Al Rutherford and Verna Williams married at Tim Hortons. (Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/Sun Media)

Kris Rutherford shook his head when asked what he was doing at a Tim Hortons restaurant yesterday afternoon.

"I never thought I would be here for a wedding, that's for sure," the 25-year-old said with a laugh. "I thought it was a joke, but that's my dad for you. He's definitely a creature of routine, so I wasn't too surprised when he told me."

In what was a first for the small group of friends and family, and doughnut shop staff, Al Rutherford and Verna Williams decided to get married at Tim Hortons, a Canadian coffee institution.

Following a small ceremony at the 1025 King Edward St. location -- complete with pink flowers and a wedding cake of Blueberry Bloom doughnuts -- the knot was officially tied.

"I never thought I would get married at Tim Hortons," said the soft-spoken bride, who was a little nervous from the attention the event was generating. "I didn't think I'd get married again. This is so special."

The couple met at the Tim Hortons on Maryland Street 10 months ago, when Rutherford, 62, intercepted another man who had an eye on his soon-to-be bride.

"There was a guy who wanted to talk to me ... and Al jumped in," said Williams, 53. "He came right to me. I didn't really want to talk to the other guy, but I liked Al. He's a sweet man."

Looking for a quieter place to sit and talk, they soon started frequenting the King Edward spot. Last Valentine's Day the two became engaged over a small double-double and a steeped tea in the same corner of the shop they sit in almost every night.

It was the same corner the couple was married in yesterday.

"We're here all the time, so it made sense to do it here," said Rutherford, a retired Winnipeg Transit driver who now works as an apartment caretaker. "We just like to sit and drink coffee and talk about life."

Marriage commissioner Phyllis Caruk performed the ceremony. Pronouncing a couple husband and wife in a doughnut shop was a first for her too.

"They come here all the time, so why not?" she said. "Good for them. Apparently this place has been a huge part of their lives together."

The happy couple planned to celebrate their nuptials with a dinner at Rae and Jerry's before spending the honeymoon night in a hotel suite arranged by friends.

"But we'll be back here Sunday night," the groom said. "Right in this corner."