Mary & Patrick in Woodinville, WA

With a theme of simple elegance in mind, Mary and Pat planned their celebration at a very unballroom-like space: a restored 1910s schoolhouse surrounded by wildflowers. THE BRIDE Mary Conway, 24, a grad student THE GROOM Patrick (Pat) Mendenall, 28, a financial analyst THE DATE August 6 Mary and Pat were introduced by a mutual friend at a local bar (The Ballroom) during Mary's junior year of college. Though she was seeing someone at the time, the sparks were undeniable. Several months passed, and they decided to give it a shot. It was a life-changing decision: A year later, Pat popped the question over a picnic dinner, and the whirlwind romance continued as the couple planned a celebration filled with deep reds and ivory, accented with silver and some brown. I wanted to give the day just a bit of an organic feel, Mary reveals.