good morning. breaking news. a passenger plane crashes in northern iran. more than 165 people feared dead. we're live with the very latest. homicide? tmz.com reporting that's how police are now treating michael jackson's death. this, as investigators issue new subpoenas and spend more than an hour in the office of his longtime dermatologist. and the joy of becks. international superstar david beckham live in our studio. and from his return to u.s. soccer, to his steamy new ad campaign, we've got a lot to kick around "today," wednesday, campaign, we've got a lot to kick around "today," wednesday, july 15th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

and good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and miami meredith vieira. this morning, emergency crews are combing through the debris of that deadly caspian airlines crash in northwestern iran, with no real hope of finding any survivors. >> you just take a look at the images from the scene and they show what appeared to be a terribly violent end to a flight that had taken off from tehran just a few minutes earlier. let's get to nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: matt, good morning. this is happening as we speak. caspian air was carrying 150 passengers and a crew of 15. it had just departed bound for armenia. and what we're told by the weather channel was clear flying conditions. most of the passengers on board are said to be armenian or georgian. an iranian official said the plane experienced technical problems and had tried to conduct an emergency landing but crashed into a field about 75

miles northwest of tehran, leaving a large hole, as you can see. littered with smoking wreckage. fire rescue authorities say there are no survivors. among the passengers were eight members of iran's national youth judo team, along with two trainers and a delegation chief. caspian airlines is a joint rusch/iranian venture. this was a russian-made plane. there are fewer and fewer american-made planes being flown in iran because of the u.s. boycott against iran and iran does not have a very good aviation safety track record. meanwhile, here at home, more details about southwest airlines flight that made an emergency landing late monday, with a football-sized hole in the roof of the 737. the ntsb expects to have that piece of torn metal at its lab here in washington later today. we now know the plane was found to have cracks in it six months ago. those cracks were supposed to have been repaired. the faa issued an air worthiness

directive just a few weeks ago for all 737-300s, 400s and 5s to check for cracking around that dorsal fin area but the ntsb tells nbc news it does not believe this hole opened up in that area, that the air worthiness directive warned about. matt? >> all right, tom costello in washington this morning. tom, as always, thanks very much. it's three minutes after the hour. here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. now to some breaking developments in the death of michael jackson, and what has reportedly become a homicide investigation. nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles with details. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: meredith, good morning to you. the investigation is really coming to a head now. overnight, new reports on the website tmz that police are now treating this as a homicide, and have, what they call, powerful evidence linking one of jackson's doctors to his death. tmz reports that police are leaning toward the anesthetic propofol, known as diprivan, as the probable cause of death. investigators found the drug inside jackson's home. now, the website reports there's

evidence linking dr. conrad murray, jackson's personal physician who was there when he died, as the one who administered jackson's final dose. the doctor denies any wrongdoing. on the other side of town, officials spent more than an hour inside another doctor's office, right in the heart of beverly hills. there was no hiding it. >> how many medical records have you been able to get? >> dr. klein has cooperated with us extensively, and we just -- >> is dr. klein the only doctor under investigation? how many doctors are you looking at? >> we're not investigating the doctors. we're investigating mr. michael jackson's death and we're contacting all of his doctors. >> reporter: dr. arnie klein, dermatologist to the stars, including michael jackson. after hauling prescription drugs out of jackson's mansion, investigators are trying to follow the pill trail. where did the mega star get his prescription drugs? >> i want, you know, on occasion gave him demerol to sedate him

and that was about the strongest medicine i ever used. >> reporter: but investigators are more interested in his papers than his words. in fact police say they're looking into several doctors, including dr. conrad murray, who was with jackson at the time of his death. he denies any wrongdoing. are you serving subpoenas on any other doctors? >> i'm not going to comment on that either. >> reporter: okay, thank you. officials say we may know cause and manner of death by next week, but there's pain today. >> i love him so much. >> reporter: for michael's three kids. sources close to the custody case tell nbc news katherine jackson and debbie rowe are negotiating behind the scenes, trying to work out a custody deal. tuesday "the new york post" reported they reached one. that debbie rowe would get $4 million to go away. rowe's attorney flatly denies it, saying in a statement, miss rowe has not and will not give up her parental rights. and then, another plot twist.

>> debbie rowe, on the attack -- >> reporter: the syndicated show "extra" interviewed this woman, rebecca white. she filmed eight hours of footage while making a documentary about debbie rowe. now she says rowe is her friend, and she read from what she says are e-mails from rowe since jackson's death. >> i'm not going after custody, these kids are not mine. they were never, they were always michael's. my lawyer's telling me that i have to take some responsibility about the welfare of the children. do i want the kids? hell no. does it look good for me to ask for them, absolutely. >> reporter: rowe's attorney fired back, our firm has sent miss white a letter disputing the truth of her statements, he said, and demanding that she make a retraction in order to avoid legal action. there is a custody hearing set for next monday in this case. if katherine jackson and debbie rowe don't reach a deal by then, experts say a custody trial could take months. one final note about the criminal case, just this morning dr. klein's attorney told nbc news their client is not the subject of an investigation.

meredith? >> all right, jeff rossen, thank you very much. it is 7:06, and once again here's matt. >> all right, meredith, thank you. now more strange developments in the baffling and tragic case of a florida couple gunned down in cold blood. authorities now believe they have all seven primary suspects in custody, including a member of the u.s. air force special ops and a 16-year-old. nbc's mark potter has the latest. >> reporter: as investigators continued their roundup, 19-year-old fredrick lee thornton was arrested tuesday on murder charges. accused of taking part in a home invasion last thursday in which byrd and melanie billings were shot to death. >> my brother is not a person -- the type of person to kill someone. >> reporter: officials say they believe they have now caught all seven suspects, six adults and one 16-year-old, who were allegedly involved in the attack at the billings' house. >> we have found them and they are in custody. >> reporter: authorities say the attack, captured on surveillance

tape, was a military-style operation, for which the suspects trained for as long as a month. >> we have information that indicates that there was a -- an amount of practice that was involved. >> reporter: sheriff morgan says one of the men accused of murder, donald ray stallworth, is currently in u.s. air force special operations and that leonard patrick gonzalez jr., also charged with murder, used to serve in the national guard. >> i would ask the court in consideration of the lack of -- and community activism to release me on my own recognizance. >> reporter: his request at his arraignment was denied. meanwhile the lead prosecutor says a safe was taken from the house during the attack. >> i think the safest, easiest, clearest thing to say that the primary motive in this case was robbery. >> reporter: officials will not say whether any money or valuables were in that safe or why the billings, with nine children at home at the time, had to die in a robbery.

meanwhile, federal officials have now been briefed because there are questions about whether other people or other related crimes may be involved in different states, or even out of the country. matt? >> all right, mark potter in pensacola for us this morning. mark, thank you very much. escambia county sheriff, david morgan, the man overseeing this investigation, actually spent more than two decades with the air force security police. he joins us now again this morning. sheriff morgan, good to see you. thanks very much. >> good morning, matt. >> you said in that press conference, you've got basically all the primary suspects in custody. is there any chance you might make further arrests in connection with this case? >> yes, sir, there is. we have an eighth person of interest. we have the person's name and address and location. we're currently waiting for the state attorney's office to give us the go-ahead to affect the arrest. >> that person, do you think, sheriff morgan, actually entered the home, or was he providing some assistance in someary way? >> we believe that they aided and abetted in the crime.

