Gummy & Peter in Edina, MN

Peter has known Elizabeth long enough to know why everybody calls her Gummy. “My little brother couldn’t say ‘Elizabeth’ when he started to talk,” she explains, “so he called me ‘Gummy’ instead. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has called me that ever since.” By the time Elizabeth and Peter met in the seventh grade at Southview Junior High School in Edina, the nickname Gummy had, well, stuck. The Bride Elizabeth Diley, 28, pharmaceutical sales rep The Groom Peter Grande, 28, contractor The Date July 23 The two friends became a couple after college, and following several years of dating, Gummy and Peter were engaged on her birthday -- the same day Gummy’s grandparents had gotten engaged in 1942. The engagement kicked off plans for a whimsically elegant garden wedding for 300 guests, involving the help of friends, family, and a slew of creative vendors. “In planning, I think it’s vital to surround yourself with people who say, ‘let’s figure out how to make this happen,’” Gummy says.