Weddings were centerpieces for a season full of romance

PERRYSBURG WEDDING: Brian Visser and Julie Gilley married in Zoar Lutheran Church.

Weddings delighted this summer with tradition, elegance, beauty, and romance. Several were smaller, more intimate gatherings, some were in homes, but all had their special touches.

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PERRYSBURG WEDDING: Brian Visser and Julie Gilley married in Zoar Lutheran Church.

Julie Gilley and Brian Visser tied the wedding knot July 27 at Zoar Lutheran Church in Perrysburg. In place of a receiving line, the bride, the daughter of Suzi and Ted Hahn of Rossford and Michael and Laureen Gilley of Sylvania, and the bridegroom, the son of Ron and Becky Visser of Perrysburg, ushered every guest from the church.

A riverfront reception followed at the lovely Eagle Point Colony home of Mr. and Mrs. Hahn, where the bride honored her grandparents, Phyllis and Norm Rier of Toledo, for their 61 years of marriage. The newlyweds went on a brief honeymoon in the Boundary Waters area of Minnesota before returning to their home in Toledo. A trip to Brazil will follow in December.

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“Yoderville,” established in 1975, when newlyweds Tim and Jennifer Yoder settled down to start a family, was the perfect setting July 6 for the wedding of their son, Ryan Yoder, and Nissa Hudak.

The bride is the daughter of Fredericka Hudak of Perrysburg and George Hudak and his wife, Betsy, of Marysville, Ohio.

FAMILY EVENT: Nissa Hudak and Ryan Yoder were married at the Yoder home in Whitehouse.

The all-white tropical-theme setting was enchanting with flowers and lights, floral leis for women, shell leis for men, and mounds of fresh fruit and finger foods on the warm, starry night. The groom wore a Ti leaf lei and the bride wore a double orchid lei. Extra fun were the bridesmaids' ensembles — each wore a Swarovski crystal tattoo on her shoulder.

The idea for the tropical theme developed right after the couple became engaged last December and went on a vacation in Hawaii with the bridegroom's parents, who were celebrating their 25th anniversary, and the groom's grandparents, Janis and Charles Witte, who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

The couple became engaged during a University of Michigan basketball game right after Nissa sang the national anthem. Ryan proposed to her in front of the crowd, and of course she said yes.

Friends from all over the United States, Canada, and England came to the wedding, and stayed, and stayed, and stayed at the reception, formerly known as the Witte City.

Finally, at 4:30 a.m., the bride and groom and their remaining guests said farewell, but regrouped at a brunch the next day. The newlyweds reside in the LaSalle building downtown and are planning a honeymoon later.

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AT THE CHURCH: Robert Franz and Gretchen LeBoutillier were wed in St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Maumee, where the bride's parents were married 36 years ago.

Gretchen LeBoutillier, daughter of George and Stepper LeBoutillier of Perrysburg, became the wife of Robert Franz, son of Andrew Franz of Princeton, N.J., on July 6 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Maumee, where the bride's parents were married 36 years ago.

The bride is the granddaughter of Felia LeBoutillier and the late Philip LeBoutiller, Jr., of Perrysburg, and Stephen and Laurina Girard of Napa Valley and Palm Springs. The newlyweds enjoyed parties all week prior to the wedding, then had a reception at Toledo Country Club. They stayed late, then climbed onto hay bales in the back of an antique 1952 red pick-up from the old Belmont Farm, where her father grew up, to drive through downtown. After their three-week honeymoon along the coast to Seattle, San Francisco, and on to the Napa Valley, they settled down in their home in Newport News, Va.

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HOMECOMING: Kerri Meinhart and Thad Stahly were married in the Libbey-Perkins mansion in the Old West End, the home of the bride's mother and stepfather.

Kerri Meinhart and Thad Stahly took the homestead route for their June 22 wedding. They were married in the bride's mother's and stepfather's home, the Libbey-Perkins mansion in the Old West End. It was followed by a reception at the Toledo Yacht Club.

The bride is the daughter of Jeanene Perkins and her husband, Skip, and Gary Meinhart and his wife, Cheryl, of Temperance, Mich.

The bridegroom is the son of Michael and Linda Stahly, of Delta, Colo.

A “meet the groom night” was held the previous Monday at Fifth Third Field; the rehearsal dinner was at the historic Park Lane Hotel, and a wedding brunch was the Sunday after at the home of Jack and Deborah Pozsik. After a Mackinac Island honeymoon, the newlyweds moved to their home in Olathe, Colo., where a wedding celebration was held for their family and friends there on July 6.

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Kristin Kelleher, daughter of former Toledoan John Kelleher, Jr., and his wife, Cindy, of Amarillo, Texas, was married June 22 to Scott Danford, son of Barbara and Charles Danford of Denver. The couple went on a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico before settling down in their Englewood, Colo., home.

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Christine Peluso, daughter of Roger and Lillian Peluso of Sylvania, opted for an intimate family wedding June 14 in Hawaii. She married Kip Johnson, son of Avalon Johnson, and Erwin Johnson and his wife, Martha, all of Tucson. The ceremony was at the Lima-Huli Valley Estate in Kauai, Hawaii, at the foot of Bali Hai, a mystical and romantic setting of incredible beauty. After the reception at the Princeville Golf Club in Kauai, Hawaii, the newlyweds honeymooned in Fiji before returning to their Tucson home.

