Love | Dana Ann Barnes & John Jude Rasmus Jr.

Married

June 9 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in South Philadelphia, with the Rev. Robert Feeney presiding. A reception for 380 guests followed at Adelphia Restaurant in Deptford.

They met

In 1996, as high school freshmen at Gloucester Catholic. "He was my best friend all through high school," Dana says. They attended the senior homecoming dance as pals, then drifted apart after graduation and dated others.

In July 2004, during a drive to the Shore, Dana told her girlfriend that "the only guy who's ever been right for me, who'd be perfect for me, was John." She spotted him at Keenan's Irish Pub in North Wildwood, with a female cousin she initially mistook for his girlfriend. "He tapped me on the shoulder. I was like, 'Oh my God!' " They talked all night and went on a first date to see The Notebook that summer.

He asked

June 18, 2005, at Penn's Landing. After lunch on South Street, the couple planned to attend the annual waterfront Irish Festival. Unfortunately they had their dates confused and ended up at the Asian Festival. "He was acting nervous sitting by the water," Dana says. She was "totally surprised" when John got down on one knee and presented a three-stone platinum ring. "We jumped up and down," Dana says, "and festivalgoers jumped up and down with us." John then drove his new fiancée to a planned celebration with family and friends at his parents' house in Bellmawr.

9 to 5

Dana, 26, of Deptford, is a hairdresser at Hello Gorgeous in Marlton. John, also 26, of Bellmawr, is a Philadelphia police officer.

Making a home

The bride and groom live in South Philadelphia.

First steps

To "At Last" by Etta James.

Doing it their way

John's bandmates from the Quaker City String Band serenaded the couple at their Thursday night rehearsal dinner at the Waterfall Room. Dana's colleague Heather McDowell started working her hair magic on 11 bridesmaids and the bride at 6 a.m. on the big day. Dana wore her hair in a low updo with loose curls topped with a tiara. Trumpets played Pachelbel's Canon in D as John Barnes walked his daughter, in an off-white lace and pearl gown, down the aisle.

At Adelphia, a steel drum band entertained during cocktail hour; later, the Sensational Soul Cruisers got everyone out on the dance floor. The six-flavor, six-tiered wedding cake was decorated with calla lilies to reflect the bouquets. Dana and John saved the red velvet top layer.

When the DJ queued up the Mummers strut, out came 200 white umbrellas for the guests; Dana had hers specially decorated. In lieu of favors, the couple made donations to the Arthritis Foundation in honor of the bride's mother, Stella.

Not a dry eye

"Saying our vows - they were pretty emotional," the bride says.

Bloopers

Just before the bride and her matron of honor (and older sister) Kimberly Mantzell walked down the aisle, they noticed one of Dana's false eyelashes stuck to her blusher. "My sister thought it was a spider," Dana says. Off came the other lash before she linked arms with Dad.

Dana says

"Take everything slowly. Try not to rush things. We planned it for two years to make it perfect."

The honeymoon

Ten days on the Riviera Maya, Mexico.