George Parros: My wedding and my mustache

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

I am told there have been a lot of questions coming in regarding my wedding, so I figured I would make this week’s blog more on a personal level. The wedding took place at the end of this summer in Paso Robles, which is north of Santa Barbara. It was a perfect weekend for a wine country wedding. The weather was ideal for our outdoor ceremony right on the edge of a vineyard. It was kind of funny for my wife and I to pick this locale because neither one of us is exactly a sommelier. When they asked us to order the wine for the reception from their extensive menu, we just told them to pick something for us ... needless to say, they were puzzled.

My wife and I made sure to put our own stamp on the weekend event. I decided to have a barbershop quartet perform before the ceremony. I have always loved that stuff -- maybe it’s from watching too much “Family Guy.” We decided on having a country band play at the reception, and for a surprise, Tiffany (my wife) hired cigar rollers for all our guests to enjoy. The following day, we went to a local water park because, wedding weekend or not, who doesn’t love water slides? We had an incredible time, but I guess it wasn’t your typical wedding. The funny part about the whole thing was that I got to spend my honeymoon at Anaheim ICE for training camp. I am going to assume that it ranks as one of the worst honeymoons all time!

Because this blog has a more personal tone to it, I figured I would spend some time on a subject very personal to me: the mustache. I have often been quoted on my mustache views and have obviously gained a strong foothold in the mustache community. Being that it is ‘Movember,’ when mustaches are grown worldwide all month long in the name of men’s health awareness and to raise funds for prostate and testicular cancer, I think it is appropriate that I share some of my mustache inspiration with you.

I have said before that I believe the mustache is the physical embodiment of all that is manly. Here are some of my favorite ‘staches of all time...

Favorite sports ‘staches: Terry Ruskowski, former captain of the L.A. Kings; Wade Boggs and Don Mattingly … all very thick and full-bodied, very blue collar.

Favorite actor ‘staches: Burt Reynolds, Sam Elliott, Chuck Norris, Earl (Jason Lee) … all different in their own way, all amazing.

‘Staches I’m told resemble my own: Frank Zappa, Yanni, Gallagher, Tom Selleck …a very eclectic group.

I would like to encourage the growth of any and all mustaches, especially this month if you are participating in “Movember” (like our newly acquired goaltender, Justin Pogge). Be on the lookout toward the end of the month because the team store at the Honda Center will be carrying my new line of ‘Stache Gear.’ It’s a collection of hats and T-shirts, which will benefit two of my favorite charities: the Childhood Leukemia Foundation and Garth Brooks’ Teammates For Kids.

This way you won’t have to grow a ‘stache to support a good cause.

-- George Parros

Upper photo: Tom Selleck. Credit: Associated Press

Lower photo: Sam Elliott. Credit: Associated Press