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Jamie grew up in Cherry Hill. In the mid-1990s, when she was about 15, her family began frequenting a pizza shop in neighboring Marlton called Domenico's Italian Ristorante. By the time Jamie reached her late teens, owner Diane Feeney, who would often waitress, would bring her clams in red sauce without even asking. What Jamie didn't know is that her mother, Honey Etkin, and Diane were talking about more than Italian specialties. They thought Jamie and Diane's youngest son, Pete, would be great together. But making it happen was a little tricky, when both were so shy.
"When we would go in, my mom would say, 'Why don't you sit facing the kitchen?' " Jamie remembers. In the way of teenagers, Jamie ignored her and stayed in her usual window seat, thwarting Honey's efforts to allow Pete, who was cooking, to get a good look at Jamie.
Still never having met, Pete and Jamie graduated from high school. She studied early childhood education at Rider University; he took up business management at Rowan University. Even while in college, Pete continued to work at the family business with his mother and brothers Shawn and Craig. Jamie had graduated and landed her first teaching gig when Honey and family friend Doreen realized that Doreen's sister, Pat, was a waitress at the Etkins' favorite restaurant. The matchmaking quest began anew - this time with four conspirators. And the two new ones were a little less subtle.
Jamie was pretty bummed in February 2005. She had just spent Valentine's Day solo, and, with her 25th birthday approaching, had no romantic prospects. One day when she arrived home from work, her mother handed her a guest check from Domenico's. On it, Pete had written his name, e-mail address, and phone number. His e-mail address contained his birthday, which was the same as Jamie's best friend, Renee. She saw that as a good sign, she said, but still, shy Jamie doubted she would have taken the next step were she not feeling so gloomy about her love life. She called Pete.
"I did not know who he was," she said. "I had never seen him."
Pete was playing pool in a tournament and couldn't talk. Then he had midterms. It took him a few days to get back to her, with a text: "I understand if you're mad," he wrote. She wasn't. He called her, and they began talking and texting regularly. On March 15, the day after she turned 25, Jamie and her friend Shana went to the restaurant for dinner - OK, really, so Jamie and Pete could meet in person. The good vibes continued, so they decided to go to the movies that Thursday, St. Patrick's Day.
The plan was that Jamie would meet Pete at the restaurant at the end of his shift, then leave Jamie's car at the nearby Feeney residence. When Jamie got to Domenico's, Pete presented her with a single rose - stuck through the straw hole in a plastic soda cup.
They saw Hitch, in which Will Smith's character declares that girls jingle their keys after first dates when they want to be kissed. "It was kind of an awkward moment," Jamie said. But when the date ended, she got her kiss - no jingling required.
How does forever sound?
In June 2007, Jamie, who is now 29, and Pete, now 28, picked out a ring, but Pete insisted on a surprise proposal.
Jamie loves Christmas - a holiday her family members celebrated even though they are Jewish. Pete wanted their engagement to be part of that magic. Since they began dating, Jamie and Pete have celebrated Christmas Eve with his Catholic family and Christmas Day with her family. So Jamie thought nothing of heading to the Feeneys that night. As she pulled up to the house, she did think it was a little strange that there were so many people inside.
She also was really impressed with the newest batch of decorations: The Christmas lights decorated even the ground!
Pete came outside. "Do you want me to drive to the restaurant?" Jamie asked.
Pete wasn't thinking about dinner. "What do you think of the lights?" he asked. For the first time, Jamie really looked at them. In multicolored lights outlined with red ribbon, Pete had written the words, "Will you marry me?"
Honey Etkin and Diane Feeney could not contain their happiness - nor their conviction that mothers really do know best.
At home
The couple live in Marlton.
At work
Pete continues to work at the family business; Jamie teaches prekindergarten at Laurel Springs Elementary.
It was so them
Diane Feeney was so excited about the wedding that she bought her green dress a year ahead of time. But in November 2008, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Radiation and chemotherapy began. "She really wanted to go to the wedding. She would say it all the time," Jamie said. But on Aug. 5, less than a month before the wedding, Diane died.
Pete's father, Jack, had died about six years earlier, also of cancer.
Not having his parents there made the wedding bittersweet for Pete. His grandmother, Diane Vagnoni, walked him down the aisle.
As Jamie and her parents waited to walk into the ceremony, it was pouring outside. Then, it suddenly stopped and the sun came out. A bright rainbow filled the sky. Honey and Jamie began crying. "It was Diane. She was there," Jamie said.
The couple held both their wedding and reception at the Bellevue, the same place where Diane Vagnoni worked as an elevator operator when she met her husband, Pete, who also took part in the wedding, more than 50 years ago.
The bride and groom are huge Phillies fans, and decided against a fall wedding in case the Phils make it to the World Series again. They hired their videographer, VIP Productions, at a bridal fair after learning that co-owner Darren Leary also shoots for the Phillies. Pete and Jamie were thrilled that he got Phillies voice announcer Dan Baker to record the pre-reception bridal party introductions. Very much like at a baseball game, he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Bellevue." He then introduced the "managers," Jamie's parents; the "bat boy and ball girl," the ring bearer and flower girl; and finally, the "all-stars" - the bride and groom.
Awestruck
The toasts made by maid-of-honor Renee (the friend who shares Pete's birthday); best man, Harry; and father-of-the-bride, Ron, really got to Jamie. Renee cried. Harry tried to crack a joke, but was being very serious as he tried to make the perfect speech.
Discretionary spending
A bargain: Photographer Jim Kelley, Pete's uncle, gave the couple a family discount. And his aunt, Connie Kelley, who does makeovers as part of her job at a local Saks Fifth Avenue, did Jamie's makeup for free.
The splurge: The venue.
The getaway
An overnight in Atlantic City; Hawaii next summer when school is out.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Officiant
Rabbi Bernard Perelmuter of Newtown, and Father Francis Maione of Newark, N.J.
Venue
Park Hyatt at the Bellevue, Philadelphia
Catering
Park Hyatt at the Bellevue
Photography
Jim Kelley Photography, Marlton
Music
Rich Posmontier Music, Wyndmoor
Dress
Maggie Sottero gown purchased from Kay Bridal, Maple Shade
Invitations
Impressive Signatures, Cherry Hill
Florist
Petals Lane, Philadelphia
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