Emily Wilson and Brian Ceccanti met through a mutual friend while in Chicago during the summer of 2002. They felt an instant connection, but the distance between them (she was living in Kansas City and he in Los Angeles) made the possibility of a future seem dim. However, during the next 18 months, they forged a lasting friendship over the phone despite being in the midst of moves and job changes (she went to Minneapolis and he went back home to New Orleans).
 
The Bride Emily Wilson, 30, recruiter
The Groom Brian Ceccanti, 29, regional sales manager
The Date May 19
 
Knowing their true feelings for each other, their friend set up another trip to Miami, and a real romance blossomed. After dating long-distance for nine months, Emily was taken by Brian’s southern charm and decided to move to New Orleans to be with him. Two years later, Brian proposed on a mountaintop in Honolulu. Emily was shocked but thrilled. After returning from their vacation, they began planning a wedding in the bride’s home state of Nebraska.