ALTAMONT — The bride’s veil fluttered in the evening breeze Friday as she stood outside St. John’s Church, its steeple piercing the blue sky. She stooped to talk to the flower girl, her two-year-old daughter, Madison.
"That’s my ride out of here. That’s my limo," Sue Soloyna said, pointing to the gleaming yellow New Salem firetruck parked at the curb in front of the church.

Soloyna is a captain, the first female line officer in the history of the New Salem Volunteer Fire Department.

She became a firefighter six years ago at the same time as Assistant Chief Mike Galvin.
"We joined together," said Galvin, the groom. He was talking, an hour before the wedding, about the fire company not the matrimony.

The couple met when the bride worked at Voorheesville’s grocery store, Nichols’ Market.
"We’ve been together seven years," said Galvin.

They share four children. Fifteen-year-old Richard was best man. Nineteen-year-old Katie was a bridesmaid, and Madison and four-year-old Morgan were flower girls — all of them decked out in autumnal shades of plum.

The bride now works for the state’s Department of Taxation and Finance and the groom works as a laborer for the Department of Public Works in Voorheesville.
"She’s a go-getter," said Galvin, describing his bride with admiration. "She doesn’t like being on the back burner — which is cool."

The couple lives in New Salem and much of their life centers around the fire department.
Occasionally, they’ve fought fires together, Galvin said. "That’s tough," he said, "especially with the children."

He said that the movie Ladder 49, a film made last year about a veteran firefighter who reflects on his life as he is trapped inside a burning building, inspired them with the idea of having a firetruck at their wedding.
"That sparked the idea," he said.

On Friday evening, the bride walked into the church on the arm of her father and emerged on the arm of her husband, to the cheers of her friends, many of them fellow firefighters.
"This is a great day for the New Salem Fire Department," said Dan Coons, captain of the fire police, who helped put a safety harness on the bride before she stepped up to the back of the truck.
He described her as "a wonderful firefighter" and he also recalled the movie Ladder 49, which he confessed had brought tears to his eyes. A few in the crowd of well-wishers were wiping tears from their eyes Friday evening as the bride stepped onto the back of the truck.

One little girl begged to ride on the truck, too; she wanted to sit on top. The bride arranged for her to ride inside the cab.

The groom hopped on the back, and the crowd called for a nuptial kiss; the newlyweds obliged to more cheers.
Then, they were off, down Maple Avenue, with a procession following. Onlookers pointed from their yards. And one boy stopped skateboarding long enough to shout to his companion, "Look! A bride on a firetruck!"
The couple and their caravan were off to their reception. Where" The New Salem firehouse, of course.
And the honeymoon" The groom said they weren’t interested in lounging around on some beach. The newlyweds are going to Dover for the NASCAR races.