part of the day for me," Downs Gunn told People.

This story was originally published April 16, 2018 at 10:30 AM with the headline "Former Miss America from Alabama marries girlfriend, warming hearts all around."