Posted by Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Sabrina Byrnes 
While cues are chalked, shots are made and intense competition fills the air, the sound of wedding bells will be heard for two local pool players who plan to say their "I do's" at a national tournament in Vegas.
Natalie Wilson and James Pellerin met while playing in the CPA (Canadian Poolplayers Association) pool league a few years ago. The two became very good friends before it turned into a romance about a year ago.
"We pretty much hit it off as friends," said Wilson. She chuckled saying the two kind of grew on each other as their relationship progressed.
The two players are both captains of their eight ball teams that play out of Rhythm 'N' Cues Billiards Pub and Bistro Monday evenings.
While playing on their respective teams, the two also competed in single player qualifiers for a chance to compete at the regionals in Orangeville this past March. The regionals is a qualifier for the national tournament in Las Vegas. The couple both won their matches and were heading to Orangeville to compete.
They got engaged on Feb. 12 and jokes were made that if the two were able to win a trip to Vegas, they should get married. The joke turned into the plan.
Pellerin said that if either one of them won the chance to go to the nationals, then they would get married while they were there. The plan turned into a reality as both Pellerin and his new fiance won their matches and are now going to Vegas to compete in the APA (American Poolplayers Association) Nationals Singles Championships.
"I'm super excited," Wilson said laughing. "Can't stop talking about it."
The newly engaged couple have been playing in the league for about eight or nine years. Pellerin joined in 2000 and his fiance joined in 2001.
They both agreed it was the social aspect of the sport that got them involved initially. Wilson said she couldn't even hold a cue when she first started. Her skill and her love of the game have grown tremendously since she first started.
"I love pool," she said. "It's my hobby. If I could do it all the time, I would."
Pellerin moved from Scarborough to Sudbury in 2005 and said it was because of the league that he was able to be involved socially in his new community. It was the CPA league in Toronto that called the league operator in Sudbury and mentioned that Pellerin was moving to the area.
The league called him and told him there was a spot for him on the team. Because of the league, Pellerin was able to meet new people and continue playing the game that he loves.
Now it's because of the league that he was able to meet the woman that he loves.
Pellerin said that the APA wants to market their wedding and feature it in their magazine. He said with all the dating services out there, what's a better way to meet someone than doing a hobby - something that you like to do.
The tournament runs from April 30 to May 2 with the wedding scheduled on the last day of competition.
Wilson said thinking about the wedding won't affect her game. She said she's going for the experience of it- for the competition aspect.
She said she hopes she does well, but isn't feeling too confident about her skills.
Wilson was playing at a three skill level before entering the regionals, but as she continued to do well throughout the tournament, her skill level was raised to a four. She said she is a great three, but a weak four, so she isn't too sure how she will do at the tournament.
Pellerin plays at a five skill level and is competing at the nationals for the second time. He said his game has improved and he has matured as a player so he is hoping he will have a better outcome this year. He competed in Vegas in 2006 and made it to the eighth round out of 12.
Players in the tournament are competing for a grand prize of $15,000. Ten thousand dollars of that is cash and the remaining five thousand dollars is in prizes.
If the couple continues to advance in the tournament, they could be playing up until a couple of hours before their wedding. The couple isn't phased by that at all and is taking it all in stride. Wilson is pretty confident that her husband-to-be will do well in the tournament. Since she isn't too sure about her own match ups, she joked that she should have a lot of time before the ceremony,
The couple, in light of their history together, decided on a pool theme for their wedding.
"It had to be that way," Wilson said.
The bride-to-be will be wearing a black and white dress to match the eight ball, the groom will be wearing an eight ball tie as well as eight ball cuff links, her bouquet will have miniature pool balls in it and there will even be a pool table for a cake.
Her guests will all receive an eight ball key chain with the couple's names engraved as well as the date and place of the wedding on it.
The two have four children between the two of them. Pellerin has a 17-year-old daughter and Wilson has three kids aged 12, nine and two.
When asked how he knew she was the one, "she told me," Pellerin replied laughing.
"What it pretty much comes down to is the realization that no matter what she does, I still want to be there...through all the lows and everything else, I'm still there and I still want to be there and I can't imagine my life without her."
Wilson shared the same views about her fiance.
"I'd be crazy to let him go," she said. "He's so good to me, he's such a wonderful person, he's a great dad, he's awesome."
The two will now head to Las Vegas where they will compete against some of the best pool players in North America for the chance of winning $15,000, and will end their journey by beginning a new one as husband and wife.
Fundraiser
The couple has organized a fundraiser for pool player Richard Marcotte, to send him to the APA Singles Nationals Wheelchair event in Las Vegas in August. His entry fee has already been paid, but a  fundraiser is going to be held to raise funds for his travel expenses.
The fundraiser will be held on May 16 at Rhythm 'N' Cues Billiards Pub and Bistro at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $15 per person for a night of pool and the chance to win prizes and draws.