we're very confident, matt, that the individual that actually entered the compound of the billings home, those seven individuals, we currently have in custody. >> sheriff morgan, i remember you appearing on this program just a day or so after the murder of the billings and you said, look, when people hear all the details of this, they're going to be shocked. it's like something out of a movie. and now we're hearing about a military-style invasion. we're talking about practice for that invasion for up to a month. it's shocking enough. is there more that we don't know in terms of just outrageous details here? >> yes, sir, there is. and i'll be just very candid with you, matt. there is. it will come out in trial, i'm sure. again, under the direction of the state attorney's office we've been asked to not divulge anything further, and in difference to the state attorney. he's basically in control of this at this point in the prosecution and getting the case together. we defer to his professionalism and his decision. >> can i just ask you, does the extra information that you're not willing to give me this morning, does it shed any light

on that question that mark potter asked in the set-up spot, as to why the billings had to die in what was intended to be a robbery? >> i believe so, sir. i believe that it will, yes. >> and what level of cooperation, if you've got seven people in custody, do you have one or more of those people who are providing real cooperation in terms of revealing all the details of what went on? >> we do, sir. and i'll tell you, of the seven individuals currently in custody, four are assisting in the investigation. >> all right, sheriff morgan, i know you're in a difficult spot because you want to provide some information, but clearly there are some things you cannot divulge, but i appreciate your time this morning. >> thank you, sir. >> all right. it's 7:11 and once again here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. it is day three of the confirmation hearings for u.s. supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor. and she will face another day of tough questions. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams is at the supreme court with the very latest. pete, good morning to you.

>> reporter: meredith, good morning. the republicans say they have more questions to ask today about her court rulings, and her public speeches. but she has finally addressed the one statement that's been the most controversial. >> no words i have ever spoken or written have received so much attention. >> reporter: since shortly after sonia sotomayor was nominated, she's been pressed to explain what she meant when she said a wise latina woman would more often than not reach a better conclusion as a judge than a white male. >> i do not believe that any ethnic, racial or gender group has an advantage in sound judging. >> you deal with the famous quote of justice o'connor in which she says a wise old man should reach the same decision as a wise old woman, and you pushed back from that. >> it was bad. because it left an impression that i believe that life experiences commanded a result

in a case. but that's clearly not what i do as a judge. >> reporter: it was, she said, an attempt to inspire young minority lawyers that misfired. >> do you understand, ma'am, that if i had said anything like that, and my reasoning was that i'm trying to inspire somebod somebody -- >> i do understand how those words could be taken that way, particularly if read in isolation. >> reporter: as for her court record, judge sotomayor said her ruling against white new haven firefighters who claimed reverse discrimination, and against a new york man speaking broader weapons rights under the second amendment, were both required by u.s. supreme court precedent. she said she knows how important gun rights are. >> one of my godchildren is a member of the nra. and i have friends who hunt. >> reporter: and on abortion she said the supreme court's ruling in roe v. wade is the settled law of the land. judge sotomayor also was asked

about comments from some lawyers who accuse her of being a bit of a bully on the bench. >> you stand out like a sore thumb in terms of your temperament. >> reporter: but her supporters say they've been pleased by her demeanor in the hearings. >> i must say that if there is a test for judicial temperament, you pass it with an "a plus plus." >> reporter: despite all the tough questions, so far there's been nothing to indicate that sonia sotomayor's confirmation is in any trouble. meredith? >> all right, pete williams. >> let us get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. ann curry is standing by at the news desk. ann, good morning to you. >> good morning to both of you. in the news this morning a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit deep underwater off southern new zealand. it triggered a potential destructive tsunami. but so far no reports of serious damage in new zealand. the president is making another push health care reform. on tuesday house democrats unveiled their version of health

care reform that would cost $1.5 trillion over ten years and includes higher taxes on people with higher incomes. cnbc's melissa francis is at the new york stock exchange this morning for us. melissa, with a budget deficit already topping a trillion dollars, we've got three times what it was a year ago, how would health care reform bill impact this economy? >> well, ann, small businesses either have to provide health care or pay a haefty penalty. also as you mentioned it would raise the taxes on high income households to pay for it. so a lot of small business owners would pay twice. that's no doubt going to be a drag on the economy. the biggest story down here today is intel blowing the doors off earnings, having the best quart irover quarter profit growth since 1988. the cfo saying that he thinks the computer market has bottomed and that is putting wall street in a very good mood this morning, ann. back to you. >> all right, thanks so much. people in parts of minnesota are dealing with severe weather, including a tornado on tuesday. it ripped off roofs but the good news is that it caused no

serious damage. a frightening incident in germany where a biplane doing some stunts at an air show spun out of control and hit the ground, striking a car. four people were hurt, including the pilot. but everyone survived. and president obama threw out the first pitch last night at the all-star game. a bit low. the president said he didn't want to bounce it, and he didn't. the american league beat the national league 4-3 and won home field advantage for the world series. it is now 7:16. let's go back to matt, meredith and al. >> he didn't bounce it

>> we have another decent day in store for us. 8487 is the forecast by. it is going to be dry. winds up to the east and then going south. this is going to of the front to move closer to us. tomorrow morning, a chance of showers and more humid. that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. now to the latest on that high profile bitter divorce case in connecticut, with an astonishing amount of money at stake. here's nbc's peter alexander.

>> reporter: in just seven years of marriage, multimillionaire mogul george david and his estranged wife marie douglas david sure piled up a load of dirty laundry. she is a 37-year-old swedish countess, blond, beautiful and a former wall street analyst. he is 67, 30 years her senior. and the former ceo of a technologies giant, alone worth more than $300 million. but the lavish life the davids briefly shared with vacations to the caribbean and europe, was as rocky as it was extravagant. >> we're really getting a look at the lifestyle of the rich and unhappily married. >> reporter: he says she was demanding, and aggressive, even forcing sex on him. she says he was greedy and controlling, a bully who looked her in a gilded cage and kept ownership of everything, including her $190,000 engagement ring. and now in court she's asking for the couple's $43 million post nuptial contract to be voided.

saying she signed it in 2005, only because even then he was threatening her with divorce. >> post nuptial agreements are very, very unusual and there's hardly any case law on it at all. and there's none in connecticut. so it's not quite clear how the court's going to view this post nuptial agreement. >> reporter: today the countess wants closer to $100 million. telling the court she needs $53,000 a week just to pay her bills. including $8,000 on travel. more than $4,000 each week on clothing. $1,500 for restaurants and entertainment. $1,000 more each week for hair and skin care. as well as $600 on flowers for the couple's luxury park avenue penthouse that the countess is now using as her temporary castle. and this week in connecticut divorce court the mud just keeps flying, with explosive new details of extramarital affairs on both sides. on the witness stand, another bombshell. david admitted to showering his mistress with expensive gifts. >> the mistress really cleaned

up. she got a $13,000 fur coat, malino blahniks worth a total of $10,000. >> reporter: the trial may last into the fall, with a pretty penny at stake in this ugly divorce. for "today," peter alexander, nbc news, new york. >> and coming up, al roker has left the set, but look who's joined us, david beckham. >> welcome back, david. nice to see you. >> nice to be here. >> nice to meet you. >> we're going to talk to david in a second. he's agreed to show us every tattoo on his body. >> yes. >> in just a couple of minutes. >> is that right? >> i'm not sure. >> good to have you back. we're going to talk to beckham in just a little while. this is "today" on nbc.

