By Sarah Harbison
Jackson Citizen Patriot
SOMERSET TOWNSHIP, Mich. — As a Somerset Township fire truck pulled into the Addison Fire Station with its lights swirling, a not-so-typical passenger climbed out.
Wearing a white wedding dress with red trim, Ashley Denbrock climbed out of the truck to meet her father before he walked her down the aisle to give her away.
It was a wedding described as exciting and unique by the guests — which was what Bryan Wolcott and Ashley were aiming toward for their big day on June 21.
The bride and groom both work as firefighters and emergency medical technicians — he for the Addison Fire Department and she for the Somerset Township Fire Department.
The couple’s fathers each work at fire departments, as does Bryan’s sister. It was a natural decision to have their wedding at a fire station, Ashley said.
“It’s just a big part of both of our lives,” said Ashley, 24, of Somerset.
The two met in their EMT class in October 2006.
It was the first wedding held at the station, 4111 Round Lake Highway. The Rev. Matthew SeGraves of New Life Baptist Church in Addison performed the ceremony.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever experienced something like this and I just love it,” said Lynn Waite, who is cousin of the bride’s father. “This is very cool.”
Moments before seeing his bride walk down the aisle, Bryan, 23, clad in firefighter bunker pants, said he was excited — and not nervous at all.
The firefighter theme was carried out in many ways throughout the wedding — from the bride arriving in a fire truck to the firefighter’s prayer being the Prayer of Dedication during the ceremony.
The newlyweds left in a fire truck with a “Just Married” sign and two firefighter boots attached to the back.
“It’s been a lot of fun just to be able to help people,” Bryan said of his job. “You get an adrenaline rush when the buzzer goes off and you wonder what you’re getting.”
But it isn’t always fun and exciting — especially working in a town where you know so many people.
“My first year was really tough for me,” Bryan said. “Five of my first 10 calls were fatality car accidents, so it was a struggle, especially when it’s people you know.”
Those attending the wedding did not doubt the bond between the two.
Bryan, an Addison High School graduate, proposed in July 2007 to Ashley, a Northwest High School graduate.
“We went to Hidden Lake Gardens out in Irish Hills and we were watching the swans swimming around in the pond they have there,” Ashley said. “He just asked me there.”
She was surprised by the proposal — she thought he might do it later that summer on their vacation to Kentucky.
In fact, on the day of the proposal, Ashley was angry with Bryan because he was late picking her up from work.
“We walked the trails to kind of calm me down before he asked me, I think,” she said, laughing, just a few days before her wedding.
“The two are very lucky that they found each other. They are made for each other,” said Waite, of Coldwater. “They have a very special love. I think their love will stand the test of time.”
Ashley said before her wedding that she wanted nothing more than to enjoy the day, and to have it be as stress-free as possible. The two planned to wind down on their honeymoon at a cabin in northern Michigan.
Ashley’s father, Dan Denbrock, is a firefighter in Pulaski Township. He said the opportunity to get married in a fire station is a unique one.
“I’m excited. I’m not nervous a bit,” Denbrock said before walking his daughter down the aisle.
“She and Brian did a wonderful job planning this event and if it makes her happy I’m all excited for her.”