Teacher and Class: Till Marriage Do Them Part

The mock wedding ceremony at Tustin Memorial Academy Elementary School last week had all the makings of the real thing: the beautiful bride in a pearl-white gown, sniffling spectators and a three-tier wedding cake.

Kindergarten teacher Kathleen Parinisi is moving from California in March to get ready to wed her childhood sweetheart in their hometown of Scranton, Pa., in July. Her students were sad they would not be able to go to the wedding, so their parents organized a full-fledged ceremony in Tustin Memorial’s multipurpose room.

“I feel so loved today,” Parinisi said. “It’s just so sweet.”

The girl in Parinisi’s class wore frilly dresses and held pink carnations as she walked down the aisle in front of nearly 100 parents, students and faculty. The boys, wearing ties and red carnations pinned to their shirts, walked with the bride down the aisle, which was lined with red and white balloons.

“I think she is so special, she is special like candy,” said 5-year-old Tyler Meier.

Two local shops also participated by offering donations. Parinisi’s formal wedding gown was lent by L’Mode Bridal in Tustin, and the cake was made by Moya’s Bakery in Santa Ana.

After the comically written vows were made and candy rings were exchanged, the students sang “Going to the Chapel” and “You Are My Sunshine”--causing more than a few tears from the mothers in the room.

“She’s an excellent, excellent teacher. She really cares about our kids,” said parent Brenda Eley as she wiped away tears after the ceremony. “We just love her dearly and are sad to see her go.”

Parinisi, 34, and her fiance, Jeff Sileo, 36, have known each other since grade school but hadn’t seen each other for about 13 years until they met in Scranton in July. Sileo proposed to Parinisi, who was his first girlfriend in seventh grade, at John Wayne Airport in October.

“It really was fate that our lives intersected again,” said the blushing bride-to-be. Parinisi said she will miss her class immensely and is grateful that the students, parents and staff have been so understanding.

“I have the greatest job,” she said. “I get hugs and kisses every day. This was like two years of all that love compacted into one day.”

Marissa Espino may be reached at (714) 966-5879.