The Royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was held in Windsor, England on Saturday, May 19, which, coincidentally, was the same day that Clermont, Florida had its own fairy tale wedding.
The First United Methodist Church of Clermont was filled with family and friends, many traveling from as far away as California to celebrate the union of Toni Bell, a beloved retired south Lake County high school teacher and guidance counselor and Larry Rescoe, a community volunteer, Lake Louisa State Park Ranger, patented designer and retired businessman.
The ceremony was held with all the elegance of a stately wedding. Toni wore a formal seafoam green gown topped off with a crystal tiara. She was led down the aisle by her nephew Mark Hettinger. The wedding party included Rene Ward, Michelle Delaney, Ray Goodgame, and Nick Jones, all long-time residents of Clermont. The ring bearer, Nolan Lowe, grandson of Debbie and Michael Langley, was the cutest 3-year old ring bearer to grace a ceremony. Pastor Dawn Carter officiated at the heartwarming ceremony. There were few dry eyes in the church when Pastor Carter officially announced the couple as man and wife and the newlyweds sealed the deal with a kiss.
The regal reception was held at the Clermont City Center. Toni is a member of Beta Theta, a community service chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha for nearly 40 years. Her Beta Theta sisters and the men of Beta Theta served as key directors at the reception and happily welcomed their new brother Larry into their fold.
Many of the guests attending were former students of the beloved teacher and guidance counselor who they lovingly call, “Ma Bell”. Robert McCue, Principal of Clermont Middle School, said in a toast to the newlyweds that Ma Bell has had a lasting impact on the lives of many of her students.
Not all of Toni’s students were able to attend the wedding but many traveled from as far as California to be part of the celebration. Some of the students attending were: Greg Amann, Michelle Barnard, Beverly Jones-Cunningham, Michael Delaney, Tony Hubbard, Cary Judy-Hubbard, Darryl Hutchenson, Earl Johnson, Jody Kennedy, Debbie Manning-Langley, Mike Langley, Bobby Lory, Jimmy Lory, Linda Lory, Kara Walker-McCue, Rebecca Nichols, Tina Nichols, Tom Nichols, Vernon Nyhuis, Michael Phipps, Terry Pitt, Ann Ward-Rossini, Frances Rambo-Smith, Gerald Smith, Sally McQuaig-Tiley, Cory Ward, Rene Gaffe-Ward.
It was a tribute to the bride and groom to have so many loving students, family, and friends gather to celebrate the joyous union.
The whirlwind romance began less than a year ago. Toni was introduced to Larry a number of times by her matchmaking sorority sister Michelle, but the sparks didn’t fly until they met at the Lions Club gun range and given a nudge by Nick Jones. Lion Larry instructed Toni on how to fire a gun. It became evident to Larry that Toni couldn’t shoot straight but that didn’t stop him from falling for her and her for him. The romance began and the love story continues. Some have called it a SHOTGUN WEDDING, others have themed it GUNS AND ROSES. Regardless, it’s a CELEBRATION OF LOVE, FAITH, HOPE, and HAPPINESS.