7:22. you're taking a look live at our plaza which has been transformed into a vineyard style wedding location. nice, huh? we understand that our bride

arrived a little bit earlier. that's always a good sign. >> there she is. and she's smiling, yes. she's happy. >> bath robe. okay. >> and that must be the maid of honor or bridesmaid for sure. >> bridal party. getting all dolled up. there she is now getting the little tiara in her hair. looks unusually calm and collected, to say the least. >> all right. >> and where's the future husband? there he is. nick cordes getting ready, as well. >> he was in the same car? >> no, no, he came later. >> it doesn't look like nicks who cold feet at all. >> not a bit.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i'm stan stovall. here is a look at one of our top stories. two frederick county softball coaches are out of a job after- school bushels discovered alcohol was present at a post- season party. parents brought beer to the function for each other, but it was never intended for the players. a facebook pitch for the coaches highlighted our work and dedication. so far, only coach young has appealed.

time for the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> resurfacing of mom lombard at m.l.k., two lanes on that stretch, that will be in too late fall. as far as delays elsewhere, not looking at a whole lot other than southbound 95. back now from owings mills down to the beltway when you get on to the west side. let us see what is happening with the drive times. we will give you a live view in the area of 95 at white marsh. for this out that powder mill road, we're getting reports of an accident. that is delaying traffic back to 198. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> another pleasant morning with a dry air mass. we are looking at 71 downtown,

61 at b.w.i. marshall. mid-60's on the eastern shore. we will surge to a high in the mid-to-upper-80's. 87 to the south,-84 on the beaches in ocean city. >> our next live update, 7:55.

it's 7:30 now on this wednesday morning, july 15th, 2009. and i wonder if our crowd brought along something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, because we are throwing our tenth annual wedding this morning. and there are guests already starting to arrive inside studio 1a. i'm meredith vieira alongside matt lauer. matt, do you have tissues? >> no, no, i got the hanky, actually it's the hanky dickie. i'm ready. are you a crier at weddings? >> of course i am. i cry at everyone's. i try to not be too dramatic. but i tear up. it's sweet, right? the couple is starting the rest of their lives together. >> it is, no question. it's a day a lot of girls dream of.

the one time they get to be a real princess. our bride leigh is getting the royal treatment in our makeup room. and that is "today" beauty editor bobbi brown also touching her up. look at that. >> she having second thoughts? no, she isn't. >> you can read her thoughts? >> i don't know. >> and let's switch over to our groom nick. >> oh. >> the groomsman for a final time as a single man. just an hour from now, right here. >> i'm loving it. very nice. meanwhile, coming up in just a few minutes, international soccer superstar david beckham. he is coveted by teams around the world, and ogled -- not ogled, appreciated by women everywhere. he's with us live. we're going to chat with becks. good for him. >> that's an armani ad campaign? >> i have no idea. >> the picture of him lounging. >> it was underwear, wasn't it?

>> anyway, dr. nancy is going to join us with important health advice for anyone taking more than one prescription drug. >> important stuff. let's begin with the death of little caylee anthony. it was exactly one year ago today that the mystery began to unfold. nbc's kerry sanders has been covering the case from the very beginning. kerry, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. it was a grandmother's frantic 911 call one year ago today that set off one of the fiercest death penalty battles in memory. casey anthony is charged with killing her daughter caylee. she main hins her innocence. a trial date is still a year away and the investigation so far has cost more than a million dollars. it was the missing child case that's become a legal dog fight. the outcome far from clear. but from the moment caylee's disappearance was known, there was suspicion she might be dead. caylee's mother casey's car was found in a parking lot by her mother cindy. and when cindy dialed 911, one year ago today, she talked about

the stench of death. >> i found my daughter's car today, and it smells like there's been a dead body in the damn car. >> reporter: yet in interview after interview, including here on "today," cindy and george anthony denied casey had anything to do with it, and they clung to the belief that their granddaughter caylee was alive. possibly being held by someone. >> people just keep looking for caylee, we're going to find her. i know that. >> reporter: what makes this case so curious, and what alerted investigators from the start was caylee had disappeared a full month before her mother casey alerted anyone. photos later surface showing casey out partying, seemingly indifferent to her daughter's disappearance. but despite casey's highly suspicious behavior after her daughter vanished, prosecutors still don't know how caylee died and they've struggled to explain why a seemingly loving mother would murder her child. >> if you were to take any case across the country and ask the prosecutor, where did this person die? i don't know. when did this person die? i don't know.

chances are, you wouldn't have a murder case, and most definitely you wouldn't have a death penalty case. >> reporter: add to that the complications of overwhelming media coverage. >> it's hard to get an absolutely fair trial in any case. this is so over the top, that it's so unfair that even a potentially guilty person, which my gut tells me she is, is going to have an out, potentially, here. >> reporter: orange county prosecutors say they're not tracking costs in this case, or the 122 other murder cases in their district. mason is a prominent orlando lawyer who's followed the case closely. >> i would estimate that the cost to the prosecution in this case, without a change of venue, is going to be in the neighborhood of $1.5 million. change of venue, i suspect it will push it up closer to a couple million dollars for a prosecution side of the case alone. >> reporter: experts say defense costs are likely to run $

million, as well. one question that remains unanswered is how does a 22-year-old unemployed woman afford that. a source close to the family now says that she may file for indigent status, which means her defense costs, or most of her defense costs would be picked up by taxpayers. her dipt? >> all right, kerry sanders. dan abrams is nbc's chief legal analyst. one year later there are still so many questions about this case. beginning with what exactly happened to caylee anthony. as the prosecution starts to build this case, i mean they're trying for awhile now, what is the greatest hurdle think case? >> the circumstantial evidence. they've got the circumstances on their side, meaning the totality of what happened. the fact that she didn't call, the photos, et cetera. the question is going to be how pow powerful and persuasive is the circumstantial evidence. can they link mom to the body in an incriminating way? it would be expected that her dna, meaning the mother's, would

be found near the body, on the body, et cetera. the key is finding it, for example, on the duct tape. being able to find decomposition in the car, et cetera. >> is it the prosecution that asked for the delay in this trial? >> a defense can demand a speedy trial. so if the defense wanted to have this trial immediately they could certainly make it happen more quickly. i think it's clear that both sides want a little bit extra time here. remember that she was arrested, then they found the body, which posed a whole new set of questions in this case. >> it's expected that the defense will ask for a change of venue because of all the media coverage. will the delay help them with that argument or hurt them? >> it will hurt them with that argument, but may help them in the long-term in the case. meaning that if we go a year from now, there won't be quite as much coverage of it out there. the people won't be quite as familiar with all the facts as they are today. so on the one hand it will probably weaken the argument for a change of venue. and on the other hand, it may help the defense it that's really what they're concerned about.

