Cristina & Kerry in New Orleans, LA

Though Cristina and Kerry both went to Tulane University, they didn’t meet until after graduation when both were still living in New Orleans. They actually had known each other for several years -- “I had another boyfriend for two years before Kerry, and I found out later through friends that he was just waiting for us to break up!” Cristina says. The Bride Cristina Diettinger, 29, journalist The Groom Kerry Black, 31, owner of a concert promotion company The Date March 11 Two years later, Cristina and Kerry moved north to New York City, Kerry’s hometown. “In the first six weeks we were living there, I became very frustrated with Kerry’s ‘guy-like’ mentality about nesting. We had no furniture except for our bed, his recliner, and a big TV!” Cristina remembers. They soon went away for a music festival, and when they came back, Cristina walked into their apartment and didn’t recognize it -- it was completely furnished and decorated. Though she was “too hysterical” at the time to recall exactly what he said, Kerry reminded her later that his words were, “Cristina, I want us to have a home together forever, and I want to sign up for the job of making you happy for the rest of your life.” The couple soon began planning a wedding in New Orleans, where they’d met and fallen in love -- however, Hurricane Katrina scuttled their original plans. “From the invitations down to the honeymoon, we did almost everything ourselves -- twice,” Cristina says. “There were times when it was a complete nightmare and I almost wished we’d eloped, but it ended up being incredibly uplifting and romantic to have all of our friends celebrate with us in New Orleans after that heartbreaking disaster.”