LAUNCH asked Underwood if he's ready for both the upcoming wedding and the album release. "The main thing is, I'm the last person who would ever use my personal life for publicity reasons and try and sell records, so it's weird that it's happening now because my record was supposed to come out six months before my wedding," he said. "The wedding's been planned for a while, but I've been ready to marry this girl since I was in high school, and it's going to be one of the best days in my life."

LAUNCH also asked Underwood, who has 37 cousins in his family alone, if there will be any room for his O-Town groupmates Dan Miller, Ashley Angel, Erik-Michael Estrada, and Trevor Penick in the wedding party, or perhaps even in the band. "They're all coming," said Underwood. "But I can't afford to have them to perform."

"To be in a wedding party, we'd each run about $20,000," joked Estrada. "He can't really afford what we charge."

"We're not going to be in the wedding party or the band," Miller added with a smile.

Underwood explained that his friends from his hometown of San Diego will be standing up for him. "You know what's cool is all my best men--because Janie and I have been dating for 12 years now, or since we were 12--all my friends that have watched us grow up are going to be standing next to me, and these guys are obviously my best friends right now, but it's a different situation in that all the people that are there have watched us and our relationship develop from childhood until now, and it will be a cool day."

Asked if he's already rented a tuxedo, Underwood replied: "I'm a San Diego cat, so I'm not wearing a tux. It's going to be casual--very me and Janie, very us."

Underwood isn't the only pop musician tying the knot this month: 98 Degrees singer Nick Lachey and singer Jessica Simpson (news) are also making their relationship official.
-- Jason Gelman, New York