>> if casey anthony is also charged in more than a dozen counts of fraud and the prosecution wants to see that trial come to fruition within 60 days. why? >> their position is just because we have to wait on the murder trial doesn't mean that we have to wait on this other case. their position is that they've got the evidence, they're ready to go on the fraud case, and they want to move forward, but they don't need the sorts of delays that you need in connection with the nurder. >> are they hoping if she's found guilty of fraud that will possibly hurt her credibility in the next trial? >> if she were to take the stand, it could. if she were to take the stand, a felony conviction very well might come in against her. i don't think that that's really the strategy here. my guess is they want to move forward with that case and not have this murder case delay everything else. >> when you talk about the bill, the defense bill of $2 million potentially, and that she's declared indigent, then the state will have to pay. how does that happen? >> i think that she's got to be already paying through somehow this lawyer, or unless the lawyer's doing it for free, or

at very reduced fee. but if the state has to take over, you can be assured that the court is going to tell this lawyer, hey, if you've got some big fees out there, we're not paying them. you're going to have to significantly reduce your fees in order for the state to pay. >> all right a lot more to come, dan abrams, thank you so much. and now let's go out to al. >> all right, thanks a >> by tomorrow, you can see that we are in the night's swath where we have potential for a morning thunderstorms, but nothing today. it will be beautiful again. a high of 86 degrees. tomorrow, showers and storms are possible, then warm

that's your latest weather. don't forget, you can keep track of your weather all day long on the weather charge on cable or weather.com online. meredith? >> all right, al, thank you very much. and up next, david beckham live in studio 1a. we're going to chat with the international soccer sensation about his return to the states.

we're back now at 7:42 with international superstar david beckham, the soccer sensation is now back with the los angeles galaxy after spending the first part of the mls season on loan to italian power house ac milan. david pebeckham, good morning, welcome back. you were gone for six monss. you've got three kids and a beautiful wife at home in los angeles. how did you manage that? >> i think as a family, as a father, it was the toughest part since i've had the boys, to be away from them for such a long period. >> how often did you get to see them? >> every eight weeks they came out for a week which, you know,

i hate being away from them for an hour, let alone, you know, that amount of time. so it's great to be back in california, and great to be back with the boys and the family. >> we were talking a little while ago that technology is amazing. you guys, i-chat. you put the computer down once a day and they get to see your face and you get to see theirs. >> obviously i get to speak to victoria, as well, which i enjoy. and obviously the boys run in and run out. they kind of come in and say hi and then they go and play. >> you're back in the states, back with the galaxy. you had your first practice a couple of days ago. i want to get right to a little bit of an uncomfortable. there were more reporters at that practice because of something one of your teammates landon donovan said but in a book. he said he questioned your commitment to soccer, your professionalism, even said you were stingy. that can make for some testy times in the locker room. how have you tried to work that out? >> i think these kind of things happen. there's always kinds of arguments in dressing rooms all over different sports.

but you know, i said before that, you know, it was unprofessional, and it's something that shouldn't go on. >> did you talk to him about it face-to-face? >> yeah, in london now i've spoken, you know, he apologized and we move on. because it's important that we move on, because we want to be successful, and you can't have success if there's arguments going on. >> just one of the things he said, is your commitment, do you have a firm commitment in the united states to promote soccer? or would you rather, at this stage of your life and career, be over playing in europe? >> no, without a doubt. i want to be here. i spent so many years in europe and i was successful in europe and now i want to be successful in the u.s. you know, i think that those things were said before i left -- before i left l.a., sat down with the whole team and said, look, i am committed to the team but i need to do this for a few moments and then i'll be back. you know, i've already said it's been great for me. but i am committed. and you know, i think the commitment shows that my family are happy here. you know, they stayed here. >> it's not like they're living in europe and you come here for

six months. >> exactly. >> so let me ask you about things about life in pop culture. you're back here in new york, i foe you're here fairly often, is there a must-see thing for you? is there a place you have to stop by every time you're here? >> it's usually f.a.o. schwarz. >> for the boys? >> yeah, for the boys. i always take them a gift card when i'm here because it's such a great store and the boys love a gift when i've been away. >> i was thinking about you this morning because the number one movie in this country last weekend was "bruno." >> okay. >> and the star of that, of course is sacha baron cohen. i remember when he hosted the olieg. show he interviewed you and victoria. he asked some terribly embarrassing questions. what do you think about his brand of comedy? >> i think it's great. it's fresh. it's interesting. and it's funny. which is the most important thing. when he interviewed us way back then it was funny and one of the most uncomfortable -- >> is it funnier when you're watching him do it to someone else than when you're in the seat next to him? >> much more.

>> it can be a little awkward. one of the other things i want to ask you, some of the female staffers and some of the male staffers have taken note of this ad campaign you're doing for, is this armani? >> yes. >> this is armani. i did not know armani made underwear. now i know. what's it like to pose, and victoria looking beautiful, you kind of put yourself in another place and get through it? >> yeah, i personally have to. because, you know, i'm a soccer player at the end of the day. and you know, but to do something like that was a great experience. to work with armani is incredible. i'm a huge fan of his and have been for many years and to work with my wife like that is also special. >> where is the much-talked about tattoos that everyone's -- did you get a new tattoo, a band of flowers around your arm? >> yeah, it was our ten-year anniversary on the fourth of july and i had ten roses around my arm. >> everybody together. aaah. how old do your kids have to be before you let them get a tattoo?

>> actually one of them said, how old, you know, do i have to be when i get my first tattoo, and i was like, a lot older than you are now. >> like 43. >> yeah. >> something like that? >> yeah. >> as you know we've got a wedding out on the plaza this morning, nick and leigh are getting married. you've spent as you just said, ten years married. what advice would you give for people who are just about to tie the knot? >> well, i think, you know, it's an amazing occasion. you have to spend as much time on that day together because it goes so quickly. but you know, a few years into the marriage, if you have children, if you're lucky enough to have children, which we've got three beautiful boys, you know, your priority is them. but, you know, you always have to make time for each other, because it's so important that you spend as much time together, and -- >> this from a guy who just spent six months away from his wife. but that's all right. i know it's part of your professional responsibility. have you thought a lot about life after soccer? >> yeah, of course. you know, it's something that i think about, especially at my age now, coming to -- >> 34? >> yeah, 34.

coming to the later stage of my career. you know, i'm very into charity, because, you know, i'm ambassador for unicef. it's very special to me. and also, we have our own children's charity. so when i finish playing, you know, that's what gives me, you know, happiness. i love doing things like that. and i have soccer academies, as well. so i'll be busy. >> well, you've always been generous with your time around here. thank you. it's good to have you back on "today." thanks, david. feel free to stick around because i know you want to be here for the nuptials in a couple of minutes. the wedding of leigh and nick. they're going to enter into holy matrimony in our 8:30 half hour. bobbie thomas helping the bridal party get ready.

and it is a good thing that we have some excellent security around this joint because our stunning bride is there with our mom, jan tilly, decked out in diamonds thanks to the generosity of our friends at de beers. total cost of the necklace and earrings? more than one million buckaroos. >> whoa. >> a million dollars? >> that's gilding the lily as far as i'm concerned. >> nick has said he just wants to buy them for her after the wedding, no matter what. the big ceremony. there's nick. coming up. coming up the big wedding out on the plaza. >> they both look very relaxed.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i'm stan stovall. let's get a check on the morning commute with traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. >> several problems to add to the mix. west on 140 on salton road, an accident coming in. on the west side in the lip, a vehicle fire there. 22 miles per hour in that area. we have two lanes open to traffic only towards m.l.k., all

of it due to a new resurfacing project. watch for heavy delays there. heavy delays in the white marsh area and the outer loop west side. 16 minutes on the inner loop opposite the problem spot. here is 95 at white marsh. you're looking at delays from white marsh down to the beltway northeast. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> you still see this night -- nice and dry swath of. turquoise here with an intensified a potentially severe storms. the front will approach us by tomorrow. grab the umbrella, because you needed by tomorrow morning. in the meantime, gorgeous. 86 degrees is the forecast thai for baltimore.

then a lot more timid and 88 to 95. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. our next live update at 8:25.

