Words couldn’t even begin to describe the way Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney felt when they saw their brides for the first time on their wedding day—but their new music video for their song “Speechless” at least attempts to.
The video, which dropped earlier this month, splices together video footage from both Smyers’ and Mooney’s weddings (Smyers, 30, married his longtime love, Abby Law, last May, and Mooney, 26, got hitched last October, to his fiancee Hannah Billingsley). In the three-and-a-half minute video, fans get a glimpse into both singers’ special day, from morning preparations to the last sparkler send-off at night.
“The lyrics of the song were inspired by the moment we first saw our wives walking down the aisle on our wedding days,” Smyers tells The Knot. “We wanted to set the visual tone by accompanying the song with a wedding-themed video, and using our own wedding footage felt the most genuine and authentic.”
Both men agreed that their first looks, which were edited back-to-back in the music video, were top among their most memorable moments from their respective weddings.
“I was so nervous my hands were shaking,” Mooney says. “I couldn’t say a word when I turned around. She looked absolutely breathtaking.”
In the video, Billingsley approaches Mooney on a grassy hill in Arkansas, while Law taps Smyers on the shoulder amid a walkway of tall trees in Nashville.
Other scenes show the couples getting ready for the day, posing for photos with their bridal parties (they both served as groomsmen for each other’s weddings), exchanging vows at the altar, and getting their groove on at the reception afterward. And there are kisses galore: the first kiss as husband and wife, stolen smooches at the reception, and quieter moments between the newlyweds.
“We wrote this song with this day in mind,” Mooney says. “We just wanted people to see what we saw and what we see every day. This isn’t a music video with paid actors. This is a real look at our weddings with our families and friends. A true look at a special piece of our life.”
(Credit: Vic Bonvicini)
Adds Smyers, “There was no better way to visually represent this than use the actual footage from the moment that inspired the song! Patrick Tracy sent the first cut of the video the morning of our one year anniversary, and Abby and I started the day by watching it. I get goosebumps even thinking about it!”
Looking back, both men can pinpoint their other favorite moments outside of the first look, and they vary in specifics, but not in sentiment.
“My Papa Mooney officiated the wedding,” Mooney says. “He was as nervous as we were.” Mooney also counts the moment the wedding was over and he and Billingsley were able to leave “knowing we had the perfect day to remember and an amazing life together to look forward to” as among his favorite moments of the day.
Smyers’ favorite moments include his first dance with Law, which was performed by their friend and label mate, Devin Dawson. He also counts his own performance at the wedding reception—to which Law and her father and stepfather shared their father-daughter dance, as a highlight. Perhaps the most unusual and unique memory, however, was “the ice cream truck!”
Just because both members of the country duo are now past their honeymoon phase, however, doesn’t mean they have any less to look forward to.
“The feeling of giving yourself completely to someone is something I can’t fully describe,” Mooney says. “It’s not just something you plan on trying for a while, it’s a promise of a life together.”
Agrees Smyers, “I love being able to hang out with my best friend every day, and every night! And, rescuing dogs together is pretty cool too.”