Nicole & Steve in Ramsey, NJ

Nicole and Steve knew they shared something special as soon as they met. “Within minutes we realized we had a mutual love,” Nicole says, “college football.” However, Nicole graduated from Notre Dame, while Steve went to Michigan, which put them on opposite sides of one of college football’s biggest rivalries. Luckily, the pair was able to see beyond their alma maters and begin dating. The Bride Nicole Carri, 27, business manager at The Knot The Groom Steve Ragains, 29, mutual fund wholesaler The Date July 29 After Steve proposed, the two started planning a wedding that incorporated two of their shared loves: family and football. A perfect example of each? A bagpiper at the ceremony (in honor of Steve’s Irish heritage) played the Notre Dame fight song as Nicole arrived at the church.