♪ 8:00 now on a wednesday morning, it's the 15th day of july, 2009. oh, the beautiful music, the beautiful flowers, the beautiful day here in new york city. it is a perfect day for a wedding, and in just a little while, we will throw one out on our vineyard-themed plaza this morning. and you're in purple. >> i am. and i see they have wine. >> funny how your attention went right there. >> nick and leigh are such a lovely couple that we're really honored to celebrate the wedding with them, and with all their friends and family members. >> that's right. >> and we're also going to check in over at the other plaza, the

plaza hotel where they will hold their reception in just a few hours. see what's going on there. >> the refurbished grand hall. >> the cake. >> oh, chocolate on chocolate. very nice. >> i like that. meanwhile in this half hour we've got a very fitting story on a morning when two love birds will be tying the noth we're going to explain why the recession may actually be helping folks find true love. >> okay. we have a lot to get to. but first let's go inside. ann curry is standing by. she's got a look at all the headlines. busy news morning, ann. >> it is. thanks so much, matt. good morning once again, everybody. an iranian passenger plane crashed this morning in northwestern iran, leaving a huge crater. the caspian airlines plane carrying 168 people had just taken off from tehran and because the weather was good, a technical problem is now suspected. iran state television says everyone on board was killed. meantime today, ntsb investigators begin examining a piece of metal, trying to understand why there was a hole

in the ceiling of a southwest airlines plane on monday, forcing an emergency landing. nbc's tom costello is in washington with more on this. tom, good morning. >> hi, ann, good morning. we now know the 737 was found to have 11 cracks in it in january during checks and those cracks were supposed to have been repaired. the hole in the top of this boeing 737-300 is 14 inches by 17 inches. the question for investigators, after 20 years of intense work to ensure planes don't open up in flight, what happened? >> we're going to be looking for corrosion. we're going to be looking for cracks. we're going to be looking for any scoring or describe lines. we'll be looking at the maintenance records and manufacturing records. >> reporter: we do know the plane involved is 15 years old. on monday a flight 2294 flew to nashville to baltimore the cabin suddenly lost pressure as the skin of the plane peeled back just in front of the tail or dorsal fin. passengers said they quickly started feeling the effects of

lack of oxygen. >> started feeling a little light-headed, and your ears start popping, stopping up. >> reporter: soon the oxygen masks dropped and the plane made an emergency landing in charleston, west virginia, with everyone safe. the location of the tear is important, because just a few weeks ago the faa issued the latest of several air worthiness directives requiring airlines to inspect all 737-300s, 400s and 500s for any chafing or cracking in the fuselage skin at the darsal fin landing after an 18-inch crack was found on another 737. >> i'm shocked. i'm shocked that we would have this happen again. >> reporter: it was 1988 when the top of an aloha airlines 737 opened up in flight, pulling a flight attendant to her death. poor maintenance and metal fatd eeg were blamed. it's far too early to know what caused a hole to rip open in monday's flight. the incident comes just four months after southwest was fined

$7.5 million for failing to inspect its 737s for cracks two years ago and flying planes with cracks. >> it's mind-boggling for me, someone who spent their whole life maintaining airplanes, to have this happen again. >> reporter: the ntsb does say that faa air worthiness directive may not have applied to the area of the 737 that opened up during monday's flight. ann? >> all right, tom costello this morning. tom, thank you. seven suspects are now in custody in the murders of byrd and melanie billings, the parents of 16 children, many with special needs. one of the suspects is just 16 years old. police believe that robbery was the primary motive, and they are still seeking a person of interest. an amazing sight for beach goers in new york on tuesday when a 5,000-pound, 24-foot long basking shark washed ashore on long island. the shark had died a short time later. and now here's brian williams coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." hey, brian. >> hey, ann, thanks. and good morning.

coming up tonight, our chief medical editor dr. nancy synderman sitting down with a rare one-on-one interview with president obama. they're going to talk about health care reform, the swine flu situation, even a new surgeon general. so that and more when we see you tonight on "nightly news." ann, for now, back to you. >> all right, brian, thanks a lot. it is now 8:05. time to go back outside to meredith and matt. looks beautiful out there. >> it really is pretty. we g g

>> things are beautiful here. we are going to see a high between 84 and 87 today. winds will shift to the south as high pressure moves off shore. a chance of morning showers and a chance of morning showers and that's your latest weather. now here's meredith. >> i love the way you say it in that soft, angelic voice.

i'm here with kay and bruce. connection to the family? >> stepparents of leigh. >> mother of the bride is my wife, jan. >> oh, wow, okay. so are you excited? >> excited? my gosh. i've been sweating for days. >> welcome. welcome to new york to a beautiful wedding which is going to kick off in about half an hour, right? >> it will be fun. >> it will be a lot of fun. ( music, engine revving ) wow, sweet minivan! ( revs engine ) ha ha! whoo! ( thunderclap ) that's a minivané to you! ♪ it's raining! with the great taste of a mcdonald's mccafé mocha, a better day is possible. freshly ground espresso, real steamed milk, and decadent chocolate. go ahead, mccafé your day. ♪ ba da ba ba ba

waking up to breakfast delicious. now, we're making it more affordable. with five one-dollar-off coupons... in specially marked boxes of cereal. wake up to breakfast... on kellogg's. the best to you each morning. when morning comes in the middle of the night,

[ rooster crow ] it affects your entire day. to get a good night's sleep, try 2-layer ambien cr. the first layer dissolves quickly... to help you fall asleep. and unlike other sleep aids, a second dissolves slowly to help you stay asleep. when taking ambien cr, don't drive or operate machinery. sleepwalking, and eating or driving... while not fully awake with memory loss for the event... as well as abnormal behaviors... such as being more outgoing or aggressive than normal, confusion, agitation and hallucinations may occur. don't take it with alcohol... as it may increase these behaviors. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath, swelling of your tongue or throat may occur... and in rare cases may be fatal. side effects may include next-day drowsiness, dizziness, and headache. in patients with depression, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide may occur. if you experience any of these behaviors or reactions... contact your doctor immediately. wake up ready for your day-- ask your healthcare provider for 2-layer ambien cr.

back now at 8:10. this morning on "today's health," dangerous and sometimes deadly drug interactions. while we await the official cause of michael jackson's death his passing has brought some attention to the dangers of mixing medication. could be a life saver for the more than one in four americans who takes more than one prescription drug every day. here's nbc's chris jansing. >> we have a gentleman here that needs help, and he's not breathing. >> reporter: when michael jackson died and investigators took large quantities of prescription drugs from his home, the story sounded alarmingly familiar. heath ledger's death was ruled an accident, resulting from the abuse of six prescription medications. nine prescription drugs formed a deadly cocktail that killed anna nicole smith. but even two prescriptions, in the wrong combination, can be dangerous. >> whenever you take more than one medicine at a time, that is

a potential risk for a dangerous, if not a deadly, interaction. >> reporter: the statistics are shocking. the number of deaths from misuse of prescription medications increased 564% between 19 3 and 2004, and more than half of american adults take two or more medications every day. even common foods can cause bad interaction. for example, don't mix guacamole with blood thinners like gum adin. calcium rich orange juice with antibiotics or peppermints with cholesterol lowering drugs. and doctors know very few patients read the fine print on drug warnings. >> the pharmacist needs to literally throw his or her body in front of the train and say i can't dispense these drugs. i'll have to talk to your doctor. >> reporter: it happens more often than you might think. >> drug interactions are identified on a daily basis by pharmacists. >> reporter: major drug chains use computer software that can spot common problems but technology isn't foolproof and that's where expert he's comes

in. >> before the patient receives that medication in their hands, takes that medication, we have to make sure it's safe for them to take. >> reporter: very few deaths from drug interactions ever make the news. but most have one thing in common, they didn't have to happen. for "today," chris jansing, nbc news, los angeles. doctor nancy synderman is nbc chief medical editor. nancy, good morning to you. >> hi, matt. >> chris just said this can't have to happen. the fact of the matter is we are a medication society. so, isn't a certain amount of this almost inevitable? >> well, it is inevitable. because you're right, we like pills. we go to the doctor, with the expectation of getting something. and we've become phenomenally complacent about over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements. simple things like garlic, ginkgo biloba, st. john's wort people may use to treat various things, they could all have drug-drug interactions. it's important to remember, anything you put in your mouth can have some medicinal properties and can interact with whatever else you're taking.

