Four Weddings And A Veneral Disease

It's the Brady Bunch meets the Corleones, with STDs.

Was it the generous pouring of Dom Perignon or the romantic music of the string quartet? Perhaps it was the frequent puppy-dog nuzzling of the newlyweds.

Whatever the inspiration, the toasts flowed with uninhibited warmth Saturday night as 150 guests from Houston and around the world celebrated the marriage of Maria Andrews and Neil Bush.

Former President George Bush, with champagne glass raised high, welcomed his new daughter-in-law. "We love Maria," he said. "This is a very happy day in the life of the Bush family."

The groom's 17-year-old son, Pierce, pulled at the heartstrings when he dedicated his toast "to one of the finest examples of two people in love" who set "a fine example for their kids to follow."

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The petite bride wore a pale pink Ungaro gown and Badgley Mischka evening shoes. Standing with Maria were her older children -- Elizabeth, 12, and Pace, 10. Her youngest, Thomas, who soon turns 3, was on the sidelines with Maria's mother, Martha Manness.

Neil Bush, wearing a dark suit, was joined by Pierce and daughter Ashley, 14. Lauren, his oldest child and a student at Princeton University, did not attend.

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Other family members unavailable for the wedding were Neil's brothers -- President George W. Bush, who was occupied with Mexican President Vicente Fox, and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who was said to have had pressing business in his home state.

The Chronicle did not state whether the Saudi guests were named bin Laden.