They came for an education, but some of them left with love, too. Their wedding plans didn't always come off without a hitch, but Hokies who "got hitched" on campus still share their stories with fond remembrance. Join us in reminiscing with these alumni about their special day...

A friendly race to be first

Sandra "Sandy" (Collier) (clothing textiles and related arts '60) and James "Jim" Jones (electrical engineering '59) planned to be the first couple married in the soon-to-be-completed War Memorial Chapel. The date was set as June 12, 1960, at 5:30 p.m.--just after graduation. "The graduation went well, but the wedding plans were definitely foiled," Jim says. "The day before the ceremony, two other couples seized the moment and preempted the use of the chapel. Who were these sneaky brides and grooms who undermined our well-laid plans? The first conspiring couple was Patricia "Pat" (Porter) (human nutrition and foods '61; M.S. '61) and Julian "J. E." Newbern (aerospace engineering '54) and the second was Ann (Haugh) (general home economics '60) and Richard "Dick" Lehmann (animal science '58; M.S. '60). How did they know us? They were our friends and roommates!" she says, adding, however, that "no hard feelings remain today."

Rev. Al Payne (left) joins the Joneses--almost the first couple married in the chapel. Also shown (from left to right): Herbert Peterson (best man), James Jones (groom), Sandra Collier (bride), and Sharon Collier (maid of honor).

The Joneses explain why they wanted to be the first couple married in the chapel: "There were really two parts of importance," asserts Jim. First, just a little competition with Sandy's roommates Pat and Ann and the bragging rights associated with being first. More important was being able to be married on campus where most of our courtship took place," he emphasizes. "We took Shakespeare together. We Ôvisited' in Hillcrest parlor and at the Duck Pond. We went to the Blacksburg movie theatre when it cost 50 cents. We attended church together on campus, and we were engaged on the weekend of my graduation in June 1959 at the home management house on campus."

Who got to be the lucky first couple after all was said and done? The Newberns were supposed to get married on June 5, 1960, but tragically, J. E.'s father passed away and the funeral was held on that date instead, says Pat. "Since we were scheduled to be the first couple married in the new chapel, we were still determined to be just thatÉthe first! A phone call to Burruss Hall put us back on the schedule for Saturday morning, June 11, 1960, at 11:00 a.m. for our ceremony before the next scheduled wedding of one of my classmates that afternoon. My ring had '5 June 1960' engraved inside, but I decided to leave it since our situation was so unique and to honor J. E.'s father." The Lehmanns were married later that afternoon and say that there was "no thought of upstaging anyone else, the time just happened that way." All three couples celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversaries in June.

During her wedding reception on July 19, 1997, Laura (Collins) Legg (marketing '93), who married Randolph Legg (political science '93), says that "a most memorable moment was when the Hokie Bird made an appearance to lead a rendition of the Hokie Pokie." We're guessing that the image captured here was one of the Hokie Bird's most memorable moments.

A fan's gotta do what a fan's gotta do

Dale Brubaker (B.S. industrial engineering '88; M.S. '91; M.S. education '91) shares the story of his memorable wedding day: "My wife Karen and I were married in War Memorial Chapel on Nov. 18, 1995. Many people may remember that date for a different reason. That day our football team beat UVa in Charlottesville with a fourth-quarter, last-minute comeback. [A win would mean] the first year Tech went to the Sugar Bowl, so a victory was important.

"My wife was set to walk down the aisle at 4:00 p.m. I had hoped the football game would be over by then, but I had to leave Donaldson Brown midway through the fourth quarter. As I waited in a room at the front of the chapel, I sent my brother to find a television and give me reports on the game. As 4:00 approached, I became nervous because our pastor had not shown up yet. My brother kept coming in and updating me on where the Hokies stood as they mounted their incredible comeback.

"Finally, at about 5 minutes to 4, as I started panicking that we did not have a pastor but did have a chapel full of guests, I heard a loud roar from a back room in the chapel: the Hokies had won. And just as the music started, my brother showed up with the pastor--who had been in the back room watching the game with him. We walked out much happier knowing the Hokies were victorious over the Wahoos."

