Cara & Jason in Springfield, IL

When Cara first saw Jason at her gym, she was immediately drawn to his kind smile and couldn't help but develop a huge crush on him. For months, she made special trips to the gym across town in hopes of seeing him, when she could have just gone to the location down the road from her house. Cara admired him from afar, but the two never exchanged more than smiles and hellos. Almost a year later, Cara's friend, who was dating one of Jason’s friends, introduced them, and the pair instantly started dating. The Bride Cara Bach, 26, school social worker The Groom Jason Washam, 34, firefighter The Date May 3 Wasting no time, Jason proposed nine months later. Illinois was a natural choice for their May wedding, since both had grown up there. As the defining detail throughout Cara and Jason's tented reception, the couple used their monogram on everything from the programs and menu cards to the favors and cake topper.