Summer season of vows

HAPPY ENDING: The scene for Nick Murray's and April Kelly's wedding is Hollywood-like.

The honeymoon isn t over for couples who tied the wedding knot this summer as they recall their magical moments as beaming brides and dashing grooms.

BUBBLING OVER: Jean-Baptiste LeBoutillier and Nicole Frechette exit Zoar Lutheran Church as husband and wife.

IT MUST have been destiny for Nicole Frechette and Jean-Baptiste LeBoutillier. They met while at Maumee Valley Country Day School, even dated in college, but then went their separate ways: she off to New York and he to San Francisco. After 15 years, they met again in Perrysburg. And the rest is history.

A lovely French-style garden reception followed their wedding Sept. 25 at Zoar Lutheran Church. The reception on the moonlit night was at the home of the bride s parents, John and Nancy Jack, which is also the River House, a bed and breakfast.

Guests gadded about the gardens and deck as they nibbled French cheeses and wines, then dined under a giant tent accented with flowers and lights for a fabulous feast by Matthew s Creative Cuisine. The newlyweds went on a Zihuatanejo, Mexico, honeymoon, then returned to their home in Columbus in German Village.

AT SUNSET, the bride walked down an aisle flanked with lanterns nestled in the trees at the Grotto, Nazareth Hall. There her groom waited as the wedding party, family, and friends looked on. Sarah Campbell, the daughter of Ralph Campbell of Bucyrus and Mary Repass of Toledo tied the wedding knot with Patrick Needham, son of James Needham and Patricia Bias, both of Cleveland.

The Sept. 24 event was a Lord of the Rings-themed wedding. Everyone dressed in hobbit, elf, and wizard costumes. Even the pastor dressed as Gandalf, complete with hat and beard.

A candlelight procession led guests into the hall for a Medieval style reception with roasted game hens and vegetables, spiced wine, lively music, and a cake, which was the replica of the white city Minas Tirith. Afterward, the couple traveled to Arizona and the Grand Canyon.

HAPPY ENDING: The scene for Nick Murray's and April Kelly's wedding is Hollywood-like.

LIKE a movie scene high on a cliff overlooking the ocean, the bride and groom repeated their vows on the beach in Camden, Maine, as sailboats breezed by and bagpipe players marched the lush English-style grounds, where family and friends gathered for the reception. It was the wedding of Nick Murray, son of Isabel Murray and the late James S. Murray of Toledo, and April Kelly, daughter of Terri and Don Kelly of Camden and West Palm Beach. The groom s brother, Jim Amstutz of San Francisco flew in to be best man for Nick, who was the best man at his wedding.

The bride and the groom, who met in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., twirled to the swing band on their wedding day Sept. 5 then honeymooned in Maine before heading back to their Ferndale, Mich. home.

CLARE Smith and Joel Gorski s Sept. 4 wedding date was extra sentimental. It was the day before both of their parents wedding anniversaries on Sept. 5. Ms. Smith is the daughter of Charles and Kathleen Smith of Perrysburg. They were married in 1960 on Labor Day so their parents wouldn t have to close the family drug store in Swanton. Mr. Gorski is the son of Lucy Gorski and the late Theodore Gorski of Perrysburg, who were married in 1953. The wedding was at Monroe Street United Methodist Church with a reception at Carranor Hunt and Polo Club. After a honeymoon in Portugal, the newlyweds returned to Perrysburg.

THE BANKS of the Carp River, Leland, Mich., was the setting for the intimate Aug. 18 wedding of Hope Cheney and James Bentley. The bride, daughter of Hugh and Lynn Cheney of Cornwall, Conn., was elegant in a simple white gown and the groom, son of Thomas and Gill Bentley of Perrysburg and Lake Leelanau, Mich., was handsome in a blazer and khakis.They repeated their vows as immediate family witnessed. A lovely luncheon followed, ending just before a summer storm.

The bride and groom met at The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, Conn., where they were classmates. The bride, fluent in French, participated in the Willing Workers on Organic Farms Program in Italy, while the groom, fluent in Spanish, taught in rural Ecuador and participated in the same farm program in New Zealand. The newlyweds returned to their home in Interlochen, Mich.

Both families have businesses that started back in the 1800 s including Bentley & Sons Co. in Toledo, which was started in 1877 and closed in 1982. The groom is a descendant of Joshua Chamberlain, Civil War general, president of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and state governor.

IN THE shadow of the ruins of the ancient Roman town by the Mediterranean Sea with the Israeli sunset and blazing torches surrounding them, Joy Jacobs and Eitan Pilipski were wed in Caesaria, Israel, on Aug. 16, with the former chief rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Meir Lau, officiating. The ethereal setting was the perfect backdrop for the bride and groom as they stood with their families under the white organza-draped chuppa. The bride, a doctoral student at the University of California, is the daughter of Frank and Lynn Jacobs of Toledo, and the groom, an engineer in San Diego, is the son of Israel and Zehava Pilipski of Tel Aviv.

