Bride And Groom

IT'S WEDDING SEASON again. You can tell because the average bridal magazine currently weighs more than the average bride. Bridal magazines are massive because they carry enormous amounts of advertising designed to convince the bride-to-be that her wedding will be a hideous disaster if it costs less than a nuclear aircraft carrier. "If your parents have any money left over for retirement, you have failed": That is the message to brides from the U.S. wedding industry. There are no magazines for grooms, of course.

The bride looked radiant in her pink and white dress. The groom was dapper in his business suit. The ceremony backdrop consisted of books on shelves, books on tables and a backroom cafe with patrons who seemed oblivious to the whole thing. Welcome to the Annapolis Bookstore wedding of Mark Hutson and Melanie Frances, a couple who on Wednesday proved neither rain, snow nor a government shutdown could prevent them from uniting in holy matrimony. While Wednesday's winter storm proved to be a nuisance for many, it provided a matrimonial wrinkle for Hutson, from Severna Park and Frances, from Montreal.

OCEAN CITY -- The bride stands barefoot in the still-steamy bathroom, reviewing her checklist with her reflection."Garter, penny, veil, perfume. I'm going without a watch. Got my teeth brushed. I need lipstick. What time is it? Whoa!"Downstairs, the groom stands beside the minister on the porch, shifting from one foot to the other. "Got my rings," he says, his hand feeling his pants pocket. "I'm set." His eyes are fixed on the door.The bride reaches with a trembling hand for a bouquet of plastic lilies.

My fiance Andrew and I are currently averaging about 10 weddings per year, as guests It's tough being 27, and EXPENSIVE. Anyway, we decided that our favorite weddings were those where we actually got to spend time with the bride and groom. After all, isn't that why we are all there in the first place?  In order to do that, regardless of how close you think you are to the newlyweds, the number of guests you are essentially competing with has to be limited. With this in mind, how on earth do we trim down our 250 person “wish list”?

Thomas E. Tuerke, son of Willam A. Tuerke III and the late Eleanor S. Tuerke, was married to Sara D. Holley, daughter of Willard R. Holley and Geraldine B. Holley on September 23, 2006. The wedding took place at the home of the bride's parents on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The bride and groom reside in Baltimore, MD.

Karol Marie Gailunas, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Gailunas and Brenton Quinn, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Quinn, were married June 26, 2004. The marriage was celebrated at St. Mark Chapel, Catonsville, MD. Honor attendants were Alixandra Gailunas, sister of the bride and Erik Quinn, brother of the groom. Both the bride and groom received their Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. After a honeymoon in Barbados, the couple now resides in Hoboken, NJ.

Aisling Gardner and Nick Fernandez were married on May 16, 2009 at St. Anne's Episcopal Parish in Annapolis, MD. Parents of the bride are Maureen Grace Gardner and Thomas Gardner. The groom is the son of JoAnne Zawitoski Fernandez and the late Guy Fernandez. The bride and groom are both graduates of the University of Maryland, College Park. The couple now resides in Richland, WA.

Beaches Negril, Jamaica was the setting for the April 18, 2005 wedding of Gina Hammen and Robert Sauer. The bride is the daughter of Adelaide Hammen and the late John J. Hammen, Jr. The groom is the son of Mildred Sauer and the late George H. Sauer, Jr. Along with the bride and groom and their mothers, in attendance at the wedding in Jamaica, were the bride's aunt and uncle, Joann and Howard Dail, and cousins Chris and Beth Marshall. A reception at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland on April 23, 2005, was attended by many family and friends.

b's Baltimore wedding guide It only happens once. (If you're lucky.) But the year leading up to the big day can be one big headache. There are a thousand questions. Where do you propose? What do you wear? How do you keep from becoming a Bridezilla? Every bride and groom to-be wants answers -- good answers, especially. View the photo gallery Here, we attempt to make sense of the 12 months leading up to the main event, from fashion to food and back again. Take this guide, to have and to hold, in sickness and health.

On July 23, 2005, Tracey H. Levitt, daughter of Joseph and Carol Levitt, and Michael J. Grela, son of Janusz and Barbra Grela were united in marriage. The couple was united in The Little Historic Wedding Chapel in Elkton, MDin an intimate afternoon ceremony. In addition to the couple and their parents, the groom's grandmother, Halina Gorski, was in attendance as well as Jeffrey and Kim Levitt, Keith and Dana Levitt, and Kathy Grela. The couple had an extended honeymoon in Bermuda, Ocean City, MD, and Bald Head Island, NC. Both bride and groom are Registered Nurses and willcontinue to travel the country withtheir job assignments.

b's Baltimore wedding guide It only happens once. (If you're lucky.) But the year leading up to the big day can be one big headache. There are a thousand questions. Where do you propose? What do you wear? How do you keep from becoming a Bridezilla? Every bride and groom to-be wants answers -- good answers, especially. View the photo gallery Here, we attempt to make sense of the 12 months leading up to the main event, from fashion to food and back again. Take this guide, to have and to hold, in sickness and health.

