December 30, 2006 CAPE COD TIMES

Coty and Adam Schade walk back down the aisle after their wedding ceremony in Brewster last night.
(Staff photo by Ron Schloerb)

Community puts frosting on their cake

By DOUG FRASER and K.C. MYERS
STAFF WRITERS
BREWSTER - Coty Taylor and Adam Schade were going to skip the cake, the flowers and the honeymoon suite.

With Schade, 22, of Harwich, getting ready to return for his second deployment with the Navy Wednesday, the couple didn't have a lot of time or money. They just wanted to get married during his

2½-week leave before Schade had to return to the Middle East. Watching others lose their lives so young, Schade had no intention of waiting to have the ceremony.

''I just love her,'' he said before they wed last night.

But as it turned out, their wedding included the works: cake, flowers, honeymoon suite and an extra serving of good will from people in the wedding business who wanted to support the troops.

''It's beautiful, it really is,'' Taylor said with tears in her eyes. ''It's so overwhelming. We're very fortunate to live in such a supportive community.''

The donations started with Justice-of-the-Peace Judith Todd McNichol, who has a standing policy that she will waive her fee on weddings for those who have served, or are serving, as soldiers in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

When approached to preside over the young couple's wedding, McNichol wondered whether she could do more, and she started calling some of the people she knew in the wedding business.

Salim Khan, controller at Catania Hospitality Group, offered a wedding planning breakfast yesterday morning.

''It's a small gesture,'' he said.

Chatham Bars Inn stepped up, offering the newly married couple one of their newest rooms - a spa suite that includes big plasma TV, a fireplace, steam shower, in-room sauna, hydrotherapy tub and Bose sound system.

''We thought it was great to give something back,'' said CBI reservations manager Chris Sellitto. ''These people are risking their lives. We felt it was the neighborly thing to do.''

Meredith Fancy of Fancy Flowers in Orleans gave Taylor a bouquet of white hydrangeas, roses and calla lilies.

''It's that time of the year, and we're in that war and he has to leave and go back,'' said Fancy, who prepares flowers for more than 200 weddings a year. ''It was nice to help them out.''

Cottage Street Bakery in Orleans owner Marc Launoy baked and decorated an ornate butter-cream frosted wedding cake. He gave the delicious creation to the couple free of charge.

''I was just tickled at how readily and easily these people gave,'' McNichol said. ''I think we all honor our service people and think about them when we hear about them on the news. But unless you have family there, it's hard to know what to do to help.''

Last night, about 40 people watched Taylor, 19, marry her boyfriend of three years. The ceremony on the small back-deck of the Taylor family's modest home, featured candles in bags to mark the aisle. Guests bundled up against the cold and sang the wedding march a cappella.

''It's not fun to worry about him all the time,'' Taylor said of her soon-to-be husband before the ceremony. ''It's hard, but when you feel that much for someone, it feels natural to be able to handle these circumstances.''

K.C. Myers can be reached at kcmyers@capecodonline.com.

(Published: December 30, 2006)

The following is a thank you from the Schade Family

Dear Judith,

Dear Judith,
When Bob and I decided to get married again on February 3, 2007, after being divorced from each other for many years we wanted to have a very private wedding ceremony in our home with just our children and grandchildren in attendance. I worried as to how this could be done by a Justice of the Peace who would make it feel special and not be just another formality of a ceremony that would be impersonal.    I had no idea where to start to look for such a person who would fill my expectations of a ceremony with feeling, without having to write and exchange our own vows. Bob was not keen on doing this at such a private occasion.
I found your name in the Cape Cod and Islands Magazine in an article that quoted you. Your words spoke of sensitivity and compassion unlike what one would think of when you have a JP to perform a simple nuptial and as private as we wanted. I had visions of the JP coming for ten or fifteen minutes, going through the legal wording and pronouncing us “Man and Wife” and then it was over and done. I decided to call your number and after spending a short period of time talking with you over the phone and you giving me as many options as I wanted, I felt I had made the right choice to follow my instincts with you.
I was not prepared for what we really got when you showed up in your very professional robe and a warm hug and hand shake. We were all extraordinarily pleased with not only the way you conducted our nuptials, but you somehow, with no prior personal contact with Bob, or our children, made the ceremony personal to us and our children with a beautiful reflection of our circumstances (married, divorced, and remarrying again to each other). And if the wasn’t enough, you gave us a folder of our nuptials you personalized for us as a keepsake of this very special event in our lives. Bob and our grown children join me in thanking you for being such a sensitive and caring official and we especially enjoyed visiting with you after the nuptials and getting to know you and the wonderful work you do.
With our fondest regards,Bob and Brenda