Couple celebrates wedding at Schaumburg airport

Illinois National Guard Air Force Capt. Andrew Meyer, who grew up in Barrington, and Laura Bristol from Elmhurst celebrated their recent nuptials in a rare event at Schaumburg Regional Airport.

Meyer, who has flown missions to Iraq, and Bristol wanted to celebrate there because Pilot Pete's restaurant at the airport was the site of their second date.

Getting approval from the insurance carrier for the airport took some doing, said Ron Liebmann, chair of the Village of Schaumburg Pilots Technical Advisory Committee. Village Manager Ken Fritz and Transportation Director June Johnson were supportive and the carrier finally agreed to view it as an aviation event, he said. The two flew in for the October event in the main aircraft hangar, which was attended by about 150 people.

The couple met on the Internet in August 2009 and had their first date 12 days later at a Claim Jumper restaurant. For their next date, Meyer flew his plane from Aurora to Pilot Pete's, then after dinner flew on to Scott Air Force Base in southern Illinois for his National Guard training.

Meyer, an electrical and mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Illinois, is presently building two experimental planes while he flies his third. He joined the Air National Guard in January 1999.

His bride is a graduate of the Citadel Military College of South Carolina. She excelled in athletics and presently owns a sport trainer facility. The couple lives in Fortville, Ind.