Love: Kelly Kirsten Decker & Robert Andrew McCullough

Married

June 21 at St. David's Golf Club in St. David's. The Rev. Peter McGuinness performed the outdoor ceremony, and a reception for 150 followed.

They met

In 2003, with the help of their parents and their newspaper.

Kelly had recently returned home to Gulph Mills from college in Richmond, Va. She was "bored to tears." Her mother, Cathy, gave her an Inquirer article she thought relevant - it was about the machinations of suburban twentysomethings and their quests to find friends.

Kelly sent an e-mail to the editor of the paper's Neighbors section in response to what she read. "I basically said, 'Here's my boring life: On Saturday nights it's a double feature with my parents, dinner and a movie."

The paper published her letter, along with her e-mail address. And over in Newtown Square, Rob's father, Frank, read what Kelly wrote, and gave it to his son, along with some advice: "You should contact this girl."

Many people wrote to Kelly. She organized a get-together - dinner and bowling - and e-mailed everyone whom she determined not to be a wacko. Rob made the cut. He went to the dinner, intent on meeting Kelly - but she had chickened out of her own event. Still, she mustered the courage for the bowling portion of the evening, and there she met Rob.

Rob and Kelly soon discovered many near-misses in which they might have met earlier: As children, they attended the same summer camp. As high schoolers, Kelly attended Episcopal Academy and Rob attended Devon Prep - schools whose students routinely socialize. And just a few weeks before the bowling event, Rob met a group of Kelly's friends on a night when Kelly decided to stay home. "I was just tired of going out to bars to meet guys."

He asked

In April 2007, Kelly's mother gave her a typical mother-daughter lecture about picking the right spouse. Kelly, irritated as daughters tend to get with these things, vented about it to Rob.

"He got all quiet," Kelly said. Then he said, " 'Well, I do intend to be with you. I do want to marry you.' " Rob, now 29, said he had been looking at rings, but couldn't decide on the right one. Kelly, now 27, had worn her late grandmother's engagement ring on her right hand since the third grade. That night, the couple put it on her left hand and made plans to go ring shopping.

In May, walking in a natural area in Drexel Hill, Rob proposed again with the ring the couple chose together.

9 to 5

Kelly is a property and casualty underwriter with Philadelphia Insurance Cos. in Bala Cynwyd. Rob is an accountant and certified financial planner at McCullough & Co. - his father's firm in Newtown Square.

Making a home

The couple live in Drexel Hill with their four cats.

Doing it their way

Rob and Kelly designed their ceremony, centering on the themes of love, family and gratitude. They wrote their own vows. They hired a string quartet to play music they selected. They passed their rings around during the ceremony so that every guest saw and touched them before the bride and groom exchanged them - a ceremony called warming the rings.

Rob and Kelly had an all-family wedding party. Kelly's brother James was her man of honor, and James' wife, Kristin, and Rob's sister Kate were bridesmaids. Rob's sister Jenn was his best woman, and Kelly's brother Stephen and Rob's nephew Philmore were groomsmen. Rob's nephew Ryan was ring bearer.

Not a dry eye

"I was very calm and had it together for most of the day, but during the vows, I got choked up," Kelly said. "That was the most important part of the day for us."

Bloopers

Not really a blooper, but a surprise. Rob's father hired an Elvis impersonator who called the two fathers up to sing with him. Frank McCullough went along with it, but Rich Decker gave it his all. "We were all floored by my dad's incredible performance," Kelly said.

Kelly says

"Your wedding is one day, but your relationship with your family and, most importantly, your soon-to-be spouse, are for life. So try not to be Bridezilla and focus on what's really important."

The honeymoon

Ten days in Jamaica.