Lucky 7? Another Valley couple to wed on WFMJ morning show

By KATIE SEMINARA

A couple from Pennsylvania was selected from hundreds of applicants.

YOUNGSTOWN — It all started as a joke, but with less than five days until tying the knot, “WFMJ Today” wedding couple Regan Cokain, 26, of Hermitage, Pa. and Steve Cheney, 35, of Mercer, Pa., are eager to walk down the aisle as “Mr. and Mrs.”

“When the station was still doing Valentine’s Day dates with [former weatherman] Frank Marzullo, I made it into the Top 10, so I was kidding around with Steve and bet him I could get us into the top seven for the wedding,” said Cokain.

Cokain and Cheney have been together since Dec. 21, 2006, and knew there was no turning back when the call came from the station that they were in the top three couples — out of hundreds of applicants.

After the announcement of finalists March 24, Cokain and her mother, Beverly Cokain, began petitioning for votes anywhere they could. “My mom was putting fliers up at the roller rink,” said Cokain. The duo distributed 3,000 fliers to people’s houses, cars in their church parking lot, and even on boxes for a Valley pizza shop.

Their dedication paid off during voting week and the “WFMJ Today” viewers chose Cokain and Cheney to be the seventh couple to be married on air this Friday.

“The first wedding we did was the scariest, but now I think we have it down to a science,” said WFMJ marketing director Jack Stevenson, who estimates that as many as 8,000 to 10,000 people vote on the couple and their wedding.

For couples to even be considered for the wedding they must first fill out an in-depth application, where they describe themselves and their history as a couple. After all of the applications get to WFMJ, it ultimately becomes a station project, according to Stevenson.

A committee and the news director narrow down the applicants, then “WFMJ Today” hosts Scott Schneider and Laurie Lehosky conduct personal interviews after the final eight couples remain.

In their interview video, Cokain and Cheney said their personalities should merit them to be the wedding couple; it was those personalities and similar interests that brought them together in the first place.

Cokain and Cheney met after college while working for Sharon Regional Health Systems, where Cheney is a therapeutic staff support worker. Cokain graduated from Grove City College with a degree in marketing, and Cheney attended Edinboro University where he majored in sociology and psychology.

“I used to see him at work, and I thought he was handsome,” said Cokain. “The first time we really talked I told him I liked the plaid pants he was wearing.”

The two also attended the same church, New Life Baptist in New Wilmington, Pa., where they have both participated in mission trips that conducted Vacation Bible school for poverty stricken children.

Cokain and Cheney both enjoy numerous outdoor activities including Frisbee golf, skipping rocks, swimming and taking walks.

On a Saturday in February, Cheney called Cokain for their weekly walk at Buhl Park in Sharon. Cheney described the morning as sunny and snow covered when he proposed to Cokain in the park gazebo. “I knew that he had a ring, but I didn’t even take a shower that morning, so it was a surprise,” said Cokain.

Cokain and Cheney describe themselves as a pretty adventurous couple and put their voter-based wedding on their most adventurous list with activities like fishing in Quebec.

“We can’t go anywhere without getting stopped by people saying, ‘Oh it’s the couple,’” said Cheney.

According to the almost-newlyweds, the past seven weeks have been a whirlwind of events and interviews, but they aren’t nervous about the wedding. They are looking forward to the final day of the entire experience. “I just want everything to be together and on time,” said Cheney, who is most concerned about his guests getting lost in Youngstown.

“We are really happy with everything. The station wants it to be about us,” said Cokain.

The soon-to-be bride and groom were able to pick the types of flowers they wanted to be voted on, and also got to choose the flavor of their five-tiered cake called “Sweet Love.”

Cokain and Cheney are looking forward to fishing, scuba diving and sitting on the beach during their honeymoon in Miami.

WFMJ will most likely continue doing the weddings because of all the publicity it generates. “We are always looking at ways to bring new elements to the event,” said Stevenson.

The wedding will be at the Butler Institute of American Art and will air live at 5 a.m. on “WFMJ Today.” Previous couples who were selected will attend the ceremony.

Of course, the public can view it from home.

“People act like they are going to be at the wedding, and we just have fun with it,” said Cokain.