When the hall that Ben and Elaine Themm were scheduled to be married in went out of business, they decided to get married somewhere that would be sure not to go out of business — Meridian Mall.
The couple, from Jackson, wed there Tuesday.
They entered the "A Grand Marriage at Meridian Mall" contest in January, which was co-sponsored by WVIC (94.1-FM) radio and Meridian Mall.
The couple submitted a 150-word essay describing how they met and why they wanted to wed in the mall.
All of the finalists were interviewed, and the winners of the $25,000 wedding were announced on the radio Jan. 30.
"I knew there was a contest because I listen to that station, but I had no idea that (Elaine) applied," said Paul Bradley, father of the bride. "I think it's great. I am very happy for them both."
But the nontraditional setting ignited a different reaction from the groom's mother.
"I was nervous because you think 'The middle of the mall?' But it is really nice," said Rita Themm, mother of the groom. "The string quartet was the finishing touch for the setting. It made it as classy as you can for the center of a mall."
Claudia Bleil, marketing director for Meridian Mall, said they were the perfect candidates.
"We were enchanted with their story, and we could not have picked a better couple," Bleil said.
Ben and Elaine met in kindergarten, but both of their families moved and they attended different schools.
They met again in ninth grade, but Elaine moved after 10th grade.
The third time they reunited accidentally at a pub in April 2005, Ben immediately knew that he was going to spend the rest of his life with Elaine.
"By the end of the night, I told my friends, 'That's the one,'" Ben said.
Because their wedding was originally scheduled for fall of 2006, Ben and Elaine only had two weeks to finalize all of the arrangements.
"I was really happy because everything was done for us," said Margaret Scharf, the mother of the bride. "Everyone's been so nice. All we had to do was show up. It takes the stress out of the whole wedding plan."
