Karate courtship ends in martial arts wedding

The martial arts wedding came off without a hitch, except for the bride suffering a small cut when she was unsuccessful at her first try at breaking a board with her forearm.

But Julie King, now Julie Tedesco since she married Tim Tedesco Saturday at Martial Arts America on Evans to Locks Road in Evans, did not let the mishap dampen her wedding day.

The martial arts themed wedding was held where the couple first met when they were taking karate classes in November 2000.

"It just made sense for us to have the wedding here," Julie said, because the people at the center are almost like family.

Tim said he was just getting started in his karate journey - which he hopes will end in his becoming an instructor - when he met Julie.

"It started off with a class of about five 9-year-olds," Tim said.

He and Julie were the only adults in the beginners class.

"It must have looked kind of funny," he said.

As chance would have it, Julie had a 9-year-old son, John Michael King, in the class. John Michael struck up a friendship with Tim's sons, Eric, 9, and Austin, 8.

Julie and Tim soon struck up a close friendship as a result of being in the same class, and the two families grew closer.

"I started keeping (Tim's) children during the summer" when Tim had to work, Julie said. They also shared babysitters when the two parents had appointments on the same night.

Eventually, the friendship gave way to a romance, she said.

When Julie and Tim began discussing marriage, they decided to have the wedding at the martial arts school, "mainly because we met there and because it is part of our family," she said.

Julie and the bridesmaids wore Japanese-style dresses.

"It's not a kimono, but it has all the embroidery on it," she said.

Tim and the best man, J Blanchard, wore what he termed "kung fu suits."

John Michael, Eric and Austin wore their karate outfits.

Even the wedding cake had a karate theme.

During the wedding ceremony, the couple broke boards with their bare hands as a symbol of "breaking any ties with the past," Julie said.

Her first attempt was unsuccessful and resulted in a small cut on her forearm. Ignoring the pain, she broke it on her second try.

The martial arts theme will not stop with the wedding, however.

"The honeymoon will be in Myrtle Beach (S.C.) because of a karate tournament" they plan to attend, Tim said.