Bride: Alysha Cassis, 34

Groom: Dwayne Shaw, 40

Occupations: Cassis, embroidery designer; Shaw, creative director

Homebase: Brooklyn

Wedding Date: July 4, 2009

Wedding Location: The Belvedere Mansion in Rhinebeck, New York

Partying With a Purpose: Although Alysha and Dwayne had lived across the street from each other in their bohemian Brooklyn neighborhood for years, the couple did not "officially" meet until 2005 during a charity event for Hurricane Katrina victims. The two chatted briefly and an initial spark was ignited but it wasn't until a chance meeting on a New York City subway platform a couple months later that the duo made their mutual interests known. "The night I met Alysha I turned to a friend and said, ‘I just met my wife.' If I had to explain why I was [initially] reluctant to express my feelings to Alysha I'd have to say I didn't want to get too excited and then be disappointed," admits Dwayne. Thankfully, he was not.

First Impressions: On their first date, Alysha and Dwayne shut down the local restaurant where they met for dinner. "I knew he was husband material from our first date," shares the petite stylista about her new hubby. Alysha fondly remembers how the two bonded over "The Muppets" and "Sesame Street." Dwayne adds, "Soon after I met Alysha she came to my place and we watched the Super Bowl together; except we hardly watched it. Alysha and I talked through the whole thing. I love the Super Bowl. It's serious for me. I knew then she must have been special."

In Sickness and Health: In the fall of 2006, Alysha had to have surgery to remove a cyst from one of her ovaries. Alysha painfully recalls that the cyst could have ruptured and caused real damage. "Dwayne was there for me in my time of need," she says, adding that he stayed in the hospital room with her and slept in a chair. "He helped to nurse me back to health. It was a strong showing of his love." "My mother was also visiting me and after awhile she informed me, ‘I can go home now. You're in good hands," Alysha reveals.

International Love: After courting for three years, the couple traveled to Europe for a scenic vacation for her birthday. On bended knee, in a tucked away monastery up in the mountains of Barcelona, Dwayne asked his girlfriend Alysha to become his wife. "His hands were shaking and he was nervous," shares Alysha. She cheerfully accepted in the midst of a non-English-speaking crowd. Both still love to travel and Alysha shares that the duo would even consider living abroad later on in life.

Bridal Budget Bite: With an eye for all things stylish, Alysha was resourceful in order to get the most bang for her bridal buck. Her Carolina Herrera gown was purchased below retail at a sample sale. Her good friend who is also a jewelry designer handmade her earrings. "Those earrings were her wedding gift to me," shares Alysha. The couple utilized Dwayne's creative skills to design all of the paper items including the save-the-date cards, invitations and escort cards. "We made goodie bags ourselves for all of our overnight guests, which included chocolate-dipped green apples on sticks (incorporating our color scheme of green and brown), cellophane bags with chocolate malt balls and green jelly beans and a homemade CD of some of our wedding music," brags Alysha. She adds, "We also used an over-the-counter labelmaker program purchased at Staples.