Being the new kid at school is never easy, but when Emily Carlson met Devin Roch it certainly made the adolescent angst much easier to deal with, not to mention, he was "in a grade higher," reminisces Emily.

Despite the fact that they were high school sweethearts, they took their time and didn't rush into anything. "After about a year of dating we realized that what we had was unique," Emily notes, thinking about when she realized Devin was "the one." Although an engagement was looming on the horizon, Devin waited seven years before popping the question.

"We took a trip to Italy, where Devin's family is from," recalls Emily. After traveling to Rome and Florence, they ended their vacation with a "romantic, sunset gondola ride." Just as they were going through the "bridge of love," Devin surprised Emily with a proposal. After six months of planning and "ten days of hiding the ring under hotel mattresses and waiting for the right time and place," Devin was exuberantly relieved "once the ring was on her finger" and out of his pocket.

After they returned home to Vancouver they thought about what they wanted for their wedding. "We had not been to many weddings, so when we began planning ours, we started with a blank slate," admits Emily. "We both wanted the wedding to be extremely formal and elegant, yet fun and true to our personalities."

In the days leading up to the big day, Emily found herself to be rather calm. That is, until she saw Devin "standing at the altar" causing her heart to jump into her throat. As she walked down the long aisle of the gothic-style church, Devin was "blown away" by her. "It was a little nerve wracking standing up there with all our friends and family looking on," he recalls, but when he saw her coming toward him, he was "focused on her" and only her.

A cocktail hour and reception followed at the Pan Pacific Hotel located in downtown Vancouver on the waterfront. Emily and Devin chose the Crystal Ballroom, whose name held true, with crystal-embellished décor. The color scheme was black and white with hot pink accents; "the perfect blend of old world elegance and contemporary New York-style glamour," says Emily. "Our main goal was to throw an unforgettable party." And that they did; from the chocolate menus and place cards, to the champagne bar and signature pink mojitos with edible hibiscus, to the live jazz band.

There was a lounge area decked out with modern, white leather furniture and a huge diamond and emerald ice sculpture. Once the DJ started playing guests found themselves dancing until the early hours, which Emily and Devin had thoughtfully prepared for with a candy station and mini cheeseburgers and French fries at midnight.

When everything was said and done, "the day went by so fast," notes Emily. "We wish we could go back and relive some moments again," she added about their "fairytale" wedding. In the meantime, despite their hectic schedules, they managed to escape to paradise and enjoyed ten days of sun and fun in Bora Bora for their honeymoon.

> Written by Jessica Latimer