R.I. couple married in doughnut shop

Associated Press

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — It was at the Honey Dew Donut shop that Cyndi LaRose and her honey said, ``I do.''

LaRose and Joseph David Smith exchanged wedding vows Wednesday at the North Kingstown shop where they had met.

Marjorie Harrison, the baker, made the food. Faraq Mohamed, the shop's owner, greeted customers with a simple question: ``Coffee or the wedding?'' A former probate judge conducted the ceremony. The shop's regulars served as the witnesses.

``I had the privilege of knowing Joe and Cyndi before they met,'' Mohamed said. ``I watched as they fell in love.''

LaRose, 49, a caregiver for Coventry Home Care, has been coming to the shop for years. Smith, 58, who works at Kingstown Mobile Home Park, started coming when his niece worked behind the counter.

``I saw this good-looking guy standing up there,'' LaRose said. ``He was a country-looking guy, the type I look for, the Grizzly Adams type.''

But they didn't really fall in love until they helped Mohamed with an errand a few weeks ago. Two days later, Smith asked her to marry him. They picked out rings last week.

They thought about having the ceremony on the beach, but decided it was too cold. The doughnut shop is a casual place where most of their friends hang out anyway, so it was a perfect fit.

``I don't even own a dress,'' LaRose said.

``You couldn't get me in a tie,'' Smith said.

The couple planned to spend a Thanksgiving weekend honeymoon at a Connecticut casino.

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