By Sean Bailey / Staff Writer
ack Rogers has been officiating weddings since 2003, and he has joined a lot of couples in holy matrimony in those six years. He’s conducted the sacrament in all sorts of places too — outdoors, in churches and even at Cumberland Falls.
“But this is a unique experience,” Rogers said at the White Castle in London Saturday morning.
The White Castle closed its dining room Saturday morning and employees transformed the fast-food booths into a candle-lit reception area.
Sun streamed in through the restaurant’s windows as the drive-thru window was briefly shutdown so that the smiling bride could make her way down the aisle and exchange vows with the man she loves.
“I haven’t thought the same since I met her,” Kurby McDonald said as he motioned toward the service counter, “right there, behind that window on her first day of work.”
Kurby, originally from the Chicago area, was working at White Castle a little over a year ago when his co-worker and future mother-in-law told him her daughter, Krystal Kester, was going to start working at the restaurant.
“I told her then I was going to date her daughter,” Kurby said. “And I just fell in love with her (Krystal) after she started working.
Krystal Kester, now Krystal McDonald, said she remembers meeting Kurby that fateful day when he was assigned to train her in as a White Castle team member.
Krystal remembers quickly falling for her future husband.
“He just had the greatest personality,” Krystal said. “Everyday I worked I just prayed that he would be working too, so I could work with him. And we’d go out and hang out, it got so I just didn’t want to be away from him.”
Kurby has been around White Castles for much of his life. His older sister, Kytina Lockhart is the general manager at White Castle, and has been working at White Castles for 14 years now and Kurby moved with her to Kentucky when she was transfered to London.
When Kytina heard her brother wanted to get married at work she was a bit surprised.
I was a little caught off guard,” Kytina said with a laugh. “But it really fits my brother’s personality.”
Kurby said he came up with the idea when the couple were relaxing one day about three months ago.
“I just said why don’t we get married at White Castle,” Kurby said.
After all, it was the place they met and fell in love, Kurby added.
But to Krystal, at least at first, it sounded like a crazy idea.
“I was not for it all,” Krystal said with a smile and a laugh, “I was for the traditional church-going wedding.”
After a lot of planning, Krystal said the idea of a church wedding wore on her, and decided to let Kurby have his dream.Krsytal said her family thought it was a strange idea at first, but after hearing the story, and understanding the signifgance of the setting adapted to the idea. In the end Krystal said the wedding was perfect.
“I’m just ecstatic, I couldn’t be happier,” she said just after the couple cut their cake shaped like White Castle’s signature square burger — with onion shaped frosting and all.
After the cake was cut, the McDonalds and their family and friends were treated to a banquet of White Castle burgers, fries and chicken rings in the restaurant where their love began.