>> are doctors asking enough questions of their patients? >> no. >> and are patients being up front enough with their doctors? >> no, neither. and this is part of the problem that we don't have kmpgss conversations, and patients, particularly those who have expendable income to go to more than one doctor and don't have to worry about copays for insurance can just pay up front for whatever they want. so if there are four or five doctors who are taking care of you, i guarantee you, they don't know about each other and they're not talking to each other. we as doctors don't take enough time to say what else are you on, including seemingly harmless stuff. and patients, frankly, fib. patients don't like to tell the truth because they don't want to be lectured, and they want to walk out with what they came in for. so that dishonesty on both sides never helps anybody. >> let me talk about some interactions, and i would imagine this one is a common concern. you're on a prescription drug, and your advice is, if you're taking that drug, you never, never, never drink alcohol at the same time. >> right. >> is there no exceptions there?

>> no, there are no exceptions there. alcohol is a sedative. and alcohol revs up your liver, because that's how it metabolized. so if you take an anti-anxiety medication or a sleeping medication, and you're drinking, those things go together to decrease how quickly and how effectively you breathe. when you don't breathe as well and you don't take in enough oxygen, which means your heart has to work harder and that can lead to a heart attack. or in the case of heath ledger, if you go to bed lying down and your head is in a soft pillow and you're exhaling carbon dioxide, but that's what you're breathing back in, you don't get enough oxygen and that can lead to the fact that you stop breathing, too. there's just no win here. any time you combine something. >> and senior citizens, i know, it's a real problem because they're often taking more than one medication, and then they'll add something over the counter to that. there's got to be some place, maybe we'll put on our website, place where people can get some very basic information on interactions. >> and joe graden from the people's pharmacy is an extraordinary source. all you have to do is look for

joe graden in the people's pharmacy and joe has a wealth of information. >> all right, nancy synderman. thanks very much. >> you bet, matt. >> i want to remind people that you're going to be sit being down with president obama this afternoon. we're going to see that interview tonight on "nbc nightly news." we'll have more of it tomorrow morning right here on "today." good luck with that. and still to come, we're throwing leigh and nick's wedding live on the plaza. but first, these messages. ( music playing throughout ) ( women vocalizing )

♪ there's a reason ♪ for the sunshine sky ♪ there's a reason why i'm feeling so high ♪ ♪ must be the season... announcer: you get more power and more space, the world gets fewer smog-forming emissions. the 3rd generation prius. it's harmony between man, nature and machine. [ elevator bell dings, telephone rings ] [ indistinct conversations ] [ elevator bell dings ] good night america. [ alarm buzzes ] [ elevator bell dings, telephone rings ] [ indistinct conversations, elevator bell dings ] good night amer-- [ alarm buzzes, elevator bell dings ] [ female announcer ] nutri-grain. mmmm. one good decision can lead to another. ♪ made with real fruit and now with more of the whole grains your body needs. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. revlon skin matching makeup... begins with a weightless foundation that starts off white...

and self-adjusts to precisely match your skin tone. with soft, flawless coverage. how cool is that? revlon skin matching makeup. new sunnyd smoothies. as much calcium and vitamin d as milk... and a taste so creamy, smooth and bold, they'll love getting calcium and vitamin d... to help bones grow. new sunnyd smoothies. wellbeing. we're all striving for it. purina cat chow helps you nurture it in your cat... with a full family of excellent nutrition and helpful resources. purina cat chow. share a better life.

back now at 89:18. we all know how hard this reception has been on the pockettebooks. but it turns out the bad economy could mean good things when it comes to our relationships. "today" national correspondent amy robach has more on what some call recession romance. >> reporter: when judy taylor's job was downsized the 51-year-old divorcee saw it as an opportunity to shift her life, particularly her personal life, into high gear. >> it really became a priority. even over looking for a job sometimes. >> reporter: judy joined eharmony, the popular online matchmaking service and metric anderson one month later. judy isn't the only one making romance a priority in these recessionary times. since the stock market dive last fall, eharmony has seen a 20% jump in new members. >> things work so much better and feel so much better as a team and we can utilize a partner, a spouse, a new love to

lean on each other. >> meet laura. >> reporter: it's just lunch, a pricey chicago-based service, has also seen a significant bump in business. also up about 20% over the past year. >> your date with greta. >> reporter: so in these tough economic times, you think your clients get a return on their investment? it's $1,800. >> definitely. i mean, right now more than ever, people are taking stock of what's important in their life. >> reporter: so if i had lunch with some new members, each looking for their perfect match. >> with the stock market dropping i figured it's a great way to invest in myself and socialize. >> reporter: for me at the end of the day, money in the bank gets you nowhere. i'm looking for somebody to share my life and share those life experiences. >> reporter: have you gotten a good return on your investment? >> absolutely. >> reporter: care to share? >> i have met someone. and she's very special. >> reporter: and judy's investment in eharmony paid off, as well. she and rick were married june 5th. oh, and judy found a job, too, as operations manager for rick's

financial consulting business. for "today," amy robach, nbc news, chicago. >> good for them. it is now 8:21. now here's matt. >> all right, meredith, thank you very much. one of the summer's block busters, "harry potter and the half-blood prince" opens in theaters all across the country today. but our gene shalit says surefire hit has a few misfires. >> reporter: good morning and welcome to the critic's corner. here is the first sentence of the official production notes of the new movie. emboldened by the return of lord volt mortgage, the death eaters are wreaking havoc in both the muggle and the wizarding world and hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. if you understood any of that, you're probably already in line to see "harry potter and the half-blood prince." >> i like your tom brokaw. tone. it's different. >> prove it.

>> reporter: now this picture cannot hold a wand to the earlier magic that exploits but the passing of time does bring its own surprises, and pledges. >> now that's some kind of magic you're not allowed to teach. >> reporter: harry saves. hermione's become a young woman. >> this place has known magic. >> reporter: the years have aged dumbledore. the evil snake confesses. professor slughorn brews enchanted portions of potent potions of love. when ron weasley is struck by cupid's arrows, he quivers. ain't love gland? >> they're going to kill me, harry. >> reporter: now the saga's end is near, and for j.k. rowling's the grand finale, the deathly hallowed will be stretched into two movies, ostensibly to get in

every last detail. but maybe, it's the last chance to rake in every last dollar, euro, ruble and yen to keep harry potter j.k. rowling along. and now the critic's corner will be rolling along. that's it for "today." >> and now let us say hello to our own wizard. willard scott. willard, good morning to you. >> hey! ♪ i give to you and you give to me ♪ excuse me. we've got some smucker's birthday buddies today. god bless the bride and groom, so pretty and the handsome group that's here with them all. we just got them in a minute ago. we found them on the streets. and they said yes. look at this, al, ann titmas of canton, ohio. >> 100 years old. looking forward and never moving back. enjoys watching golf. >> we have rosco more row,

atlanta, georgia. >> 100-year-old man, volunteered at the voting polls for over 40 years. still plays games on the computer. >> god bless him. william finkenbrink. >> 102. secret to longevity, never getting old. talks about the great depression. >> that's right. my dad told me about that. as a matter of fact. bernice clark, marion, iowa. >> that's right. 100 years old. she's been baking and started her own business where she even travels with her own sweetened desserts. >> that's like colonel sanders. jesse isaacson of delray beach, florida. >> that's right. retired businessman. often heard singing frank sinatra songs. and attributes his longevity to laughter. >> ha, ha, ha.

