As promised, here’s a rundown of last weekend’s big event, the beautiful nuptials of Carl Kasell and Mary Ann Foster. Though I’m not generally known for my Society Page reportage, I’ll try to keep things relatively Roxanne Roberts-esque.

The ceremony was tasteful and moving. Yes, Peter Sagal officiated. Yes, yours truly mangled a reading. But there was plenty of heavy artillery to balance out us loose cannons. Readings were offered by Bob Edwards and Jean Cochran, and Mary Ann’s son Brian performed an operatic tribute to the union. In short, beautiful. Perfect. Awww, those crazy kids…


[Bob Edwards, Peter Sagal, and Grace Sagal form a seemingly impenetrable wall between
the newly-married couple. Will Love win through?]

Beyond Fosters and Kasells there were, of course a volatile mixture of “Wait Wait” personnel and more-respectable NPR luminaries. No serious fights broke out, but there was a dangerous squaring-off between “Wait Wait” and “Morning Edition” factions. Picture Charlie Pierce facing down Bob Edwards, rhythmically snapping his fingers, singing “When you?re on Wait you?re on Wait all the way,/ From your first lousy pun to your last dying day…” Picture Bob lunging towards Charlie with a sharpened swizzle stick, only to be bodily restrained at the last moment by Cokie Roberts as Mo Rocca shrieked in horror and Carl sobbed “Stop it! You?re tearing me apart!”

Have you pictured it? Pretty exciting, huh? It didn’t happen, of course, but it would’ve been, like, totally cool, right?


[The ladies-in-Wait-Waiting. From left: Rod Abid, Peter Sagal, Roxanne Roberts,
Diantha Parker, Yrs Trly, Sue Ellicott, Mo Rocca, Charlie Pierce, Doug Berman,
the Professor, Becky Vlamis, Mary Ann (not the bride)]

What DID happen was a lot of easy, laughing celebration. Under a tent in the back yard of Carl and Mary Ann’s lovely domicile there was dancing, dining, and general enjoyment. There might have even been some drinking as well - as frequent readers here are aware, I hold no truck with the demon alcohol, so I really wouldn’t know if there was any of THAT going on.

Some weddings feel like carefully-managed Fun Machines, meticulously choreographed to simulate joy and merriment just in case the real stuff doesn’t break out on its own. Other weddings are more like natural extensions of the central couple and their families’ and friends’ affection for them, where everything seems to happen perfectly and joyfully without too much prompting. This wedding fell firmly in that latter category. Congratulations, Carl and Mary Ann.


[Center: Carl and Mary Ann disappear in a cloud of burning rubber. Clockwise from top right: Amanda Gibson, me, and my new bride; Mo tries to talk Carl out of it; Obligatory Wedding Inappropriate Display of Affection Part 1 - Rod and Charlie mistake Peter for Oberon; O.W.I.D.A. Part 2 - Sue waits her turn in her and Amanda’s traditional “Give Adam Some Splainin’ To Do” competition; Rod, Mike Danforth, and Bob Edwards take a smoke break as a mysterious stranger hides in the brush; Shortly after the ceremony, Carl gives Peter a few notes.]