Not quite picture perfect

Christopher (finance '95, accounting '95) and Amy (Campbell) Goetz (marketing '95) searched for months for the right place to be married. Christopher's father finally suggested Virginia Tech, and "once we arrived on campus to interview the people at the chapel and at Donaldson Brown, we knew there was no better choice for us," says Amy. "We were home again. We met at Tech, we dated at Tech, we had great times at Tech, and it only seemed appropriate that we should be married at Tech. The day of our wedding--Sept. 20, 1997--was beautiful, as are most fall days in Blacksburg."

The Goetzes were not destined to have a completely picture perfect day, however. "After the ceremony, the wedding party followed us to the Duck Pond for pictures. When we arrived at the normally gorgeous setting of the Duck Pond, we found toilet paper hanging from the trees and yellow police tape tied from tree to tree and around the gazebo. Our photographer had to walk around pulling it down before we could take any pictures! It seems that a group of students had been there the day before protesting something regarding the pond and the animals that live there."

The Goetzes at the Duck Pond gazebo, a bit of tell-tale toilet paper still clinging to the tree in background on the right.

The photography difficulties didn't overshadow the couple's joy, however. "All of the dancing at the reception made everyone hungry," Amy says. "So my new husband and I, me in my wedding gown and him in his tux, went walking downtown with some of our friends and family to find food. As we walked into Sharkey's, it seemed as though everyone inside stopped in their places and loud applause erupted from all around us. Nothing seemed more appropriate than that moment when we were surrounded by the atmosphere of Virginia Tech, its students, and its life while celebrating the first day of our new life together."

Football fans come full circle

Neil (electrical engineering '88; M.S. '00) and Dianna (Grotto) Jablonski (mining engineering '90) have quite a history--a romantic history--surrounding Virginia Tech football. They met at the VT vs. ECU football game in 1993, then dated long distance until 1998, when Diana was able to move back to where Neil lived in Virginia. Their motif of love by the stadium lights continued when, that fall, Neil proposed to Dianna at the VT vs. ECU football game.

Neil Jablonski tagging the famed Hokie Stone in Lane Stadium's tunnel for good luck before the wedding reception.

The couple's football courtship truly came full circle when they were married in 1999 on the weekend after the Thursday night VT vs. Clemson game. "We worked the game right into our wedding festivities," says Dianna. "Instead of bachelor and bachelorette parties, we had a tailgate party before the game. Since we were both alums of the Marching Virginians, the director sent over a pep band to play for us at the tailgate. Then we watched Corey Moore and the rest of the Hokies beat Clemson!"

Neil and Dianna are now football season ticket holders and drive to Blacksburg from their home in Fredericksburg for every home game.

When Wendy (Cox) Royston (M.S. environmental engineering '96) married Keith Royston (M.S. civil engineering '96) in May 1994, she included two long-time friends, Wendy and Gidget Rabbit. Not only were the two stuffed rabbits dressed like the bridesmaids, they were seated in a front pew of the chapel. Here, the two guests of honor are shown being escorted out by an usher. Prior to the seating of the parents, the wedding program listed the seating of the rabbits with a note that read "Wendy Rabbit and Gidget Rabbit have been special friends of the bride since her infancy." The bride's mother, Clara Cox (M.A. English '84) admits the program might have confused guests. "Some people thought we meant a family whose last name was 'Rabbit,'" Cox says. "When the rabbits were escorted to their pew, you could hear a wave of laughter roll through the chapel."

You put your left hand in, you put your left hand out...

Mason Deaver (M.S. computer science '83) admits that when he and his wife, Dawn, were married at the War Memorial Chapel on Aug. 25, 1979, they "really didn't rehearse any of it too much." Still, he says, the ceremony went well until it came time to exchange the rings. "I got Dawn's ring on her finger without trouble but, try as hard as she could, she could not force my ring all the way on my finger. This got us giggling--we tried not to laugh but we just couldn't help it. Turns out I had extended the wrong hand, my larger right hand, and the ring of course wouldn't fit.

"Fortunately, the minister kept his composure and completed the ceremony, and since Dawn and I both had a sense of humor about us, we didn't worry about the 'ring glitch.' We're still happily together after 22 years, and both of us have fond memories of our wedding day."

