Brenda & Char in Mesa, AZ

Brenda Leonhardi realized she was in love with Char Partlow while they were sharing a glass of wine at a resort. Two years later, Char lured Brenda to that same resort to ask Brenda to marry him. Char grabbed two glasses of wine and took Brenda out to the same spot on the lawn where they’d sat before. They listened to a bagpiper playing nearby, and when the sun went down, the couple took in a fireworks show. Then he popped the question. The Bride Brenda Leonhardi, 34, nurse practitioner The Groom Howard (Char) Partlow, 37, sales manager The Date March 23 Since both come from cooler climates -- Brenda’s from Minnesota and Char’s from New York -- the two decided on a warmer locale for their nuptials. They chose to wed in Arizona, eventually settling on the Wright House in Mesa. “We loved the intimate feel of its garden,” Brenda says. They played up their environs with a spring garden theme expressed through their cheerful color palette of pink, orange, and green.