28 • Thursday, June 13, 2013
Brechin-Bacon
Mr. and Mrs. John Bryce Brechin Jr. of Gadsden announce the engagement of their daughter, Allison Claire Brechin, to Justin Matthew Bacon, son of Mrs. Jennifer Kate Harwell of Birmingham and Dr. John Wayne Bacon of Gallatin, Tenn. The bride-elect is the granddaugh-
Blalock-Sanford
Mr. and Mrs. James Harry Blalock of Hoover announce the engagement of their daughter, Ashley Elizabeth Blalock, to Joshua Kyle Sanford, son of Mr. Eddy Sanford of Fayette and Mrs. Dawn Clapp of Winfield. The bride-elect is the grand-
Weddings & Engagements ter of Mr. Lelton Edwin Creel and the late Mrs. Myra Gregory Creel of Albertville and Mr. and Mrs. John Bryce Brechin of Birmingham. Miss Brechin is a 2004 graduate of Gadsden High School and a 2008 graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in finance. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. She is employed with Altec Capital Services LLC. The prospective groom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Leroy Eichenberger of Yuma, Ariz., and Ms. Jacquelyn Ann Bacon and the late Mr. Richard Wayne Bacon of McMinnville, Ore. Mr. Bacon is a 2004 graduate of Mountain Brook High School and a 2009 graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in building construction. He was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He is employed with Wilcox Building Company. The wedding is planned for July 20.
daughter of Ms. Jeannette Blalock of Homewood and the late Mr. James Pugh Blalock of Abbeville and Ms. Dorothy T. Lyle of Homewood and Mr. James E. Lyle of Delta. Miss Blalock is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and psychology and a graduate of the Tuscaloosa Police Academy. She is an officer with the Northport Police Department. The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. Louise Sanford and the late Mr. Jack Sanford of Fayette and Mrs. Jo Ann Hayes and the late Mr. Billie V. Rasbury of Winfield. Mr. Sanford is a graduate of Fayette County High School and the Tuscaloosa Police Academy. He is an officer with the Northport Police Department. The wedding is planned for Sept. 14 at First United Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa.
Lewis-Fried
Ms. Lee Tucker Lewis of Hoover
OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal
and Mr. John Wayne Lewis of Jasper announce the engagement of their daughter, Mary Grace Lewis, to Zachary Arin-Kim Fried, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey F. Fried of Birmingham. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Eleanor Lewis Brown of Montevallo and the late Mr. Felix Wayne Lewis and Mrs. Jo Ann Tucker of Montgomery and the late Mr. Thomas Lee Tucker. Miss Lewis is a magna cum laude graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree. She received her master’s degree from the University of Montevallo and
is employed as a speech-language pathologist at Brookdale Senior Living. The prospective groom is the grandson of the late Mr. Howard Knowles of Jackson, Miss., the late Ms. Byrd Knowles of Ocean Springs, Miss., the late Mr. E.M. Fried of New York City and the late Dr. Phoebe Trent of Orangeburg N.Y. Mr. Fried is a graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in accountancy. He is employed as senior financial analyst for Walter Energy Inc. The wedding will be July 20.
dance,
From Page 24
said. “At his parents’ wedding, they were supposed to play ‘Colour My World’ by Chicago for their first dance but somehow, the band didn’t know the song,” she said. “So I told Eric if he’d take the dance lessons for our wedding, we would play that song at our wedding for a special surprise for his parents.” But before they waltz down the aisle at Trinity United Methodist Church on Aug. 10, Eric, who is a baseball coach at the University of Montevallo, said he’s got a lot of catching up to do in the dance skills department to be on a par with his wife-to-be. Courtney, who is now a nurse at Princeton Baptist, first started taking dance lessons when she was just 2 1/2 years old. She was a cheerleader and dance team member at Homewood High School before she graduated in 1996. She has also taught dance lessons. “I grew up dancing and love it, and so when it came time to plan our wedding, I knew I wanted our first dance to be something special. It’s a big deal to me,” she said. The couple enlisted the help of Mike Fowler, who also prepared Courtney’s brother and sister for their first dances at their weddings. “It’s really neat to have worked with all the children in this family now to help them make their big days even more special,” Fowler said. For their first dance, Courtney and Eric are preparing to dance the rumba to “Everything” by Michael Bublé. Courtney’s parents have been attending the dance lessons to watch their future son-in-law’s progress. “Eric is so analytical that during the first lesson, he was asking Mike how many inches his foot should be from this spot and wanted to get it just right,” Tim said. “It’s been great entertainment for us.” Eric’s colleagues and friends are also getting a kick out of the thought of the baseball coach cutting a rug on the dance floor. “My buddies think it’s pretty funny, that’s for sure,” he said. By contrast, Courtney said her friends are delighted that Eric is taking the dance lessons to prepare for the wedding. “All of my girlfriends are really envious because they can’t believe we
ABOVE: Cel and Tim Bailey, left, take a dance spin on the floor next to Eric and Courtney. LEFT: Eric and Courtney will unveil their dance at their wedding in August. Journal photos by Mandi Holbrooks
talked him into doing it,” she said. The couple have been dating for three years and said the dance lessons are giving them a chance to face a challenge together and learn to compromise. And judging from what Cel witnessed at their most recent dance lesson last week, the time at Magic City Dance Studio hasn’t been all work for the young couple. “They are having a great time together out there and as a mother, it just makes you so happy to see your child happy,” she said. And for those wondering where Courtney got her dance skills, it only took a few minutes of watching Cel and Tim spin around the dance floor to figure out that one. Tim took dance lessons when he was younger. “I was the only sixth-grader in my class that went to classes at Arthur Miller. It’s been a while, but I think I can still remember a few moves,” Tim said. Cel and Tim have been married
for 42 years but never got to dance at their own wedding. “We got married in a Baptist church and had the reception there, so we didn’t really have a chance for a first dance at our wedding,” Cel said. But for her children’s weddings, Cel said she was determined to go all-out to give them the weddings of their dreams. “I grew up poor and I guess that’s why I’ve always kind of gone overboard with birthday parties and special occasions,” she said. And while Cel and Tim’s wedding was planned on what she called a shoestring budget, her daughter’s wedding day is shaping up to be a lavish affair. “We were logging in the 458th wedding guest the other night, and I asked Courtney if we were almost finished,” Cel said, laughing. “It’s going to be a big wedding.” And with a few more dance lessons to go before the big day, Eric said he feels confident he won’t be sweating bullets in front of the hundreds of guests at his wedding when he and Courtney take the dance floor for their first dance. “I’m getting there, but I still need some more practice,” he said. “As long as I don’t drop her or step on her toes during our dance at the wedding, I will consider it a success.” The couple’s wedding reception will be at The Club and they are planning a honeymoon trip to the Dominican Republic. ❖