and mildred hotopp. >> volunteered over 30 years at a local hospital with special needs kids and always keeps up with the latest fashion. >> isn't that nice? bernice clark. >> we did her. >> oh, we did her. >> we're done. >> that's number four. >> we're done. >> all right. >> can i just show you? this is a bit of willard's -- >> put it on ebay. >> you know, david beckham was here in the last half hour. i admired his suit. he came down in jeans and gave me the suit off his back. >> wow. >> are you going to wear it? >> sell it on ebay. >> with the gum. >> all right. >> how about that. >> that's in the dressing room. >> leigh and nick getting married on the plaza after your local news and weather.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. two frederick county softball coaches are out of a job after officials discovered alcohol was present at a party involving students from all high-school. the coaches say that some parents brought beer to the function but it was not intended for the players. players have dedicated a facebook page to the coaches highlighting their hard work and dedication. so far let's check on the mog commute with sarah caldwell. >> is down 32 at parksville, and we have a crash on the harrisburg expressway at warren

road. at dulaney valley, a speed sensor at 11 miles per hour. among lombard between president and m.l.k., the resurfacing project begins today. very heavy on the west side. approaching the west side. we are looking at a 20-minute ride on the outer loop of north side. 60 minutes on the inner loop towards 795. here's traffic approaching white marsh. we will switch over to a live view of traffic on the west side. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> it is absolutely beautiful. 69 at the airport. we are in the low seventies on the eastern shore. we will make it up to the mid- to-upper-80's. 87 or 88 downtown. partly cloudy, remaining friday.

winds will be shifting to the south. a cold front will approach. i after midnight, slight chance of showers. warm a high of 88 to 90 tomorrow. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

♪ the art of getting dirty. the art of getting clean. new powerfully formulated wisk®... is better on tough mud stains than tide total care. wisk®. powerfully clean. perfectly priced.

♪ and back now at 8:30 on a beautiful wednesday morning. 15th day of july, 2009. you may have not received an invitation in the mail but you are cordially invited to the wedding of lee daniel and nick cordes, the guests here in the plaza are in their seats. they are ready. soon the eyes of the world will be on our very happy couple. and may i say, you all look very smashing. >> thank you, you, too. >> thank you. >> what about the bride?

>> i did steal a peek. >> you did? >> because it's not bad luck for me. >> no. >> she is stunning. beyond belief. and of course, after the ceremony, here, on the plaza, we head up to the other plaza. >> that's right. >> several blocks away, the famed plaza hotel, for leigh and nick's reception. which should be an awful lot of fun. and there's the scene inside. isn't that elegant? >> it's beautiful. good to see the plaza back open. >> tenth anniversary of our wedding series.

>> so romantic. we are looking at a nice, clear stand on hd doppler this morning. not too far away, a front is approaching. this will change the weather pattern by tomorrow. but tomorrow, 8 and that's your weather. >> thank you, al. up next, the wait is over. the wedding of leigh and nick, live on the plaza. but first on a wednesday morning, this is "today" on nbc.

"today" throws a wedding, ten years of i dos, brought to you by purina, your pet, our passion. and now it is tomorrow for "today throws a wedding," ten years of i dos, the ceremony you've been planning is finally here. leigh daniel and nick cordes will tie the knot in just a few minutes live on our vineyard-themed plaza. >> guess probably the third most important person here today, minister james amountton will preside over the wedding. he's also the bride's step-grandfather. minister amountton serves at the first baptist church in marble falls, texas, and spent 35 years in africa as a missionary. very special man on this incredibly special occasion. >> very special moment for him, as well. and following the minister, who

else? the groom, here, nick cordes. looking dapper. there he is. in a tommy hilfiger seersucker suit styled by gq magazine. nick is a two-time olympic marathon trial qualifier. still hopes to one day run for team usa. he's a winner for this crowd. leigh and nick first met in a coed running program over six years ago where team dating was forbidden but their love was too strong. they ended up getting kicked out of the program but they bonded forever. >> and now we move to nick's parents, rick cordes and debbie cordes. rick has been a salesman all his life and proudly boasts having traveled to all of the 50 united states. debbie is a former journalist and currently a pub sissist with the madison, ohio, school district. >> they both look very dapper. quite lovely. and up next parents of the groom, we have jan tilly. jan is leigh's mom coming out

right now a registered dietitian and entrepreneur living in san antonio, texas. jan's favorite memory of leigh is when she lost her shoe in a race and ended up winning anyway. leigh's also notorious for getting lost wherever she knows. let's know she needs to walk straight down the aisle. her mom told her to do that. >> you don't think minister hampton is going to say do you leezer take nick? >> the bridle party are wearing the outfits you picked for them. the ladies are waning vineyard collection dresses from priscilla of boston, styled by our owe own bobbie thomas. and now are yvette daniel and jason dahlman. when they were little leigh was in yvette's red even though she was older. jason was nick's college

roommate and is currently in med school. >> going to move on to lindsay daniel and matt hangen. here they are. lindsay is leigh's youngest sister, currently a hair stylist in dallas, texas. leigh says that lindsay has always been right beside her through all of life's up and downs. matt another college roommate. a decade later they remain very good buddies. >> here's the matron of honor, jenny borough and the best man steven cordes. jenny and leigh are childhood friends. they've always been inseparable from the time they were little girls playing with barbies, to young ladies dishing about boyfriends. steven is nick's younger brother, and once saved nick's life when his leg caught on fire as a kid. there's a story we need to hear more about. >> we really can't wait any longer, guys. there they go. getting in place. now the moment that we have all

been waiting for. here she is, our blushing bride, leigh daniel and in her tulle, jewel encrusted cap sleeve gown by cristos. walking leigh down the aisle is her father tab daniel. growing up he never missed a tennis match or track meet. he always knew his little girl would succeed. nick proposed to leigh in their living room while she was working out on her stationary bike. he had the ring and just couldn't wait. talk about being caught off guard. she looks absolutely beautiful as she heads down the aisle with her dad, the moment they have been waiting for for quite some time. about to start on the rest of their lives together. as man and wife. >> as she approaches the altar. >> giving her dad one last hug and a kiss. nick helps her off and now we're going to hand it off to minister james hampton.

