Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Rings on their fingers and in their ears

A wedding reception is scheduled at the yacht club Saturday. Next door: a car race.

By AARON SHAROCKMAN
Published March 30, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - Huntleigh Thompson would want you to know two things:

When she scheduled her wedding reception for Saturday at the yacht club, there wasn't supposed to be a car race right next door.

And, for the record, she's not a bridezilla.

With that out of the way, here it goes:

Thompson, 35, a graduate of Florida State University, is planning a garnet and gold wedding ceremony Saturday at a church near Williams Park. She's marrying Ronald Stevenson, a banker with Wells Fargo and a fellow FSU grad.

A reception for 90 guests follows at the swanky St. Petersburg Yacht Club on the downtown waterfront.

Across a driveway, the city of St. Petersburg is planning a very, very loud, 35-team LeMans Series car race.

Shaking-the-yacht-club loud. Did-you-say-I-do? loud. Is-that-the-YMCA-song-the-DJ's-playing? loud.

The 1.8-mile race route zips right past the club. You could toss a quarter onto the race track.

Thompson's fate and her marital memories will be intertwined with revving engines and thousands of race car fans.

The two collide at Turn 9, also known as the ABC Supply Corner.

Thompson found out about all of this just Tuesday.

Long and short of it is, Thompson's not thrilled.

"I'm not really into racing," she said. "I feel after this weekend, I really won't like it."

Yacht club officials say they didn't know about the race either. The Le Mans race was added to the event schedule after Thompson set her wedding date.

Cathy Burke, a special events coordinator for the club, says it is going to be loud.

"But at least they'll be on the north side of the club," said Burke, saying that's farther from the cars.

"I know she's been kind of nervous," Burke said. "If I were a bride, I'd feel the same way."

[Last modified March 29, 2007, 22:58:50]