Memories for a lifetime

According to Penny (Amato) Johnson (clothing and textiles '69), her decision to attend Tech changed her life: "My husband, Don [James Donald Johnson Jr. (business administration '67)], and I were married at the War Memorial Chapel on Dec. 9, 1967. Don, who was a member of the corps of cadets for all four years and a member of G Company, had Hokie blood his entire life--his father and several uncles went to Tech, and it was the only school that he really considered.

Don and Penny Johnson cut their cake with the groom's corps saber.

"I'm a different story. At the time I decided to apply to Tech, I was living in Montreal, Quebec, and selected Virginia Tech from Barron's Guide to Colleges. I had never seen the school, knew nothing about it, but applied. Before leaving for Tech in September of 1966, I kept wondering what in the world I was doing, going this far from home to a school that I'd never laid eyes on! Little did I know the impact it would have on my life.

"Don and I started dating during the summer of 1967. Very quickly we fell in love and decided to marry that December. I had visions of a romantic proposal, but that was definitely not to be! Don loved Tech football and asked me to marry him at a football game in Lane Stadium with thousands of people around us. It was an unforgettable game--a coach from the opposing team ran onto the field and tackled a Tech player. I left that game with tales to tell and a diamond on my hand. There was no doubt that we would be married at the War Memorial Chapel. A Hokie wedding through and through, it was the beginning of a wonderful life and bond together. We were married for 30 years until, sadly, the marriage was cut short with Don's death in 1998 at the age of 52. It's clear that my unorthodox manner of selecting a college enriched my life beyond belief. Not only did we get a wonderful education at Tech, we each found a real partner for life."

Going to the chapel at Tech

The Virginia Tech War Memorial Chapel has been open for weddings since 1960, and in the years since, thousands of alumni have chosen this site for their special day. "Alumni come back from all over to get married here," says Priscilla Soucek, assistant manager for 17 years. "We've had them come from as far away as Hawaii." She says weddings have been booked at the chapel through 2004, and, according to Chapel Manager Bill McGuire, an estimated 45 couples will have been married there in FY 2001-02. In addition to providing a uniquely Hokie wedding location, the chapel hosts two bridal workshops each year, where community vendors such as photographers, florists, and bakers showcase their wares. Former chapel manager Naomi Wilson-Nicely, who died in April 2001, oversaw weddings at the chapel for almost 30 years. "Naomi touched a lot of lives," says Soucek. "Not just brides, but anyone who walked through that door. If they had a bad day, she'd talk to them and try to help." Soucek says she and Wilson-Nicely kept a notebook detailing some of the more interesting wedding stories. Over the years, she has witnessed:

• Difficulties with apparel, such as the groom who showed up in a white, mud-splattered tuxedo; the bride whose shoes were too large for her; and the bride whose veil caught on fire during the unity candle ceremony.
• Weddings where attendees apparently took the "in sickness and in health" line seriously, such as the uncertainty over whether one groom, who had apparently had "a very good time the night before," would make it to the end of his ceremony; the flower girl who passed out, cut her chin, and had to be taken to the hospital for stitches; and the flu-stricken bride, whose father had to escort her down the aisle armed with a plastic bag.
• Ceremonies attended by animals, including the bride whose dog was a bridesmaid; the bride who insisted on having her pet buzzard in the dressing room with her; a dog--serving as a member of the wedding party--that howled every time the organist started playing; and the live, caged doves at the altar whose flapping and cooing were so loud that the minister had to shout to be heard over them.

In June 2000, Virginia Tech began renovation of the War Memorial Chapel and Pylons. Although the process took more than a year, careful planning ensured that weddings were suspended for only three months. Improvements to the chapel included repairs to the terrazzo floor and the altar, fresh paint on the walls and columns, new emergency lighting, and an ADA-accessible bathroom. A sculpture conservator was brought in from Chicago to restore the altar and sculptures in the chapel and on the pylons. Today, the chapel, which was rededicated in September 2001 (Virginia Tech Magazine, winter 2002, page 24), is once again open for business; for more information about getting married in the chapel, contact McGuire or Soucek at 540/231-6240.