Grand Forks Herald/Sunday, December 21, 2008 7

TBy Mehlissea KoscsleroDututon ple at the altar may awlairtedeuntail thdeir wyeddinbg e mTheir mainisrter reiadeily d For The Associated Press date, in May 2006, they would agreed to perform both wed - have missed the deadline to dings. “He told me this hap - Mike Hightower teased his apply. So they wed in March at pens all the time,” she said. wife about forgetting their first the courthouse, with her par - The Thiaws opted not to tell anniversary, but Ali - ents and some close friends at - friends and family before their son Hightower had a good rea - tending. formal ceremony last August. son for being confused: The “Most of our family under - But they will celebrate their couple had agreed to mark the stands our love of football,” anniversary in May, the day day they exchanged vows in said Alison, 28, who came up they became legal. front of friends and family, with the plan. “It ’s not like the 85 wedding rather than the day they legally A family friend officiated at guests are going to be at our wed. the May ceremony, which in - anniversary dinner,” Maria The Hightowers are among a cluded the exchange of rings, said. small but growing number of the bridal party and other tra - Two are the norm couples who tie the knot before ditional elements of a wedding. for Chinese Americans who their wedding ceremony. “It ’s really pretty common” want a traditional Chinese Reasons vary, including in - now to marry days or weeks be - wedding, said Cathy Luo of surance benefits, living fore the ceremony, said Re - Brooklyn, N.Y., who planned arrangements, religion, citizen - becca Dolgin, executive editor two ceremonies in 2007. The ship requirements or of the wedding Web site, The - U.S. government does not rec - license restrictions. The prac - Knot.com. “It definitely is ac - ognize the Chinese tea cere - tice also is common among cepted.” mony as a wedding, so couples members of the military, who An infected tooth led Maria also go through a civil cere - may want to marry before they and Mory Thiaw of Camp Hill, mony. are deployed or to guarantee Pa., to the altar three months Luo ’s marriage license says that their partner can travel early. Mory, who did not have she married Gary Mah on Oct. with them to an assignment. Associated Press dental insurance, had an un - 19, 2007, but the couple treats In the Hightowers ’ case, it treated cavity that was causing Dec. 8, the day of their tea cere - was all about football. a fever. mony, as their anniversary. Being married allowed Mike ̆ Alison and Mike Hightower, University of Flordia students, took advantage of a university offer where students can “He was getting sick. It was For Mary and Anthony to purchase an extra season awful,” recalled Maria, 34, who Baszkowski, the decision to ticket for University of apply to get an additional season football ticket for their spouse, but the marriage license has to be on file by April 1. wanted to get him on her insur - have two weddings was all football games. If the ance plan. “I said, ‘I’m not let - Gainesville, Fla., couple had Their wedding date wasn’t until May 4 so Allison suggested that they get married early. Mike agreed and they did. ting you go through this.’ ” TWICE: See Page 8