>> beloved family and friends. you have been invited by leigh and nick today to be a part of one of the most important occasions in their lives. leigh, you should know that the bible which i hold in my hand today is the bible that belonged to your great grandmother eloy pierce. she would be very happy for you today. she was a wonderful person. it is something old, and yet it is always new for those who will read it and enjoy the passages of scripture. in this bible, she underlined a verse of scripture that i think that both of you will appreciate. she underlined this scripture from the book of psalms saying, this is the lord's doing.

it is marvelous in our sight. this is the day the lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. who gives this woman to stand beside this man? >> her mother and i do. >> nick and leigh, since you have freely, lovingly, and prayerfully chosen to spend an entire lifetime together, today, please join your hands and repeat your vows to each other. you have both decided that you will say what you want to say from your hearts today. nick. >> leigh, you look amazing. i say for a start. i'm lucky to have met you in the first place. i'm even luckier to be marrying you. we've been together six years now, and i look forward to the next 60. you're an amazing person.

you taught me a different and better way to live. i promise to put god first and keep that the centerpiece of our relationship. in the beginning we were best friends. and moved on to training partners. and i'll be most proud to call you my wife. >> leigh? >> nick, i feel so blessed to be standing here in front of my best friend, my training partner, my soul mate, and to say that standing in front of you, and to be looking forward to spending the rest of my life by your side. i good friend once told me that there is no perfect people out there, but there is somebody perfect for you. and i can truly say that we are not perfect, neither of us is perfect, but we are truly perfect for each other. i look forward to a life filled with running with our dogs, laughing, eating chicken and fries, hanging out with those that we love and just being together. i promise to love you

unconditionally, just like christ loves us, for the rest of our lives. >> nick, do you take this woman whose hand you hold to be your lawfully wedded wife, before god and all of these wit rnss today, forsaking all others until death do you part? >> i do. >> leigh, do you take this man, whom you hold by the hand today, to be your lawfully wedded husband, before god and these witnesses, forsaking all others, till death do you part? >> i do. >> the wedding ring is the outward and visible sign and bond that unites two loyal hearts together. nick, please take this ring, and place it on leigh's hand, and repeat after me.

with this ring, which is a symbol of my enduring love and abiding faith in you -- >> with this ring which is a symbol of my enduring love and abiding faith in you -- >> leigh. will you take this ring and repeat after me. nick, this ring is a symbol of my enduring love and abiding faith in you. >> nick, this ring is a symbol of my enduring love and abiding faith in you. >> and now having pledged your love and loyal commitment to each other, and having sealed the covenant with the marriage ring, by the authority invested in me as a minister of the church, and by the laws of the great state of new york, i now pronounce you man and wife. nick, you may kiss your bride.

>> turn and face the audience now. ladies and gentlemen, it is my joy to present to you mr. and mrs. nick cordes. >> that was good of them to run down the aisle. yay! even in heels, leigh can run. >> come on over. >> congratulations.

>> congratulations. >> oh, congratulations. how wonderful. >> thank you so much. >> congratulations. >> it's only beginning, nick. it's only beginning nick. >> i was very nervous. >> you've been married now for 45 seconds. how does it feel? >> awesome. >> it's so good to make it through those vows. >> without a stumble at all. >> without too many -- yeah. >> say it five more times. >> did it seem unreal to you. >> yes. >> i think, you know, tomorrow on our way to our honeymoon it will all start to sink in. but yeah it's a fairy tale. >> oh, no, this isn't real. >> nick was right, you are absolutely beautiful. >> thank you. i'm glad it worked.

>> with all the choices the audience made for you, would you do anything different? >> i'm just a believer in fate. it all worked out perfectly the way it was supposed to. so yeah, it's perfect. >> the dress you wanted. >> and the guy she wanted. >> yeah. >> hopefully, right? >> we're going to make a toast to the two of you in just a moment, then after that we're going to reveal where you're off to on your honeymoon. much more with leigh and nick, now husband and wife. but first, this is "today" on nbc. hmmm... well... naaa... yeah! calculating for getaway. ♪ find your way to a perfect destination at busch gardens... where family-fun surrounds you... and world-class rides astound. then go big with tons of rockin' fun... at water country usa, just a hop, skip, and splash away. busch gardens and water country usa... in williamsburg, virginia. set your sights at buschgardens.com. save to favorites?

yes! hundreds on car insurance. what you might not know is that you can contact geico to see if you could save on homeowner's and renter's insurance too. for more information call 1-800-947-auto or check the yellow pages for an office near you. [tires screeching] [screech] accidents can happen anytime. that's why geico's here 24 hours a day, every day. geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.

we are back now with leigh and nick cordes, husband and wife. our newlyweds, after their wedding just a few moments ago here on the plaza. and you know, guys, we haven't known you all that long but we all have to say when we first met you we knew you were kind of a great couple. so we would like to propose a little toast.

it's a tradition here on the show. >> it sure is. we're going to raise our glasses to both of you. this is the 10th time that "today" has thrown a wedding out here. this one is particularly special for us. we want an event that would be fitting for the milestone and a couple that exemplifies what this event is all about, love, joy and grace, and you two fit the bill perfectly. >> much has been said about the fact that you're both runners, very competitive runners, and so we want to say that the journey you're starting today to use running terms is obviously not a sprint. it is a marathon. i mean that in the best possible way, and we know if you run this race correctly, and we have every confidence that you will, you'll be able to feel the same joy you feel right now through the years to come and the miles you'll travel. >> and as you know, sometimes when you're running, you take the hill. and you've got to climb that hill. what's very clear i think to anyone watching this morning is that you are there for each other, of all the hills and in the valleys, as you run

together, and that you're going to be like gold. congratulations. >> as we prepare to toast your new marriage we want you to know that, and this may be a little unsettling to you, you are not part of our family. >> that's right. >> you will be standing on the sidelines cheering you and doing whatever we can to help you. >> that's right. >> so we raise our glasses and cheers to mr. and mrs. cordes. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> and when we come back we will tell you where we're sending you, or actually our viewers are sending you on a honeymoon.

and welcome back to a special edition of "today throws a wedding," leigh and nick now officially mr. and mrs. nick is still wearing that pink lipstick. >> looks very nice. >> natalie isn't here because she's over at the plaza, all those last-minute arrangements for the reception. but we want to throw to her. nat, i'm sure you saw the whole thing. >> i did. i especially loved that kiss there. the on-screen kiss. pretty good, leigh and nick. and from there, of course, that plaza to this plaza, here at the plaza hotel. this is the grand ball room where they're going to be we're

hosting their reception. we expect about 180 or so guests to arrive here along with the bride and groom very shortly. we can't wait to see them. but you can see, it is beautifully decorated, fitting with that vineyard theme that you have there on the plaza. and everything here, everyone is pretty much ready to go. you can see the waiters already serving some of the appetizers here, making sure that the bride and groom will be well-fed when they arrive, the minute they get here. the hank lane 12 piece orchestra onstage right now. they're getting ready. how you guys doing out there? all right, and so we can't wait. the dance floor right here, i'm practicing my cha-cha slide which meredith, you have the moves down, so can't wait to see if you can do it out here on the dance floor when we come back. >> all right. after one glass of champagne, maybe. after two, i don't think so. >> uh-oh. >> slide along the floor after two glasses. when we come back, we'll find out where they're going on their honeymoon.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. questions remain this morning as to how the body of a d.c.

councilman's aide turned up floating in the inner harbor. 30-year-old desi deschaine was found after a day of drinking and boating with friends. his body was found in the water of the marine corps is overstocked. a man is being held on $50,000 bond on top pornography charges. marcus clarke was arrested following a three-month investigation of an on-line network of child pornography file sharing. his home was raided and computers were seized, or they say they found dozens of

>> now let's look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> we are looking good today.

we are still dry, not detecting a lot of moisture in our environment. there is a storm system, strong storm system to the west. it is associated with a front that will be approaching our area tomorrow. into the sunshine while you have it today. high of about 86 for central maryland. 87 down in southern maryland. tomorrow, showers and storms in the morning hours. quite warm at 88 to 90. >> we will have another update at 9:25.