Sometimes the stars are aligned just right, and that seems to be the case for U.S. Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) and Jeanne Vander Myde. Not only did Warner propose to Vander Myde on the day he was being honored at the Edinburgh Royal Tattoo (August 15), but the place he proposed, St. Margaret's Chapel in Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, was significant as well.
"What John didn't know was that it was my mother's favorite chapel, which was very special," said Vander Myde, adding that both she and Warner's families have a long Scottish heritage. Warner's son, John Warner IV, accompanied them on the trip. According to Warner, the family's Scottish heritage goes back a long way, with his mother's family building the Balmoral Castle. Warner said that he and his son both wore their full-dress military kilts in the Stewart tartan. He said that there were 600 bagpipers playing, and when they played the "Star Spangled Banner," he stood to honor the United States.
The couple traveled through Scotland studying their heritage, and then went on to South Africa, where Vander Myde lived until she was 15 years old.
Warner said that he left his bride-to-be to join the U.S. Marine forces off the coast of Liberia in his capacity as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He re-joined her after a few days, and the couple returned to the states.
Vander Myde said that when Warner proposed they were with a group of people, and "he asked them to leave us alone for a minute. I thought, 'What's going on?' It was very romantic, very sweet."
While Vander Myde wasn't totally surprised at the proposal, she wasn't expecting it just then. Warner gave her his mother's amethyst and diamond ring.
THEIR PLANNED wedding date, December 15, is also significant in that it is Warner's parent's wedding anniversary. Vander Myde said that they both picked a date. She selected February 18, which is Warner's birthday, and he selected the December date; they are opting to go with the December date.
This is assuming that they will be able to secure a small chapel at the Washington National Cathedral. They have requested this venue because this is where Warner once served on the governing chapter of the Cathedral board. He was also baptized at nearby St. Alban's Episcopal Church, where his uncle was the rector.
"We'll have a celebration with our extended family," said Vander Myde. Warner has one son, two daughters and two grandsons; Vander Myde does not have any children.
IF AVAILABLE, they'll hold the reception in the cathedral's reception room, which supposedly has beautiful views of the city. Vander Myde said that she hasn't worked out any of the details, and is in the process of looking for a dress. Vander Myde is a realtor with Coldwell Banker Pardoe and currently lives in Belle Haven. She said that they will probably put her house on the market and move to the Alexandria House, where Warner currently resides, after the wedding.
When asked how she has dealt with the press since she started going out with the famous senator, Vander Myde said, "It's been fine, he [John] is very sensitive to my privacy."
Perhaps she's used to being somewhat in the limelight. Her former husband, Paul Vander Myde, held high-level positions in four presidential administrations. At the time of his death, he was a top executive with VSE Corporation. Vander Myde was introduced to Warner, then Secretary of the Navy, by her late husband who was a Naval Reserve Captain.
Vander Myde and Warner's first date was on September 10, 2000. It was a few months after Vander Myde's husband died and the date of Warner's brother's birthday. The couple played a few games of tennis and then started seeing each other.
"All of us who are her neighbors and friends for years are just delighted," said Stan Krejci, managing consultant with the McCormick Group. "They are an attractive, sweet and delightful couple. They both really care about their friends. We've always admired him [John] from afar; getting to know him has been a pleasure."
"Everybody's been so supportive, it's wonderful that everybody is so excited," said Vander Myde.
As Warner said in an interview from the Senate floor, "Three years later we're still playing tennis, and here we are, happier than ever. I'm a very, very fortunate man to have the honor and privilege to be married to this wonderful lady."