OFF THE WIRE
Newlyweds Miles Cadwallader, left, of Harrisburg, and Sarah Ambler, of Bethlehem, greet the crowd at Perry Square after their wedding Thursday, July 14, 2011. They were married by Erie 3rd Ward District Judge Tom Carney, right, on the main stage at the first night of the 2011 Roar on the Shore event. BRANDON BOYD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS
Miles Cadwallader and Sarah Ambler were nervous about exchanging nuptials Thursday night before several hundred enthusiastic bikers in downtown Erie.
But they didn't get cold feet.
"This was a great and exciting experience for us,'' Cadwallader said.
Cadwallader, 47, of Harrisburg, and Ambler, 42, of Bethlehem, were married at 8:15 p.m. on the main stage at Perry Square as part of the Roar on the Shore motorcycle rally.
Of course, it wasn't without some nerves.
"I felt nervous," Ambler said.
"So was I," Cadwallader added.
It was the first biker wedding in the five-year history of the Erie rally, which began Thursday and concludes Sunday.
The Roar kicked off Thursday with the Bringin' in the Roar bike parade from Presque Isle Downs & Casino to Perry Square in downtown Erie.
Shortly after the last of the participating bikers made their way to downtown Erie, attention shifted to the wedding.
Both the groom and the bride are hearing-impaired.
The groom wore a biker vest and a bandanna. The bride wore a white tank top and jeans, and had the appearance of a blushing bride due to a slight sunburn.The couple exchanged vows before Erie 3rd Ward District Judge Tom Carney, who also dressed for the occasion with an American flag bandanna of his own.
The couple met in February. Cadwallader proposed in March.
Cadwallader works at an auto collision shop in Hershey. Ambler is a homemaker.
Cadwallader is an avid biker. He attended Roar on the Shore in 2010, including the first Deaf Bike Night. Ambler, who is also hearing-impaired, has been riding motorcycles for three years.
Tammy Kecer, of Fairview, said she enjoyed watching their wedding unfold.
"It's very sweet," she said. "It was especially touching because both were hearing-impaired."
Cadwallader said the idea of getting married at Roar on the Shore was a sudden one.
"Out of the blue, I asked Sarah to come along (to the Roar rally), and we talked about getting married there,'' Cadwallader said.
Cadwallader said their families supported their decision.
"My mom said, 'Hooray,''' he said. "Sarah's mom just found out last week and is happy. My dad loves her cooking.''
For those wondering, no, Cadwallader didn't propose to her on a bike.
"We were just being honest, blunt and the question popped up,'' he said. "We're more of a daring type of people who have a lot of common interests.''
After the wedding, both said they enjoyed the festivities.
"I think it was wonderful," Ambler said.
Cadwallader used the word "beautiful" to describe the wedding.
Kecer agreed with them.
"It was a wedding, so of course I cried," she said.
Cadwallader and his bride plan to spend more time at Roar on the Shore through the weekend.
For now, they said they planned to bask in their "just married" bliss.
"It's party time," Ambler joked.
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