Love: REBECCA DRUCKENMILLER & DAN RICHMAN

Dan, who grew up in Morrisville, had a reputation around Shippensburg University as the guy to call for computer help. He was helping a friend of his friend Gary when Rebecca burst into the room.

"I was good friends with Jessica, and I ran down the hall into her room to tell her something, like I always did," said Rebecca, who grew up in Allentown. "I was in my PJs and a hot mess."

Rebecca talked to Jessica that night, but her eyes wandered over to the cutie working on her friend's desktop. Dan noticed Rebecca, too. "She was not a hot mess," he said.

Before heading back up the hallway, Rebecca asked Jess for Dan's Instant Messenger name. After solving the computer issue, Dan asked Jess for Rebecca's.

A couple of days later, Dan's IM name popped up on Rebecca's computer screen. After a few instant conversations, Dan asked Rebecca to a movie.

The movie was horrendous, but the date was wonderful. Freshman year ended a month later, and Dan and Rebecca returned to their hometowns.

"When I got my wisdom teeth out, he came up and sat with me for 10 hours, watching the summer Olympics while I pretty much slept," Rebecca said.

After their 2007 graduation, Dan and Rebecca landed jobs in Philly. He became a project manager for Recyclebank, where he now works as data operations manager. She does social-media work for Eastern University and is a wedding planner with Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants.

Rebecca and Dan, who are now both 25, bought a house in Manayunk in the spring of 2009. "I always said it was the house first, and then I'll get you the ring," Dan said.

When they finished their custom design, Dan told Rebecca it would take six months for the ring to be finished. He knew it would be done in three.

Proposing to a professional wedding planner "is the scariest thing I've ever been a part of," Dan said. "I wanted to make sure she had a good story." He bought himself time to do some planning of his own.

Rebecca was not suspicious when a limousine took her and Dan to dinner at 10 Arts in the Ritz-Carlton. They had been watching Top Chef all season and wanted to try Jennifer Carroll's creations. Dan had planned end-of-the-year celebrations before, and it had been a fine year indeed: They bought a house. They adopted kittens Moofie and Bubba. And they were doing very well professionally.

But then the man at the front desk handed Rebecca a bouquet and a note saying that each flower represented one of the five years she and Dan had been together.

And then Dan asked her to close her eyes and turn in circles three times. When she opened them, Dan was on his knee, with the ring.

Laura Eaton, a photographer whose work Rebecca admires, popped out from behind a plant. She pointed to the balcony, where Paul Eaton, her husband and business partner, also had a camera. And photographer Phil Mantas was seated a table away.

"Her mom is in Georgia. Her sister is in the Army," Dan explained. "Some people have family there watching the proposal. This was similar, with them not being able to make it."

Dan and Rebecca remain close to the college friends who inadvertently got them together. And Gary and Jessica are now engaged.

Dan is Jewish, Rebecca is Christian, and their wedding contained elements of each faith.

Rebecca also followed advice she gives her client brides: The easiest way to make your wedding unique is to utilize family items.

The ring bearer's pillow was made with lace from her grandmother Geraldine's wedding dress. She wore her grandmother Josephine's earrings.

Dan's grandmother Anne's kiddush cup was used in the ceremony, and Rebecca carried a Bible that was a gift from Anne down the aisle. A picture of Rebecca's late grandfather Edwin was put into a charm that decorated her bouquet.

Since they were marrying in the winter, Rebecca and Dan set out to create a cozy, warm atmosphere. She planned to wear a fur wrap with her dress. And there was a cookie and hot chocolate bar for guests.

Rebecca suggests that her brides be realistic when it comes to DIY. Still, many of them call her as time is running down, freaking out that they can't execute, say, their cute homemade program idea. She avoided temptation. "I did the cookie table. I bought jars, and made signs, and picked out dishes, and I put my crafting energy into that," she said.

At the reception, Rebecca made sure Dan, who is not a fan of cake, had something sweet. A big soccer fan and former player, he referees college and amateur games on weekends. Rebecca got him a cheesecake made to look like a soccer ball.

Rebecca says she now understands why brides run short of time. "I gained an appreciation for all the work that goes on behind the scenes," she said. "It can be pulling teeth to get addresses, for example."

The day before the wedding, the rabbi who was originally going to co-officiate with Rebecca's Uncle Bruce, a minister, wound up in the hospital. While she was soon fine, she could not perform the ceremony. Rebecca called on Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, an officiant who performs Jewish ceremonies.

The wedding became real for Dan while he was getting dressed. "We had been together for seven years and lived together for three, but getting ready, it felt like, 'This is actually happening,' " he said. He was really nervous when the photographer came to get him for the bride/groom reveal. "But when I saw Rebecca, it was all better."

Rebecca said, "The moment it all kind of hit me was when we were doing the ketubah signing" before the ceremony. "Our parents, grandparents, siblings, and bridal party were there in the room with us, and [Gabrielle] started talking about our union."

A bargain: By getting married in offseason March, Rebecca and Dan saved between 15 percent and 20 percent on all vendors.

The splurge: The couple had budgeted for a DJ, but as planning continued they realized they both really wanted a band. "It was more than twice as much, but totally worth it," Rebecca said.

Five days in Puerto Rico, followed by a seven-day cruise of the south Caribbean.

Officiant
The Rev. Bruce Druckenmiller, uncle and godfather of the bride, Milroy, Pa.; and Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, Journeys of the Heart, Philadelphia

Venue
Knowlton Mansion, Philadelphia

Catering
Conroy Catering, Philadelphia

Photography
Laura Eaton Photography, Philadelphia

Videography
Video One Productions, Havertown

Music
The Heartbeats, Philadelphia

Flowers
Eventricity, Glenside

Dress
Kleinfeld Bridal, New York

Invitations
The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants, Philadelphia

Planner
The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants, PhiladelphiaEndText

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