Honey, Let's Get Married at a Disaster Site

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Unk's Wild Wild West : One Thread

Honey, Let's Get Married at a Disaster Site

By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - An American couple are to marry on board the sunken remains of the world's most famous shipwreck, the Titanic.

David Leibowitz and Kimberley Miller from New York will tie the knot in a mini submarine perched on the ship's bow 2.5 miles (four km) under the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

The idea for the wedding arose after Leibowitz won a competition offering a dive to the Titanic organized by British company SubSea Explorer, an Internet portal for divers.

``David was getting married in four months time so we asked him would you like to get married on the Titanic and they said 'providing it's not turned into a circus we would be delighted','' Gary Allsopp, the chief executive of SubSea Explorer, told Reuters on Monday.

``It's a one-off, it's the first in the world. I think It's a romantic story.''

The couple will exchange vows in the submarine on the bow made famous in the 1997 Oscar-winning movie of the disaster when stars Kate Winslett and Leonardo DiCaprio stood together on the railings with arms outstretched.

The Titanic was the world's largest and most luxurious ocean liner when it struck an iceberg and sank on April 14, 1912, on its maiden voyage from Britain to New York.

The disaster claimed the lives of 1,500 passengers and crew, while about 750 were rescued. The story of the ill-fated ship has generated interest ever since, with the 1997 movie breaking box office records.

``We watched Titanic on video again last week to remind ourselves. We are very excited to be able to say we will be part of history,'' Leibowitz, 28, told Britain's Sun tabloid.

The ceremony would be conducted by the ship's captain, Antaloy Sagalvich, either in the submarine or via a radio link to a support vessel on the surface, Allsopp said.

The marriage plan has been condemned as a ``disgrace'' by members of the British Titanic Society.

``It is despoiling the memory of the 1,500 people who died and whose bodies are still down in the Titanic,'' the society's Brian Ticehurst told Reuters.

``There is a lot of controversy about it,'' Allsopp admitted. ''People say 'are you happy to go back to a graveyard' and my retort is a graveyard is one of the most peaceful and tranquil places I can go and walk and have a look.''

-- (news@to.me), July 16, 2001

Answers

Maybe I can convince one of the kids to get married sitting on Lincoln's lap in Washington...

-- helen (silly@and.dangerous), July 16, 2001.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