A funny thing contest winner

Jeffrey Weiser’s “famous” story won him $100!

Al Pacino was a “guest” at our wedding!

Our beautiful wedding had just ended at the ritzy Stanhope Hotel in Manhattan. We’d had the ceremony and reception at the top of the building in the large penthouse suite.

My bride in her wedding dress and I went downstairs to climb into one of those famous horse-drawn carriages to take a ride around Central Park.

Many of our guests were also downstairs in front of the hotel to see the flower bouquet tossed in the air. My bride and I happily got into the carriage and waved goodbye as the horse-drawn cab began its trip around Central Park.

Little did we know that that right there, at the entrance to the hotel was a famous actor seated at a café table dressed in jogging apparel.

I learned later that one of my close friends, a music composer, engaged the famed actor and asked about writing a score for his upcoming movie. The actor was friendly and agreed to pose for a picture.

I also later learned that the actor was seated there because he was waiting for the maitre d’ to bring him a sport jacket. The hotel dining room had a strict jacket requirement.

I also later found out that once the actor got the jacket and went inside, a large gaggle of my wedding guests had just made their way downstairs and recognized the actor. The out-of-town guests from rural Canada were beside themselves with excitement and screamed, “OH MY GOD, it’s Al Pacino!”

Pacino was friendly and allowed pictures as the guests swarmed him.

My wife and I heard versions of this, many years later. At the time, we were too focused and thrilled with our own wedding excitement!

— Jeffrey Weiser

Jeffrey and Linda Weiser, Bovina Center, pictured on their wedding day. pHOTO CONTRIBUTed