Date: Sept. 20
Her story: Kelly Smith, 33, grew up in the Belair-Edison neighborhood in Baltimore. She works in the sales department at Martin Supply Company Inc., a commercial sign distributor in Loch Raven. Her mother, Patricia Smith, lives in Parkville. Her father, Warren Smith, lives in Rosedale.
His story: Stephen Prenger II, 30, grew up in Perry Hall. He is a heating, ventilation and air conditioning service technician for Smith Mechanical in Columbia. His mother, Dorene Walter, lives in Parkville. His father, Stephen Prenger Sr., lives in Fort Myers, Fla.
Their story: Kelly and Steve met more than 20 years ago when her mother and his father worked together as Baltimore County police officers. Their families became close friends.
Steve "always had a crush on me while we were growing up," Kelly says. "We would go to the same parties and stuff like that, and then it just happened."
In 2007, Steve and his father were at Kelly's house for a visit. Kelly says she and Steve "clicked" during a conversation that day and have been together ever since.
The couple's first date was at Jerry D's Saloon in Parkville, where they now live.
The proposal: Steve proposed at the couple's Parkville home on March 14. Kelly was in the kitchen cooking dinner when he popped the question with a customized ring from The Village Gem in Nottingham.
"My hand was in a pickle jar," she says. "It was really romantic."
Their families, Kelly says, were "thrilled" about the engagement.
"Because everybody knew each other, it was already like we were basically family."
Venue: About 156 guests attended the ceremony and reception held at Richlin Ballroom in Edgewood, where Kelly's brother is a general manager.
Deborah Mullinix of the More Than Words wedding officiant service in Parkville presided.
Flowers and decor: Kelly chose a black-and-white color scheme with hot pink as an accent color.
Drayer's Florist in Middle River designed floral arrangements, bouquets and boutonnieres using pink roses and hydrangeas.
Her dress: The bride wore a satin sheath gown with a tulle lace overlay, scoop illusion neckline and silver beading by Sottero and Midgley from Elegant Touch Bridal and Tuxedo in Nottingham.
Bridesmaids' dresses: The women and junior bridesmaids chose black knee-length dresses in various styles. They wore matching bracelets, which were gifts from Kelly.
Men's attire: The men wore black tuxedos from Elegant Touch. The groomsmen and junior groomsmen wore black vests and ties, while Steve and the ring bearer wore silver vests and ties.
Music: Dance Masters Entertainment, owned by Kelly's longtime friends, played music. Kelly and Steve's first dance was to "All of Me" by John Legend.
Food and dessert: Richlin Ballroom provided chicken Chesapeake, sirloin steak, vegetarian lasagna, crab dip and various appetizers for dinner. The ballroom served ice cream for dessert.
Yia Yia's Bakery in Rosedale made a four-tier square cake with red velvet, marble, chocolate and yellow cake layers.
Friends Danielle and Will Ellington of Edgewood arranged a self-serve candy station for guests as a gift to Kelly and Steve.
Favors: Kelly and Steve made a donation to the Maryland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in lieu of favors. The couple adopted a dog from the shelter in 2009.
Special touches: Following a tradition upheld by Kelly's family at weddings and celebrations, guests gathered in a circle at the end of the evening and danced to "American Pie" by Don McLean.
Guests bid farewell to the couple with a sparkler send-off after the reception.