Stephanie & Matt in Salida, CO

The groom-to-be's relaxed but heartfelt proposal was the perfect preamble to Stephanie and Matt's wedding seven months later, a day that echoed their friendship, casual style, and love of the wilderness. The Bride Stephanie Tapp, 29, affiliate relations representative for an Internet company The Groom Matthew Nichols, 32, electrician The Date July 15 In 1998, romance snuck up on Stephanie (new to Denver from New Orleans) and Matthew, close friends living as roommates in an apartment near Denver University. By the time the millennium rolled around, they'd lived separately for a spell, shared many an outdoor adventure, and were in a new apartment, sharing a carpet picnic and watching the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, when Matt popped the question.