THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 7, 1995 TAG: 9501070245
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JANIE BRYANT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Stormy weather isn't good news to most brides.
But Pat Southall may be just fine with clouds forming over her big day - if it means crowds aren't.
Everyone from Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall to Will Smith (better known as Fresh Prince of Bel Aire) is expected to step out of limos into Third Baptist Church today.
They'll be there for the nuptials of the former Miss Virginia USA and sit-com star Martin Lawrence.
But if the locals crane their necks as much to look at the celebrities as the bride, who can blame them.
Kenny G is scheduled to play, according to one source close to the wedding.
Former boxing champs Evander Holyfield and Thomas Hearns also are among the well-knowns expected to be among some 600 guests packing the church at Godwin and Queen streets.
As of Friday, Portsmouth detective Michael Coker was definitely praying for rain.
Coker is in charge of about 10 off-duty officers hired to provide security for the 3 p.m. event.
But beyond the officers hired by the couple, on-duty officers are not on detail there, said Michael Stephens, public affairs director for the city since Wednesday.
``We're thrilled with the benefit of media coverage,'' Stephens said. ``It gives us a window to the rest of the world.''
But the public affairs director stressed that the Southalls are a ``great local family, very well-liked'' and the city would respect their privacy.
Still, he added, as ``much as we want the situation to be a private affair, this is 1994 and we're all aware of the type of things we have to be aware of from a public-safety standpoint,'' he said. ``You can bet we're prepared to respond.''
Areas of two streets will be closed to traffic during the wedding - Godwin Street from London Boulevard to High Street, and Queen Street from Peninsula Avenue to Godwin.
That should provide a ``limited amount of crowd control right there,'' Stephens said.
But that is just Portsmouth's role in the wedding hoopla.
``There are already gawkers outside the building,'' Ken Hawkins, sales and marketing director for the Marriott Hotel in Norfolk said Friday afternoon.
The wedding party reserved about 100 rooms at the Marriott, where the reception will be held.
An ``Oscar-type of atmosphere,'' with people gathering to see who climbs in and out of limousines, was predictable, Hawkins said.
``It's the largest wedding party we've had here,'' he said.
Larry Hill of the Norfolk Police Department didn't know Friday what kind of security had been lined up in that city. He learned of the wedding and its Hollywood entourage when he read the newspaper.
``I just notified our department that there may be problems,'' he said. ``We're monitoring the situation.''
In fact, as of Friday afternoon, Hill knew Eddie Murphy already had arrived and that Martin Lawrence ``drove off a little while ago.'' ILLUSTRATION: Eddie Murphy, left, and Denzel Washington are among the guests
expected at today's celebrity wedding.
KEN WRIGHT
Staff Map
by CNB