Also sharing their special day was the bride s grandmother, Marianne Balshone of Palm Beach, Fla., as well as her aunt and uncle Marvin and Marilyn Jacobs of Toledo. After the couple exchanged vows in Hebrew and English, exchanged rings, and drank from the wine cup, shouts of Mazal Tov erupted as the groom crushed the symbolic glass. Music followed during the dinner indoors with animated dancing.

The newlyweds, back in California, plan to visit Toledo during Thanksgiving.

A BEAUTIFUL sunny day that ended in a star-kissed night on the waters edge at Quarry Beach and Racquet Club was the scene Aug. 14 for the wedding of Tami Gnepper and Carl Wise. The beach-side ceremony was followed by a luau-style pig roast under a giant tent. The newlyweds then went to Disney World in Florida between Hurricane Charley and before Frances with her children Nicholas, 6 and Morgan, 7, before returning to Perrysburg.

HINDU TRADITION: Sharat Kumar and Iris Morehouse make it official in an ancient way.

ERIN Braun and Yohann Rigogne gadded with their guests over cocktails Aug. 6 at Nazareth Hall in Grand Rapids, Ohio, then the love birds ventured outside where the bride, in a cathedral-length gown with matching veil from Dijon, France, strolled down the aisle to the Grotto, where her tuxedo-clad groom awaited. Her proud parents, Steve and Terri Braun of Perrysburg, looked on. After the French-English ceremony, luminaries lit the way to the reception inside, where among the guests was flower girl, Riley, 3, daughter of Chrys Peterson and Tom Runnels. Afterward, the newlyweds returned to their home in Bescanson, France, where they met at the University of Bescanson, an hour from Switzerland and about 2 hours from Paris. A year from the wedding, on the exact date, the couple plan to repeat their vows with the groom s family.

ANSWER IS I DO: Austin Embrey and Quinn Putnam settle matrimony's riddle.

A TRADITIONAL Hindu wedding was July 31 at Hindu Temple in Sylvania for Sharat Kumar and Iris Morehouse. The groom is the son of Malti and Surendra Kumar of Toledo and the bride is the daughter of Susan Tremmel and Alan Morehouse of Boston. After a two-week honeymoon in Europe, the couple returned to Boston.

Q & A cards gave guests all the information they needed to find the rehearsal dinner, hotel accommodations, wedding, reception, and post-wedding brunch. It was a convenient play on the bride s and groom s names: Quinn and Austin, children of Diane and Jim Putnam and Ellen and Gary Embrey. The classy lime-green and platinum-themed wedding was on July 24 at Toledo Country Club. Guests gathered for cocktails and appetizers on the deck then went inside for dinner and jazz. Square black plates, green orchids, a string quartet and trumpet, silver-covered chairs, charcoal-covered tables, and rosemary sprinkled in the grass were just a few of the details.

At sunset, the bride changed into her gown and the bridesmaids, in lime green, went from pearls to diamonds for the outdoor ceremony followed by dancing, dessert, and fireworks. The newlyweds went on a Caribbean Cruise before settling down in their Seattle home.

PIECE OF CAKE: Justin Ballard and Amanda Sheets find married life as delicious as Wixey cake.

THREE generations of this family have had wedding cakes from Wixey Bakery. Amanda Sheets, daughter of Nancy Sheets of Maumee and Tom Sheets of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Justin Ballard, son of Dan and Diane Ballard of Tontogany, were wed July 17 in Trinity Lutheran Church, Toledo, with a reception in the Electrical Industry Banquet Facility. The bride s parents were married 35 years ago and had Wixey cake. Sixty-three years ago her grandparents, George and Ardis Wollenweber of South Toledo, had the same style cake from Wixey s.

After a Shenandoah Valley honeymoon, the newly weds returned to their Toledo home and jobs at local universities.

A FAIRY-TALE come-true wedding was July 17 at DC Ranch for the wedding of Josh Torres and Amber Heinze. A castle, knights in shining armor, and the Toledo Symphony String Quartet set the scene for the bride and groom s special day. The bride is the daughter of David and Karen Heinze of Neapolis, Ohio, and the groom is the son of Edwardo and Jyanne Torres of Whitehouse. The couple have a Florida honeymoon planned for a later date. Until then, they will be taking care their Subway shop in Whitehouse, where they reside.

HAPPILY EVER AFTER: Amber Heinze and Joshua Torres make their fairy tale come true on July 17.

