It's a Tale as Old as Time! Shelby Blackstock and Marissa Branch Say 'I Do' in a Fairytale Disney Wedding

Shelby Blackstock and his longtime love Marissa Branch have said "I do!"

Reba McEntire's son, 31, and Branch, 29, a social media influencer and licensed esthetician, tied the knot on Saturday, Feb. 12 at a magical location — Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. McEntire, 66, and her boyfriend Rex Linn, along with Blackstock's brother Brandon, were in attendance.

The couple, who first met on the dating app Tinder in 2014, didn't start dating until two years later — something they consider a bit of a "Tinderella story."

"We made fast friends early on and have had a strong bond ever since. We are twin flames. There's this indescribable feeling of déjà vu when we are together — as if life is reminding us that we're following our destiny," the couple tells PEOPLE. "In retrospect, our mutual friends could see how compatible we are. They would always recommend that we should date; I think we were the only ones who didn't see it (at the time)."

They continued, "The love was always there; we just didn't understand it until we were both in the right headspace and had the maturity to recognize it. We both agree that if we had dated immediately upon meeting, we likely would not be as prepared as we are now to deserve one another."

The Hartland CEO and former race car driver (Blackstock won GT World Challenge America Overall Champion in 2020) and Branch decided to hold their wedding — planned by Disney's Diane Bowen and Hugh Howser and his team H Three Events, with flowers by Heather Greer — at Epcot and the Magic Kingdom because the theme parks hold "sentimental" value.

"My mom worked there when she was younger, managing the Small World ride. It was my Nana's favorite. She passed away in 2006 at the age of 57, while I was in middle school. She was my rock, and her passing affected me deeply," Branch tells PEOPLE. "To this day, one of my most cherished photos features the two of us on Small World. Shelby and I first visited Disney World together six years ago — the first time I had been back since my grandmother passed. We rode Small World in her memory, which was really moving for both of us."

The parks themselves also eventually became the site for many of the couple's most memorable milestones.

"Epcot was the first place Shelby said 'I love you' and where he would later propose. Some of our happiest times together have happened at Epcot, so celebrating our nuptials there just made sense!" Branch says. "Nana will undoubtedly be with us in spirit on the big day, most notably as our flower girls walk down the aisle to 'It's a Small World' in her honor — which brought instant waterworks from my mom when she learned of our plan!"

Guests enjoyed cocktail hour and dinner at Rotunda Bistro at Epcot ahead of the ceremony, along with fireworks at Italy Isola, before moving to the Magic Kingdom for the exchange of vows after the park closed for the evening.

When it came to the ceremony, Blackstock and Branch say that despite the current state of COVID, they are still fortunate to have "avoided most of the nightmares" other couples have faced while getting married during the pandemic.

In the process, the pair adopted a "life waits for no one" approach.

"The pandemic has brought along the realization that it's likely not going away any time soon. We lost both of Shelby's grandmothers in 2020 and it made us realize how precious life is. We must adapt and overcome if we are to progress," Branch says.

Ahead of the wedding, Branch says she was most excited to walk down the aisle to a song that's fitting in their relationship: "Tale as Old as Time" from Beauty and the Beast.

"Though I've loved the tune long before I ever had any real ideas of marriage, its lyrics perfectly capture what any bride would be feeling," she says. "I know once I reach the altar it will be a true fairytale moment, with my handsome (fortunately not beastly), almost-husband waiting for me."

One of their close friends, Tom Ellis, who was also the best man, officiated the ceremony. The couple also shared that instead of exchanging their vows publicly, they exchanged "more personal thoughts and feelings" during their first look.

For food and dessert — catered by Disney — the couple enjoyed a 3-D projection almond with raspberry buttercream mapping cake featuring "scenes of a flying Tinkerbell and nods to our favorite Princess weddings." They also had Mickey and Minnie Mouse macarons and Be Our Guest's "Grey Stuff," also inspired by Beauty and the Beast. "I mean, if Lumiere recommends it, it must be worth trying, right?" Branch jokes.

For her big day, Branch wore a dress by Galia Lahav (found at Dress Theory Nashville) and a reception dress by Balmain, with shoes by Christian Louboutin. Meanwhile, the groom wore a suit by Oak Hall. The couple's rings were by Vincent Peach.

In terms of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, the bride enlisted a lace handkerchief gifted to her as a baby that the family now calls the "magic hanky."

"It can be worn as a bonnet, or for a christening, then saved until your wedding day. With a simple clip of the stitch, poof, it's something old and something new. I can't wait to walk down the aisle with something that's been with me since the day I came into this world. I will also be donning some beautiful jewelry from my mother and mother-in-law to be as my something borrowed/something blue," Branch tells PEOPLE.

For now, the couple will hold off on any honeymoon plans to see how COVID restrictions pan out in the coming months — but definitely plan on "somewhere warm." In the meantime, they'll keep dating each other — it's "the most important thing to remember," Branch says.

"Never forget the little things that make one another happy. It could be as simple as taking out the trash, remembering how your partner takes their tea/coffee in the morning, or it could be as complex as planning a surprise date night (Shelby surprised me with a cool helicopter trip over Nashville once!). Effort and communication is everything. Relationships aren't meant to be easy- they're meant to be messy and met with compromise."

Looking ahead to what the future holds, the couple looks forward to "attacking life together."

"We've known each other for so long, from both a 'just friends' to a dating perspective," they tell PEOPLE. "Tackling whatever life throws our way as husband and wife — creating a family and legacy, together — excites us more than anything."