Christine & Nick in Washington, DC

Nicholas (Nick) first laid eyes on Christine while both were working for the same government agency. “I had passed her in the hall and was instantly enamored,” Nick remembers. He was also a little intimidated, so he didn’t pursue his crush for two years, when he finally found himself at a party with Christine. They chatted, and it turned out they were both into golf, music—and each other. The Bride Christine Nguyen, 31, federal real estate specialist The Groom Nicholas (Nick) Nimerala, 28, consultant The Date September 23 After a year-and-a-half of dating, some of it long-distance, Christine and Nick were having dinner in DC when Nick suggested a walk around the Washington Mall. As the two stood looking at the lights around the Capitol, Nick got down on one knee and asked Christine to marry him. As he remembers, “After what seemed like an eternity, she jumped up and down with delight and accepted.”