Sterling & David in Seattle, WA

Sterling and David met at Harvard Business School and had been dating for a little more than a year when they decided to take what Sterling thought to be just an average winter-break trip to China with her boyfriend. Unbeknownst to Sterling, David had bought a ring in New York while she finished her final exams, and he’d even called her father to ask for his permission just before they boarded the plane. The Bride Sterling Garretson, 32, marketing director The Groom David Mace, 30, private equity investor) The Date August 13 The two toured China, exploring Beijing and Shanghai, for more than two weeks -- David with the ring in his pocket, yet Sterling suspecting nothing. It wasn’t until they had climbed to the top of one of rural China’s most famous regional peaks -- known as Bright Moon Mountain -- that David finally found the right time to propose. After climbing down the mountain, the couple set out to prepare for the wedding adventures that lay ahead.