Lori & Olie in New York, NY

Lori and Olie both grew up on the East Coast, and they both went to college there as well. But it wasn’t until both of them moved across the country that they found their soul mates -- each other. The Bride Lori Gaines, 29 The Groom Eric (Olie) Freund, 36 The Date October 22 While Lori was attending law school in San Diego, she left the books behind one sunny Friday afternoon to join friends at a local beach bar. As everyone gathered around to watch the sunset, a mutual friend introduced her to Olie (a director of new business for a travel company). The two clicked instantly, and on their first date Olie took Lori out for a seafood dinner followed by a romantic walk along beach. Two and a half years later, Olie was ready to propose, so he swept his lady off to Palm Springs for a sunny getaway. Lori had a feeling about his intentions, but she kept quiet. “When it didn’t happen Friday night, I convinced myself it would happen Saturday night,” she remembers. “Well, it didn’t.” In fact, Olie surprised her on Saturday afternoon—by the pool. “Needless to say, I didn’t look my best,” says Lori, “but it was perfect.”

MORE PHOTOS LIKE THIS

Heather & Ryan in Cincinnati, OH

Andrea & Jacob in San Francisco, CA

Allison & Ray in St. Petersburg, FL

Lauren & Aaron in Sedalia, CO

Lori & Charles in Atlanta, GA

Holly & Harry in Orchard Lake, MI

Sarah & Scott in Indianapolis, IN

Anne & Jeff in Milwaukee, WI

Emily & Jonathan in Hunt, TX

Sandy & Chris in Charlotte, NC

Jennifer & Douglas in Atlanta, GA

Janel & Flip in Kansas City, MO

Katie & Moshe in Denver, CO

Jenny & Joe in Seattle, WA

Andrea & John in Omaha, NE

Nikki & Michael in Dallas, OR

Hillary & Bevan in Tabernash, CO

Rita & Dennis in Philadelphia, PA

Meghan & Matt in San Francisco, CA

Valerie & Ben in Colorado Springs, CO

Kerry & Christopher in Southern Pines, NC

Natalie & Nico in Wichita, KS