Obama's golf interrupts Brick native's Hawaiian wedding - Asbury Park Press

USA TODAY 10:42 p.m. EST December 30, 2014

This Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014 photo provided by Keao's Photography shows Natalie Heimel, second from left, and Edward Mallue Jr., third from left, both U.S. Army captains stationed in Hawaii, reacting with their wedding party after getting a phone call from President Obama during their ceremony at Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The couple was told on Saturday they would have to have to move their wedding away from the 16th hole because Obama and his friends planned to golf. Obama called the newlyweds to apologize for disrupting their plans and offer his congratulations.(Photo: AP)

HONOLULU â€" Brick native Ed Mallue Jr. and his bride Natalie Heimel have a very unique wedding video â€" one featuring a phone call from the president of the United States.

President Obama called the newlyweds to apologize after they moved the location of their wedding because the president was playing the golf course where the ceremony had first been scheduled.

"Listen. Congratulations on your wedding. I feel terrible. Nobody told us," Obama told the couple.

Mallue and Heimel, both U.S. Army captains, had planned to tie the knot on the 16th tee of the golf course on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, a spot with a terrific ocean-and-mountain view. The president's game Sunday forced them to move to another spot, also with a great view.

"If they had just mentioned that they were going to have a wedding on the 16th hole, we would have skipped the 16th hole," Obama said.

No problem, the couple replied.

"Thank you very much," Mallue said. "It was a blessing in disguise."

Mallue was a 2003 graduate of Brick Memorial and a phenom on the soccer field. He was twice chosen for the Asbury Park Press All-Shore Boys Soccer team while in high school.

"He was an All-American soccer player. He then went to West Point," said Steve Ferullo, Jr., Brick Memorial's current soccer coach.

Heimel, the bride, told the president: "We just went right above the 16th hole. So we were watching you golf."

Replied Obama: "That must have been kind of painful."

The couple then invited Obama to their reception. Fearing he might cause another wedding mishap, the president respectfully declined.

"Everybody would have to be magged," Obama joked about his security needs. "Sorry for the change of plans. But sounds like you guys are gonna have a great wedding and at least you will have a good story to tell."

"Congratulations and thank you both for your service," Obama added at the end of the call.

Typically, when Obama is involved in recreational activities like golf or hiking, the events are considered "unofficial" and not announced beforehand on his public schedule. Keeping the events a secret until they take place allows the Secret Service to minimize the costs and disruption involved in securing a location for Obama's arrival, but it also makes it harder for the public to anticipate when a presidential visit might throw a wrench in their plans.

In this case, the White House didn't know in advance that the couple was being told they had to relocate, said a person familiar with the chain of events, who wasn't authorized to be identified publicly and requested anonymity. The White House declined to comment on the record.

This isn't the first time Obama has faced questions about the timing of his frequent golf outings. In August, Obama golfed on Martha's Vineyard just after speaking to the nation on the Islamic State's beheading of U.S. journalist James Foley. Obama later conceded he "should have anticipated the optics."

Contributing: Staff writer Dan Radel: 732-643-4072; dradel@app.com; Associated Press.

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