Love: Megan West & Jason McFarland

It was early January 2008, and Megan joined seemingly most of her South Philadelphia neighbors at Serenade Night - an annual celebration for that year's Mummer's Parade Fancy Brigade winner.

She and a girlfriend hit the Shamrock Pub, and - darn it! - a guy she was trying to avoid was at the bar. She was so glad to spot Jason. She knew him only as a friend's friend's brother, but word around Two Street was he was one of the nice guys, and talking to him might keep that other guy away.

"Hi, Natalie!" Jason said. "It's Megan," she corrected him.

They established how they sort of knew each other, and that their families lived blocks apart. They talked about the Eagles, her job as a server at the Hard Rock Cafe, and his as a file clerk in the cardiology department at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Then Jason shared that his family's dog, a brown boxer named Simba, had that day died of cancer.

Megan saw his sensitive side and learned that he is a big animal lover. "I know how it feels to lose a dog," she told him.

Before they knew it, they had talked the bar closed.

Jason has been a Mummer for 15 years, including 10 with the Cara Liom wench brigade. He suggested they continue talking at Cara Liom's clubhouse. At the night's end - technically morning - they exchanged contact info. He called later that day.

Their first real date was the following weekend - dinner at Bomb Bomb, a small Italian place on Ninth.

Jason is on to that first-date phone call thing that women prearrange with their friends. "I picked up when she got her fake phone call. But she didn't leave. So I figured everything was going OK," he said.

Sure was.

About three months into their relationship, Megan, who is now 30, called Jason, now 31, to cancel their plans. "I told him I was sick, and not to come over to my apartment, because I looked horrible, was in sweatpants, and my hair was a mess."

Jason didn't care what she looked like; his girlfriend was sick, and he wanted to help.

"He took care of me," she remembers. "I thought, 'If he can see me at my worst and still be there for me, he is someone I want to keep around long term.' "

Jason can't point to one moment of realization. "It was every day," he said. "Every day was easy, and at the end of the day, there's nobody I would rather sit on the couch and watch a movie with than her."

Nine months after meeting, the couple got an apartment in the neighborhood. In 2010, they adopted Lexi, a beagle mix from Tree Tops Animal Rescue who changed the two dog lovers' lives forever. Megan and Jason took in their first foster dog that August. Since then, more than 30 dogs have lived with the couple until finding a permanent home.

Megan wanted to do still more, both for homeless dogs and for another lovable group who could use some cash: The Mummers. In October 2010, she held the first Save the Mums & Mutts fall fund-raising festival at Burke Playground. Proceeds went to the Mummers Museum, where Megan is now a board member, and Tree Tops. The sixth-annual event is slated for Oct. 10.

Professionally, Megan went into real estate and is now a leasing administrator at Cedar Realty Trust.

In June 2011, she and Jason settled on their home - two blocks from his parents, two blocks from hers - and soon after met Frankie, a beagle mix who was a foster dog until they decided he was already home. By then, Jason was saving money for an engagement ring.

Before their Valentine's dinner at Popi's, Jason called Megan's parents, and her mom secretly called the manager so Jason could have some special surprises, too.

"We had dinner, and then we were starting our drinks," Jason said. "I just got down and asked her, 'Will you marry me?' But she didn't answer at first."

First came shock, then soaking it all in. "This is that moment you wait for your whole life," Megan said. "I wanted to savor it."

Another diner broke the silence: "Oh my God! That guy over there is getting engaged!"

Megan quickly said yes so Jason could get off his knee and put the ring onto her finger before a small crowd arrived.

"The women were looking at the ring, and the men were congratulating me," Jason remembers. "Then the manager brought over a bottle of champagne, and the DJ announced that we just got engaged and played "The Way You Look Tonight."

The couple danced in the middle of the restaurant, with everybody watching.

Back in the day, a Mummer would go to his bride-to-be's home the night before the wedding to sing. Two weeks before their wedding, Jason went to Megan's parents' home - along with members of the Quaker City String Band, and about 100 friends, family members, and neighbors - for a block party. Jason sang "It Had to Be You," then later emerged from the house dressed like Elvis. Megan laughed hard until he began to sing "Can't Help Falling in Love."

Their traditional Catholic ceremony was held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. During the full Mass, the couple laid flowers at the feet of the statue of Mary as "Ave Maria" played.

They and their 175 guests celebrated at the William Penn Inn in Gwynedd. Five members of Quaker City performed in full sparkling, feathery glory. One of the couple's neighbors who plays with Quaker City joined them in his suit and tie, banjo in hand.

A specially made cake-topper featured two little beagles jumping up on the tiny bride and groom. The bride's aunt and cousin-in-law fashioned a doghouse-shape card box. Each table was named for one of the dogs they've fostered.

Megan and her 14-year-old nephew, whom she still calls Baby Bobby, have always been close. The day before the wedding, he called Jason for help with a surprise. "Jason called me to the dance floor, and then Baby Bobby came up and asked me to dance to 'Because You Loved Me.' " She sobbed the entire time.

"Walking down the aisle with my dad and seeing Jason at the altar - I will never forget that feeling in my stomach," Megan said. "I don't think I've ever felt that much joy in one moment. . . . All that love in one room was incredible."

The DJ played the Beatles' "When I'm 64," as the couple cut their cake, and to Jason, that was perfect. "Cutting the cake symbolized the here and now - we just got married - but I was also thinking about the future: 'When I'm an old guy, I'm going to think back to this moment,' " he said.

A bargain: DJ J.C., who worked both their serenade block party and the reception, is the father of one of Jason's groomsmen. He charged them less than 50 percent of what other DJs would have charged.

The splurge: The only thing Megan and Jason disagreed on in the planning stages was the videographer. He said professional photographs were enough, she said she wanted to relive every moment and see the ones she missed. Jason says he caved for "happy wife, happy life" reasons. But both are glad to have the video.

The couple went to North Wildwood for a weeklong honeymoon at the Shore. As soon as they came home, Megan and Jason took in their 36th foster dog, a 20-pound beagle named Ashley.

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Officiant: Father Francis Cauterucci, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Philadelphia

Venues: Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Philadelphia, and The William Penn Inn, Gwynedd

Photography and Videography: Photography, Dackel Photography, Philadelphia; videography, TAG Visual, Philadelphia

Flowers: Beautiful Blooms, Philadelphia

Dress: David's Bridal Collection

Music: DJ J.C., Cherry Hill

Invitations: Made of Paper Creative, Blackwood, N.J.

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