I didn't realize people still handed out favors at weddings until this year. Granted, I hadn't been to (or in) many weddings before, but I was still surprised to see gifts waiting for us at the door, even after we had been fed, boozed up, photographed and danced with. Being a guest is the best role at a wedding -- you have none of the fiscal or planning responsibilities, and yet reap all of the rewards. As mentioned, I was pretty new to weddings until this year, and really thought that I'd only walk away from them with a full belly and an exasperated liver.

Robert and Rosemary Miller, of Catonsville, announce the marriage of their daughter, Carolyn Marie Miller, to Sean Lawrence McEwen, son of Lawrence McEwen, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Theresa McEwen, of San Carlos, Calif. The bride and groom serve as captains in the Army. The Rev. Sousa officiated at the May 29 ceremony in St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Fort Monroe, Hampton, Va. Sarah Forster was maid of honor with Patrick McEwen, brother of the groom, as best man. Since returning from a honeymoon in Athens, Greece, the couple is residing in Williamsburg, Va.

Valerie Cappelaere and Sean Delaney Doreen and Pat Cappelaere, of Ellicott City, announce the engagement of their daughter, Valerie Alice Cappelaere, to Sean Michael Delaney, son of Maryann and Mike Delaney, of Gaithersburg. The bride-to-be is a 2009 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering. The future groom is also a 2009 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering.

Bradley and Lea Ann Mainster, of Churchville, announce the engagement of their daughter, Mary Lea, to Douglas James Gargano Jr., son of Douglas and Laura Gargano, of Perry Hall. The bride to be is a 2006 graduate of Perry Hall High School and a 2010 graduate of Towson University with a dual bachelor of science degree in general and special elementary education. She is a sixth grade special education teacher at Havre de Grace Middle School and a therapist for Endless Options, LLC, providing in-home and community services for children with autism.

Pam and Larry Burton, of Darlington, and Bruce Sargable, of Aberdeen, announce the wedding of their daughter, Amber Lea Mundis, to Brandon Ray Sexton on June 11 at Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church in Whiteford. Sexton is the son of Donna Ashley and the late Bobby Sexton. The reception was held at Geneva Farm Golf Course. The maid of honor was childhood friend, Brittney Bowmen. Joshua Spies served as the best man. Other members of the bridal party included Michele Tanman, Marion Thomas, Megan Swinehart, Becky Sexton, Jennifer Sargable, Tommy King, Jason Thomas, Tommy Kirby, Bruce Sargable, and RJ Strong.

Robert and Rosemary Miller, of Catonsville, announce the marriage of their daughter, Carolyn Marie Miller, to Sean Lawrence McEwen, son of Lawrence McEwen, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Theresa McEwen, of San Carlos, Calif. The bride and groom serve as captains in the Army. The Rev. Sousa officiated at the May 29 ceremony in St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Fort Monroe, Hampton, Va. Sarah Forster was maid of honor with Patrick McEwen, brother of the groom, as best man. Since returning from a honeymoon in Athens, Greece, the couple is residing in Williamsburg, Va.

Those who think the tossing of the bride's bouquet is nothing more than a time-honored tradition haven't heard the story of Danielle Brown. Danielle had been to dozens of weddings. And dozens of times, she had stood in a group of single ladies, all clambering to catch the flowers that signal a trip down the aisle. Never had she caught them. Then, last March, her luck changed. At a friend's wedding in Baltimore, Danielle again found herself in a scramble of satin dresses. Again, she reached out her arms and held her breath.

Over the past five years or so, I've attended a lot of weddings (including my own). It's so much fun to see how each bride and groom make the day unique. There were those who mixed colored sand in a keepsake jar, shared handwritten vows promising fidelity, laughter and even ChapStick, and those who set up an informal photo booth at their reception. One bride and groom departed their reception by boat; another couple borrowed lines from “The Princess Bride” and opted for instrumental Beatles songs for their procession.

Here's a look at what other media outlets are saying about the Green Bay Packers' 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV: • SI.com's Peter King wrote that while Charles Woodson spent the second half on the sidelines with a broken collarbone, the veteran cornerback wasn't going to let the pain dampen his mood. The memory of being at a locker with Woodson, who cherished his first championship of a 13-year career, will be with me for a long time.