Thursday, August 23, 2007

Naked Nuptials: Canadian Rocker Prepares To Wed

No, the bride and groom will not be saying their vows "au natural." Although Bif Naked's fans will be expecting Canada's most recognizable rocker to plan an edgy, off the wall wedding, the Bodog Music recording artist has opted for a traditional church wedding. On September 29, 2007, Bif Naked (Beth Hopkins) will marry Ian Walker, a star sports writer for the Vancouver Sun. The wedding will be held at an undisclosed location in their hometown of Vancouver.

The decision to have a traditional church wedding was made by the couple to honour their parents, who have strong religious backgrounds (Naked's parents are missionaries, and Walker's parents are ministers.)

With only 120 invited guests, the reception will be an elegant Indian-inspired affair, complete with Bollywood dancers and other surprises. Naked, who was born in New Delhi, India to boarding school teenagers, was adopted and brought back to the U.S., eventually relocating to Canada.

"It was important for us to honour our parents with a church ceremony and just as important for me to honour the country of my birth," Naked said.

The veteran rocker has released six albums and is best known for her hit singles, I Love Myself Today, Spaceman, Lucky, Daddy's Getting Married, and her most recent radio hit, Let Down from her 2005 album, "Superbeautifulmonster." Naked has recently hosted the highly-successful Bodog Fight TV series, which is airing on major networks across the globe, including ION Television in the U.S. and the Fight Network in Canada. Naked is also a featured judge, alongside the legendary Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols and Billy Duffy of The Cult on Bodog Battle, the international $1 million dollar band search competition, which airs weekly on fuse TV. MTV Canada also recently filmed Bif's home for an upcoming episode of MTV Cribs.

Walker, who has worked for the Vancouver Sun for the past seven years, is best known for his weekly Adrenalin column, which brings "the extreme to the mainstream" through his ongoing hijinx. Readers are treated to stories about trying-out for the B.C. Lions and Vancouver Canadians (farm team for the Oakland Athletics), skydiving, wakeboarding and even repelling from a 40 story building for charity (dressed as the Incredible Hulk). Ian is also a surfer, bodybuilder, race car driver and mix martial arts enthusiast.

The happy couple originally met at their local gym, though it wasn't until December 2006 at Bodog Fight's Vancouver pay-per-view event that the two really connected. Naked, who was emcee for the event, noticed Walker in the press pit, covering Bodog Fight for the Vancouver Sun.

"He kept smiling at me, so I finally went over during a filming break and gave him a piece of candy," Naked said. "Later, he asked me to accompany him to the after party and I turned him down. I've got to give Ian credit, though; he never gave up, he asked me out countless times, and I kept turning him down. My excuses were so bizarre that he thought I was crazy. Once I told him I couldn't go out with him because I was attending a "lesbian convention in Seattle" (which was actually a Women's Rights Conference that Naked attended), and another time I told him I couldn't go out with him because I was going to Russia (which again was true, as Naked was traveling to Moscow to shoot an episode of Bodog Fight). Finally I gave in, and I'm glad I did. Walker is the best thing that has ever happened to me."

A short five months later, Walker proposed to Naked at an intimate dinner surrounded by close friends, but not before going to her long time manager, Peter Karroll, asking him for Bif's hand in marriage. At the dinner, Bif received the best dessert ever: a blue Tiffany's box on a silver platter.

"Walker got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. After the shock wore off, I accepted his proposal," Naked said.

Prior to dating Naked, Walker, who is a hip hop/urban music fan, had never heard her music, and to this date has never seen her in concert, something he is looking forward to in the future after his bride-to-be releases her new album through Bodog Music in 2008.

"We are two people who couldn't be more different, but two of the happiest you will ever meet," Naked said.

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