Congrats Rock & Michelle!

The following article was published in today's Capitol Morning Report:

CAPITOL COUPLE
By Rock Zierman. Contact: rock@cipa.org

The Capitol Park was the setting for the wedding Sunday of Rock Zierman, Director of Public Affairs for the California Independent Petroleum Association, to Michelle Carey, Legislative Aide to Assemblyman Chuck DeVore.

The couple became engaged last October in a plot Rock hatched with the assistance of Dennis Mangers, President of the California Cable & Telecommunications Association and Shpritz Anthony, Director of Operations of the Sacramento Theater Company (STC).

Mangers and Anthony helped Rock secure the use of the Main Stage at the H Street Theatre Project, home of the Wells Fargo Pavilion. On October 29, the couple walked into the theater lobby and sat down, waiting for the doors to open for the play "To Kill a Mockingbird." An "usher" walked up and informed them that the house was now open for seating (she was actually a STC staff member in on the plot). Since they were the first to walk in, Michelle didn't think it was odd that they were the only ones in the house. The couple sat down then Rock excused himself under the pretext of having to use the restroom. What Michelle didn't know was that their theater tickets were fakes and theater doors had been closed to everybody else.

A few minutes after Rock left their seats, the house lights faded out and Michelle was suddenly in a dark theater by herself. The stage lights came up slightly and a stage hand walked out and took the sheet off the mysterious object at the center of the stage revealing what was underneath: Rock's piano. Rock then walked on stage with his buddy, Matt Tennis of the Associated Builders and Contractors who was carrying a guitar. It was only then that Michelle figured out this was not your regular production.

Matt and Rock launched into "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts, one of Michelle's favorite songs. At the end of it, Rock descended the stage stairs, got on one knee, and proposed to his now tearful future bride. Michelle turned around to see family sitting in the back row of the theater, who broke into applause.

The theatrics didn't stop there. Sunday at the wedding reception after the couple's first dance, Rock found himself surrounded by his sisters and cousins stammering towards him like the zombies in Michael Jackson's music video for his song "Thriller." The opening chords to the song started playing through the loud speakers and Rock and his zombie ensemble turned towards the guests and did a step-by-step rendition of the music video. While the Zierman side of the audience fully expected such a production, the Carey side was quite surprised. For more information, visit the couple's webpage at http://www.rockandmichelle.com/.

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Addendum: We asked Zierman where he and Carey were going for the honeymoon. Here's his reply -- We're going to New Orleans in three weeks (Michelle is a fabulous cook, but has never been there...and I'm a fabulous eater!) then we're going to Cabo San Lucas after session ends.