Bride on a bike: Waynesburg couple get married their way
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Jay and Lilly hit the road on East High Street in Waynesburg.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Newlyweds Lilly and Jay Leonard get ready to ride following their wedding ceremony at the Greene County Courthouse.
Harry Funk/Observer-Reporter
Mary Marion of Thomasville, N.C., Lilly Grooms’ mother, enjoys the ceremony.
Harry Funk/Observer-Reporter
Jay Leonard Jr. and Jay Leonard Sr.
Harry Funk/Observer-Reporter
Titan and Adalynn Bakewell get ready for the ceremony.
Harry Funk/Observer-Reporter
Lilly celebrates after the ceremony with Faith Grooms
Harry Funk/Observer-Reporter
The new bride and groom get ready to kiss.
Harry Funk/Observer-Reporter
The newlyweds head toward their waiting Harley-Davidson.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Lilly Grooms and Jay Leonard say, “I do,” with Alma Gray officiating.
Harry Funk/Observer-Reporter
Alma Gray and bride Lilly Grooms embrace after the ceremony.
Rather than ride off in, say, a stretch limousine, newlyweds Jay Leonard and Lilly Grooms did it their way:
Aboard Jay’s 2008 Harley-Davidson Street Glide.
They decided on his Harley instead of hers, a Sportster, as they pulled onto Waynesburg’s East High Street and turned at South Washington for their first ride as husband and wife.
Harry Funk/Observer-Reporter
Harry Funk/Observer-Reporter
Young Michael Anderson IV, with Jay Leonard, has a few years to go before riding Harleys for real.
Their own take on a dream wedding started promptly at 2 p.m. Saturday outside of the Greene County Courthouse, with Alma Gray, Jay’s sister, officiating. His father, Jay Sr., and Lilly’s mother, Mary Marion, stood by their side as they exchanged vows in front of an enthusiastic group of family members and friends, most of whom dressed for the occasion in gear representing the motorcycle that made Milwaukee famous.
One exception was the bride, who celebrated her nuptials in a traditional gown and veil, holding a neatly arranged bouquet and frequently flashing a scintillating smile as she and Jay Jr. tied the knot in an otherwise unconventional manner.
“Everybody’s up for it,” Jay Jr. said prior to ceremony. “Everybody’s always looking for a reason to ride.”
The Waynesburg resident has been riding for 40 or so years, starting on a Honda Trail Z50.
On his Street Glide, he and Lilly led a procession that eventually led to a reception full of favorites for feasting and possibly a beverage or two.
Although the weather forecast leading up to Saturday was somewhat on the foreboding side, precipitation held off until well after the wedding.
Jay, though, said he wasn’t worried about possibilities along those lines.
“If there’s a 90% chance it’s going to rain,” he observed, “there’s a 10% chance it won’t.”
Harry Funk/Observer-Reporter
Harry Funk/Observer-Reporter
Lilly Grooms takes Jay Leonard to be her husband.