JP Dailey and Auburn senior Michelle Knowles are both Italian, or as JP puts it, "always late."
This is how both of their families landed seats in the last pew of Holy Infant of Prague Catholic Church every Sunday morning.
But this year, the Trussville couple will redeem their families after years of back-pew church sitting when they profess their vows at the front of their home church.
And just in case one wedding doesn't do the trick, between the two families there are three weddings in the works for this year, and a fourth one is on the way.
Melissa Knowles, Michelle's sister, and David Gilmore will have their wedding March 17.
Michelle and JP will marry July 21.
David Dailey, JP's brother, and Melina Knight will marry Aug. 24.
Sean Dailey, JP's other brother, and Jordan McCulley are now engaged, but have not yet decided on a wedding date.
JP and Michelle didn't have much in common but a church pew at first, especially with a four-year age gap getting in the way of a relationship.
"This is funny, but I can actually remember when her mom was pregnant with her," JP said.
So other than the occasional "peace be with you" at church, JP and Michelle remained apart.
That is until Aug. 30, 2008: Auburn's first football game of the season against Louisiana-Monroe and the first time JP and Michelle went on a date.
"I was a freshman in college, so I guess he decided it was the right time to call me," Michelle said. "It's the motto our families live by: better late than never."
Two years, four months and 21 days after their first date, JP led Michelle to a familiar spot: the back pew of Holy Infant of Prague Catholic Church, where he asked for her hand in marriage.
The couple will soon be married at the church's altar, as will other members of the two families.
"I'm in five weddings this year," Dailey said. "I think it just became trendy."
Although exciting for the families involved, having three, and possibly four, weddings in the same summer means three times the stress, Michelle said.
The extra competition between wedding parties for the same locations, color themes and decorations also posed a problem.
"It's hard," she said. "When we began planning, Melissa and I liked all the same things. We fought over colors and venues, but it all ended up working out."
Maria Knowles, mother of Melissa and Michelle, said planning the weddings simultaneously has actually been beneficial.
Though the sisters will share the same DJ, photographer, florist, cake baker and church, they have found ways to personalize their wedding days.
"Melissa was all antique and lace oriented, and Michelle goes more for the princess look, so it's been funny to see how close they are in age, but how different they really are," Maria said. "The weddings will be the same way; they will be close together, but they are going to be entirely different."
The Daileys and Knowleses have more factors to consider for all four weddings: crowd and wallet control.
"When I say I have a big Italian family, I mean it's really big," JP said. "I really think that there will be at least 200 to 300 people on my side alone that will show up, so we have to cut that list and really get the people that we want to be there.
"These things do cost money, I've learned."
Maria agreed, but said she could see a bright side in the situation that made all of the extra effort worthwhile.
"It is very expensive," she said. "But, in the grand scheme of things, it was going to cost us this much anyway, so we might as well just get it all over with in one year and then try to recover."
Maria said when searching for photographers, caterers and florists for her daughters' weddings, she tried not to let prices rule her decisions, saying a few hundred dollars saved just wasn't worth it to her in the end.
"We went with people who had really good reputations," she said. "Now I'm going to step back and let them do their job because I am confident they know what they are doing."
Despite the cluster and chaos of "wedding season," a term the two families have redefined, Maria said everything is under control, and everyone is prepared.
The only thing that's worrying the families now is making sure they arrive to the weddings on time.
"Oh gosh, I'm very worried about that," Maria said. "I'm wondering if both families can't just spend the night there the night before."
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