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NEWLYWEDS: Nicole Meuche and George George were married in Epworth United Methodist Church.

Whew! It was a hectic seven weeks for Sue Ann Dolin, who had three children's weddings and a graduation in that time.

Former Toledoan Michael Meuche of Cincinnati, son of Mrs. Dolin and Ted Meuche, both of Toledo, married Rebecca Stratmann of Bowling Green, the daughter of Gary and Sharon Stratmann, also of Bowling Green, on April 20. The wedding was at Epworth United Methodist Church, with a reception at Stone Ridge Country Club in Bowling Green. After an Aruba honeymoon, the couple made their home in Cincinnati.

A few weeks later, on May 25, Michael Meuche's sister, Nicole, and her fiance, George George, both graduated from Northeastern Ohio Universities college of medicine, in Rootstown, Ohio. Then on June 8, the couple were married at Epworth United Methodist Church.

The bridegroom is the son of George and Mary Ellen George of Wadsworth, Ohio. After an Inverness Club reception and a Cancun honeymoon, they are residing in Augusta, Ga., where they are in residency at the Medical College of Georgia.

The next day, June 9, while the newlyweds were jetting to Cancun, Ira H. Dolin, stepson of Sue Anne Dolin and son of the late Shale Dolin and the late Marlyne Dolin, and Elizabeth Braxton Meadows, daughter of Daniel and Dixie Braxton of Ayden, N.C., had a garden wedding and reception at the home of Mr. Dolin's brother and sister-in-law, Mark and Alison Dolin of Novi, Mich. They also went to Cancun for their honeymoon, but the newlywed couples never ran into each other.

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It was an exciting day June 9 for Tim Condon, assistant golf pro at Sylvania Country Club. He nixed his golf duds and sported a tuxedo to repeat matrimonial vows with his bride, Diane Markham, on the patio overlooking the 18th green. A reception followed in the main dining room.

The couple became engaged one night while they were playing golf. She putted one in, and when she went to retrieve the ball, there was an engagement ring in a box in the cup. She had not played golf before, but now their life revolves around the sport. Needless to say, photos were taken of the couple in their wedding clothes on a golf cart.

The groom is the son of Darla Dreier and her husband, Wayne, of Northwood, and Jim Condon and his wife, Barb, of Monclova Township. The bride is the daughter of Donald and Christine Markham of Orlando, Fla.

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Former Toledoan William Senhauser, founding executive director of the Equal Justice Foundation, who is deputy general counsel for Fannie Mae in Washington, says, “It was a work romance that worked out” when he talks about meeting his sweetheart, Rebecca Culberson, at work. She is a senior vice president at Fannie Mae.

He is the son of Don and Helen Senhauser of Columbus. The bride is the daughter of Jim and Joan Culberson of Asheboro, N.C. They were married May 18 in Orange, Va., and went to Nantucket and Bermuda on their honeymoon. They reside in Washington.

WINNING WAYS: Pat Robinson is competing for the Mrs. International title.

Mrs. Ohio, Pat Robinson, is in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., at the Mrs. International competition this week.

Women who are 21 to 55 years old and have been married for at least one year can compete. They are judged on interviews, physical fitness, evening gowns, and, most important, their platform. The competition is about family and community, according to Mrs. Robinson. “Of course they want you to look good, but It's what you have done to make a difference that counts the most.”

Mrs. Robinson's platform is the relationship between mental and physical health.

Mrs. Robinson, a retired teacher, is sponsored by the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Red Cross, and the American Heart Association.

Finals for the 60 contestants are Aug. 17.

The secret is out. Tuesday night in McMaster Center lobby of the Main Branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, guests of the Junior League of Toledo gathered in anticipation of the news — who would be the guest speaker for the 14th annual Toledo After Hours?

The answer is, former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. He is slated to speak during the Feb. 6 gala at the Stranahan Great Hall, according to TAH chairwoman Anne Ruggiero.

As of Thursday, more than 10 percent of the 1,500 tickets available have been sold. Tickets are $175 per person for a grazing-format dinner, followed by the speaker. For an additional $100 per person, one can attend the private reception with Mr. Giuliani. Major sponsors —those who contribute a minimum of $5,000 — will be invited to a private dinner that night with Mr. Giuliani. Sponsors already on board, even before the announcement, include Key Bank, Dana Corp., and Cooper Smith Advertising, according to league president Cindy Skaff.

After the announcement, guests sipped wine and chatted. Seen were reception chairwoman Terri Metzger; new community advisory board member Earl Apgar and his wife, Jean; Tony Shelbourne; Lucianne Phillips; active members Missy DiSalle and her husband, John, and Kathie Padilla and her husband, Ben; past presidents Bridget Holt, Barb Metusalem, and Shelly Conyngham, and sustainer members Karen Merrels, Susan Palmer and her husband, Tom, Vicki Suder, Penny Staelin and her husband, Steve, Nancy Kabat and husband, Tom, and Andrea and her husband, John Monoky.