It's a man's ideal wedding: Cars, races, beer and it's free.
A little more than a week ago, five couples from across Canada got the call informing them that they had won an all-expenses-paid trip to the Toronto Molson Indy to be married at noon today on the victory podium in honour of the release of the movie Wedding Crashers.
They'll be wearing T-shirts, short veils and black-and-white checkered hats instead of the traditional accoutrements and after the ceremony they'll putt around the Indy in "Just Married" golf carts, but the couples all say they are happy to be marrying their mates.
"We love racing and we love each other," said Gayle Hill from Calgary, who will be taking vows with her partner of 11 years, Ron Adams.Mr. Adams encouraged Ms. Hill to enter the contest on a whim.
"I figured there was no chance she could win," he said, with a chuckle. "I was humouring her."
The contest was advertised in local newspapers in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg. Contestants had to submit a 25-word entry about why they wanted to be married at the Indy.
Jenn Goudie, from Ottawa, was more accommodating. "He loves racing and I just wanted to marry him," she said.
The couples have also been treated to nights on the town including dinner at the CN Tower, tickets to the ball game, VIP entrance into Indy parties, great seats for the race and lots of beer.
"We've been treated very well; we've just received first-class treatment," Ms. Goudie said. "We can't explain how thankful we are. We couldn't ask for better."
Ms. Goudie said her children cried when they learned they couldn't attend the wedding but she said she and her fiancé, Casey Coates, would have another, proper ceremony next year.
The couples said their families had largely backed the plans for the unorthodox "I dos."
"My mom's been very supportive," said Margaret Hool of Toronto. Ms. Hool and her fiancé, Eric Johnston, saw the ad in the paper and thought, 'Let's give it a whirl.' For the couple, it's the perfect way to celebrate a 22-year partnership. Mr. Johnston proposed to Ms. Hool at the Indy last year. "We saw the contest in the paper and thought it would be a great thing for two diehard race fans."