THE WEDDING of Brent and Liz Sawyer was July 10 at Toledo Country Club. The ceremony was held outdoors overlooking the river. Dinner was inside the club, but guests came back outside for dancing. The bride is the daughter of Allen Kaz-maier of Perrysburg and Karen and Don Morford of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and the groom is the son of Stephen and Diane Sawyer of East Lansing, Mich.

The couple, who met as students at Michigan State University, honeymooned on a Caribbean cruise and then returned to Coral Gables, Fla.

BREEZY BRIDE: Michael Butkovic and Julie Schadek wed on July 4th. Sparks flew at the reception, as well as over the city skies.

DOWNTOWN Toledo s fireworks display was the icing on the cake for the wedding reception of Julie Schadek and Michael Butovic July 4th at The Wyndham. The bride and groom were married at Zoar Lutheran Church that afternoon, but wanted a reception at a hotel where out-of-town guests could stay. The bride, the daughter of Sharon Schadek and the late Tom Schadek of Perrysburg, and who has a degree in computer art, designed and made the classy invitations that mirrored the soft green and terra-cotta hues used in the celebration. Assisting the bride was the Sophia Lustig Shop, who helped her get dressed in her gown.

A SUMMONS was issued to guests for the celebration of the marriage of Bill and Ann Baronas-Jonke, who were married June 30 on the Toledo Club s roof, better known as Tar Beach. The summons was fitting: The bride is an attorney and the groom is an architect of criminal-defense cases. It was fitting that the reception was at the same club on Aug. 27 in the Red Room. The newlyweds took a brief honeymoon starting with the first night on their houseboat at Menke Marina. They then motored to Chicago to the Union League Club.

BAGPIPE players, belly dancing, and the KGB band made for a fun celebration June 26 at Maumee Valley Country Day School. Nina and Sean Elliot repeated their vows in the presence of family and friends. They then whooped it up at their outdoor reception that included a Mediterranean-style menu from Beirut restaurant. The groom is the son of Ian and Sue Elliot and the bride is the daughter of Nate and Jeanine Khoury, all of Toledo. After a Costa Rica honeymoon, the newlyweds returned to their Chicago home.

TEARS flowed as composer-producer Lawrence Hancock surprised his bride, Karyn McConnell, with an original composition he conducted with the Toledo Symphony Quartet during their wedding June 25 at First Church of God. There were area politicians and celebrities, including Mayor Jack Ford and NBA player Jim Jackson.

A reception followed in the church s fellowship hall and a private reception was held for family and friends at the Hilton.

Another Toledo City Councilman, Michael Ashford, was married to his sweetheart, Ruth, the previous month at the Gandy Dancer Restaurant in Ann Arbor.

LITTLE Sisters Island on the Maumee River was the setting June 19 for the wedding of Chelsea Lahey and Ty Gorsuch. It was a romantic island scene from the moment guests in tropical wear stepped foot on the island and were greeted with leis. White carpet ran from the docks to the arch of flowers that created the altar. The bride, in a long white gown with a train, wore a veil designed after her the gown of her grandmother, Jackie Rousseau Werner. Underneath her gown were pearl-embellished flip-flops. The groom was decked in all white with flip-flops to match. The bridesmaids, with star gazer lilies in their hair, wore dresses of print fabric purchased in Hawaii that matched the groomsmen s shirts, and all wore flip-flops.

The wedding may have been casual, but the vows were serious as the love birds recited their own nuptials and declared to everyone that it was love at first sight.

The newlyweds celebrated with family and friends on the main land at Manhattan s restaurant, which is owned by the bride s brother and sister-in-law, Marty and Barbara Lahey, who prepared a pig roast for the occasion. The brides brother Zach Lahey added the right touch when he sang For You by John Denver as the newly weds danced.

AN OLEG Cassini satin gown featuring Alencon lace, hand-sewn pearls, and authentic crystals on a tulle overlay, was worn by Eva as her father, John Szuch of Perrysburg, escorted her down the aisle May 29 to her groom, Daniel McQuillen as her mother, Yolanda, proudly looked on. The groom is the son of John and Mary Ann McQuillen of Toledo.

The lovely ceremony with music by the Toledo Symphony Quartet was at St. Stephen Church followed by a reception at Gladieux Meadows, where the quartet greeted guests with Hungarian and Irish tunes. A Hungarian and an Irish blessing by the fathers of the newlyweds preceded the dinner of tenderloin with Irish whiskey mushroom sauce and chicken paprikas topped with a variety of Hungarian pastries prepared by the bride s mother.

After a honeymoon in St. Lucia, the newlyweds, who were high-school sweethearts and both graduates from University of Toledo, returned to Toledo.