LOVELOCK - Pershing County High school sweethearts Jamie (Cerini) and Mike Popejoy celebrated 25 fast-paced years of marriage by renewing their vows and whooping it up in the midst of nearly 400 guests last Saturday evening.
The reprise took place at the same site and time of day as the first ceremony - 6 p.m. in the Community Center. The date was August 15, 1987.
The bride was attired in an ivory, strapless, satin, floor-length gown, while the groom wore cowboy boots, designer jeans, vest and a tie with a note of love written and attached by his wife.
His button-up shirt was colored tiffany blue, matching the dress worn by their 20-year-old daughter, Jade, and the shirt worn by their 23-year-old son, Cody.
Jade and long-time friend Kelsey Kitchener executed hair and makeup for the bride.
The couple's Shih Tzu, "Juicy," also sported a tiffany blue dress, hers adorned with white feathers and finished with a pearl collar.
A friend from Reno, John Fralick, presided over the nuptials, during which the couple exchanged vows that had been committed to memory.
Twin nephews Jasper & Thayne Dotson came forward as ring bearers, while Rayla Carlson (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) and Karissa Greenland (Reno) were flower girls.
After a 30-minute ceremony, below an arch of spiraling willows from Painted Rock that were fashioned for the occasion by Popejoy and friends, guests streamed past tables offering mouth-watering food including a selection of salads, two types of ravioli & sauce, and grilled chicken and tri-tip steak.
Tablescapes in the low-lit room were arranged around a tall lantern-floral arrangement.
In place of a conventional guest book, the couple asked that signatures and words of wisdom be placed on variously-sized, black river stones or blank puzzle pieces.
At the entrance to the main room, a small sign announced, "Come as you are, stay as long as you can, we're all family, there's no seating plan."
Other unique elements in the "vintage rustic" theme included a Victorian menu board, pictures of the family from years past, wagon wheels and decorated bales of hay for sitting. Antique floral-themed arrangements were in abundance, and were even used to disguise two water fountains.
An old-time photo booth, though now producing photos in color, was patronized incessantly by guests of all ages donning a variety of props.
Midway into the evening, chairs and tables were flung aside for dancing to a wide range of songs delivered by the "Valley Cats" out of Fresno, Calif.
Most noteworthy, however, were the many and mostly verbal ways that the outwardly-focused couple graciously expressed their love for each other and their gratitude and fondness for the community.
Wanting to acknowledge at least some of the many persons who had a hand in the event which had been in the incubator for six months, the Popejoy's list includes Tony Booth, Kristie & Willy Boyd, Dianne and Danielle Cerini, Susan Cerini, Mike Conners, Lyndsi & Dennis de Braga (Reno), Jeana (Cerini) & Jason Dotson, Karyn Gallagher (Plano, Texas), Vonnie and daughters Ashley & Tryna Hemp, Lauri "Wedding Sarge" (Cerini) & Dan Jones, Diane Longoni, Christina (Swindlehurst) Malone, KayCee Paige Paredes, Kim (Pope) and son Casey Salkowski, John Winfield and Mila Zazhitskiy.
"The building's air conditioning did not work when set up began on Friday," stated Popejoy. "But Dan Hill volunteered to bring over a large fan from the county yard, clean it up, and make the rooms comfortable.
"That typifies how the small community of Lovelock comes together when there's a need."
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