CHILDHOOD PALS, NOW IN THEIR 50S, MAKE A MARRIAGE.Byline: Marni McEntee Daily News Staff Writer Every now and then, that once-in-a-lifetime romance blooms twice. It did for Toni Terry and Bob Finer, who took a fancy to each other as youngsters but waited 35 years to make their love official. On Saturday, beneath a flower-laden bridal canopy, the couple shared the vows of marriage during a ceremony at the Sepulveda Basin's Japanese Gardens. It was, said the bride and groom afterward, a long time coming. Finer, wearing a white tuxedo and yarmulke, inhaled in·hale v. in·haled, in·hal·ing, in·hales v.tr. 1. To draw (air or smoke, for example) into the lungs by breathing; inspire. 2. deeply and sighed. ``Coming back together - it was a rebirth,'' he said. His bride, whose lace gown matched the wedding bouquet of small pearl-colored roses she carried, had tears in her eyes. ``We just want to enjoy each other,'' Terry said. It all began when the two were fifth-graders at Erwin Street Elementary School elementary school: see school. , experiencing that kind of punch-her-arm relationship called puppy love. The two remained close friends through their teens at Van Nuys High School Van Nuys High School (VNHS) established in 1914, is a high school in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles, California, belonging to the Los Angeles Unified School District: District 2. , but gradually slipped apart as the years advanced. They each married others and raised families on opposite coasts. It wasn't until Thanksgiving Day last year that Terry and Finer reunited "Reunited" was a #1 hit in the United States in 1979 by the Washington, D.C.-based group Peaches & Herb. Preceded by "Heart of Glass" by Blondie Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 5 1979 Succeeded by "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer . They had exchanged phone calls and letters for months - Terry from Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , Finer from New Jersey - after she notified him about their 35th high school reunion High School Reunion
If they had changed over the years, growing older and each becoming single again, they also discovered that among a plethora of things they had in common they shared something special: love. As a balmy breeze rippled through the gardens Saturday, Terry, 53, and Finer, 54, exchanged rings and recited ancient vows during the traditional Jewish ceremony. The couple included their own special vows in the form of a wedding poem. ``Once in a lifetime you find someone special. Your lives intermingle in·ter·min·gle tr. & intr.v. in·ter·min·gled, in·ter·min·gling, in·ter·min·gles To mix or become mixed together. intermingle Verb [-gling, and somehow you know,'' the poem read. ``This is the beginning of all you have longed for, a love you can build on, a love that will grow.'' Finer kept his arm around Terry, and eventually the two extended their embrace to include the flower girl flower girl n. A young girl who carries flowers in a procession, especially at a wedding. Noun 1. flower girl - a woman who sells flowers in the street - Terry's 7-year-old granddaughter, Tasha Ascolese. After crushing a wine glass beneath his heel, Finer bent his 6-foot-4 frame to kiss his bride, more than once, before about 40 friends and family members. ``If you think about it, they've known each other all their lives,'' said Doug Jackson, a longtime friend of Terry's. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1) Toni Terry and Bob Finer wed at the SepulvedaBasin's Japanese Gardens. (2) Joining the couple at the wedding are the best man, the groom's brother Gary Finer; the matron of honor matron of honor n. pl. matrons of honor A married woman serving as chief attendant of the bride at a wedding. Noun 1. , Alice Collier; and the flower girl, Tasha Ascolese. Myung J. Chun/Daily News |
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