Friends gathered on a recent Saturday evening at the home of Drs. Tatiana and Igor Bidikov to celebrate the engagement of their son, Luke, to Erin Johnson, of Bemus Point, New York. Erin and Luke met in Denver while training for Teach for America, a program in which they worked as teachers in the underserved areas of Denver.

Friends of the Bidikov family enjoyed spending some “getting to know you” time with Erin, the daughter of Blair and Valerie Johnson, in the intimate garden setting, against the backdrop of illuminated trees and the splashing sounds of the Bidikovs’ St. Michaela fountain.

In addition to meeting new friends, Erin was pleased to meet Classic Catering’s famous shrimp and grits, and the other yummy dishes for which they’re so well-known …

Erin and Luke enjoy many outdoor activities, including biking, skiing and hiking; in fact, he proposed to her while snowshoeing in December.

Erin, a University of Florida graduate, is a manager for Teach for America, while Luke, who graduated from Vanderbilt University, is applying to medical school.

Well-wishers at the party included Jacksonville’s Carmine and Suzane Dibiase (who, along with Igor, Luke, Andrej and Nina Bidikov, played in the Jacksonville State University Orchestra); neighbors Joanne and Ralph Parkman; Hervey and Robert Folsom (the couple who enlisted the Bidikovs as fellow C.A.S.T. supporters); Edgar and Elaine Burt; and Virginia Parker, Tatiana’s longtime tennis partner.

The young couple is busily planning their wedding, which will be Oct. 6 in Grand Lake, Colo., a scenic town known for its many outdoor activities. The ceremony will take place outside against a background of aspen trees in full bloom, descending into Grand Lake, the largest mountain lake in Colorado.

Have a fabulous vacation, memorable celebration or upcoming event you’d like to share? Contact Annette Maddox at starsmalltalk@yahoo.com.

Save the Date

Don’t forget – Relay for Life returns to Calhoun County on Friday! Once again, the McClellan Soccer Complex will be the home for this huge annual fundraising event. It’s fun, it’s family-friendly, and it lasts alllll night. Stay a little while, or stay until the sun comes up. There will be entertainment, games, all kinds of cool things to buy, food and activities. All money raised goes to American Cancer Society. Relay begins at 3 p.m. Friday and concludes at 9 a.m. Saturday. Follow the signs from Highway 21.