Saratoga News

Louise Webb

Former Saratogan attends Kennedy's secret wedding

What does one get John Kennedy Jr. for a wedding present? Kevin Ruf hasn't decided yet. Kevin, son of Kay and Egon Ruf of Saratoga, was one of 40 people invited to Kennedy's hush-hush wedding to model Carolyn Bessette. John and Kevin became good friends eight years ago, when they met at Manatt Phelps and Phillips law firm in Los Angeles, and have shared many adventures since. John was a summer intern, and it was Kevin's first year at the law firm.

According to Kevin, John is down to earth, incredibly good-hearted and open-minded.

Carolyn asked Kevin to save the wedding date two months ago, and Kevin said he felt honored to be invited. He came to and from the secluded Cumberland Island ceremony by boat. The wedding took place in a quaint little church in a Catholic candlelight ceremony at 7 p.m. and, according to Kevin, was "intimate and fabulous." Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg was the matron of honor, and Anthony Radziwill was best man. Kevin said it was a typical wedding and reception, though very small. The bride and groom even did the cake thing. (Kevin can be seen clearly in the background on the right with his video camera in the official picture of the newlyweds released to the media). The couple didn't object to friends taking pictures because they knew they could be trusted not to sell them. Kevin thinks they were able to keep the wedding from being a media frenzy because their friends honored their request that the event be kept totally confidential.

Contempo real estate agent Hadi Ghafouri and wife Bobbie know how to give a good party. He served a feast of Persian food recently. There was everything from belly dancing to the new dance craze, the macarena. Hadi impressed his guests by balancing a glass on his forehead while going down to the floor backwards. A nice twist was that the 100 guests brought old clothes to donate for City Team Ministries.

Gladys and Fred Armstrong had a party for daughter Pam's special friends. Pam was visiting from Germany. An honored guest was Glen Turner, who played the electric guitar. Turner plays with the band Rough Diamonds in England.

Dave and Tina Pidwell had a big celebration for their 25th wedding anniversary. They treated several people to a week's vacation in Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

Saratogans who joined them were Deborah and Tom Rice, Barbara and Sandy Bocks, Dan and Dale Boyle, and John Bannon.

Prominent local artist Victor Zane had his artwork displayed for gold festival days in Murphys. Fifteen of his Western paintings and lithographs and printed T-shirts of his Western works were on sale.

Hot tip: Go see Funny Girl, put on by the Saratoga Drama Group. Director C. Michael Traw should be congratulated for a great show. Leslie Robertson, who plays Fanny Brice, sounds a lot like Barbra Streisand.

Do you like romance novels? Author Phyllis Taylor Pianka tells the Friends of the Saratoga Libraries how to write one Mon., Oct. 7 at 10 a.m. in the Saratoga Library Community room. The public is invited.