Town preps for Bush wedding

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) -- President Bush stuck out his right elbow Thursday, jokingly demonstrating how he'll escort his daughter down the aisle at her wedding this weekend.

He made the gesture at Andrews Air Force Base before boarding Air Force One for the flight to Texas, where Jenna Bush will be married Saturday before about 200 guests at the family's 1,600 acre, secluded ranch.

Asked if he was excited, the president smiled and gave a thumbs-up.

"He's looking forward to it," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe told reporters aboard the plane as it flew from rainy Washington to sunny Texas. "He's excited like any proud father is to see one of his daughters get married."

"I think he's also going to make sure he gets a good night's sleep tonight so he can stay up late the rest of the weekend and enjoy all the activities."

First lady Laura Bush is already at the ranch getting ready for the outdoor wedding on the 1,600-acre spread in central Texas. Jenna, 26, is tying the knot with longtime boyfriend Henry Hager, who turns 30 on Friday.

Jenna and Hager of Richmond, Virginia, opted for a more low-key affair, thinking a White House wedding would be too formal and stuffy. More than 200 friends and family are converging at the ranch for the wedding.

The White House says it will be a closed affair. No details are expected to be released, although White House officials say the family might agree to release a photo or two of the wedding on Sunday.

"This is really a private event for the family," Johndroe said. "I think the activities of the weekend are going to be really a private celebration for Jenna and Henry's family and friends."

Marvin Bush, one of the president's brothers, and his family flew down with Bush on Air Force One. The group, along with White House advisers, hopped on the Marine One presidential helicopter with Bush, who hurried them up with a wave and a smile.

Crawford residents and businesses are preparing for an influx of tourists Saturday. Like the Bush family, they have arranged for flowers and ordered wedding cake and souvenirs. See how the town is getting ready »

"Remember when Princess Di married? Well, it was a big, big thing, you know. ... It's `Wow -- this is royalty,"' said Bill Johnson, owner of the Yellow Rose gift shop. "The president and the family -- they are really considered royalty by many folks."

Indeed, the Oscar de la Renta bridal gown, flowers and other items being flown in for the official ceremony will make for an affair not often seen in towns like Crawford, which has two gas stations, a bank, one restaurant and some gift shops.

Dallas caterer Eddie Deen, who has been hired by Bush for numerous events, grinned and said "no comment" when asked if he will cater the wedding. Deen was asked to feed 14,000 people at Bush's 2000 inauguration with just 12 days' notice, then catered two other inaugural events for 4,500 and 3,500 people at the last moment, he said. When he got to Washington, he ended up serving another 10,000 people, he said.

"I think that's the reason why they keep calling us back from D.C. -- because we know how to communicate the idea they're trying to communicate," Deen said.

Rural Crawford, which has steadfastly supported Bush, won't be denied its chance to celebrate when Jenna Bush ties the knot with Henry Hager, a former aide to Bush's former top political adviser Karl Rove and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

And if local business make a few dollars on the side, well, that would make the occasion all the happier.

"We think tourists will want to feel part of that special day, even if they're miles away from the ranch and they're not invited, because it's a part of history," said Marilyn Judy, president of the Crawford Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture.

A couple of stores are selling the coffee mugs. The Red Bull gift shop, which plans to serve wedding cake and punch Saturday, also is hawking small ceramic ornaments with the couple's name or initials and wedding date, as well as a basket with two white teddy bears representing the couple.

"We're so honored she's getting married here," said Jo Staton, who works at The Red Bull and used to own a ranch near Bush's. "It's so beautiful out there, with streams, trees and wildflowers blooming in the fields. Every hill you see out there is gorgeous."

The blessed union even has affected the dwindling but steadfast group of a dozen or so war protesters left over from the circus that followed Cindy Sheehan when she brought her peace vigil to President Bush's ranch in 2005, which had irked the locals.

The holdouts decided to hold off on their chants and anti-Bush signs until Sunday.

"You don't blame the children for the sins of their parents," said Carl Rising-Moore, who has protested during every Bush visit here the past several years. "I don't want to spoil her day."

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