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Wedding date: March 23, 2013
Her story: Nessa Klein, 33, grew up in Arbutus. She is a human resources consultant for St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore. Her mother, Linda, works for Baltimore County public schools and her father, Charles, is retired.
His story: John Mimm, 35, grew up in Columbia. He works in sales and estimating at Eastern Waterproofing and Restoration in Jessup. His mother, Helga, is a stay-at-home mom, and his father, John, works in sales for Durrett Sheppard Steel.
Their story: Nessa and John met at Seacrets in Ocean City during Labor Day weekend 2009. After running into each other a few times, they exchanged numbers. John, however, was living in Philadelphia at the time, so the two traveled back and forth for about two years until he moved to Maryland.
The proposal: John proposed on Valentine's Day 2012 with a round diamond engagement ring from Royal Jewelers at Arundel Mills.
"My mom suggested he get a box of Rheb's Jimmy truffles and put the ring in the box," Nessa said. "We were at home making Valentine's Day dinner, and he ran out to get something from the car. He came back in, and I recognized the [Rheb's] box immediately. I went to open the box and when I saw the ring, he was down on one knee."
The venue: About 180 guests attended the ceremony and reception at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club in Stevensville.
"I fell in love with the view because it is beautiful," said Nessa. "We love outdoor activities, such as hiking and camping, so [the venue] fit us and felt right."
The groom's best friend from college, Joe Caughy, officiated at the ceremony.
"He got ordained so he could marry us," John said.
The dress: Nessa wore an A-line ivory Maggie Sottero gown with a sweetheart neckline and a crystal applique on the left side from the Bridal Boutique in Columbia.
She also wore a handmade cluster pearl necklace, earrings and bracelets with Swarovski crystals from an Etsy shop called Sereba Designs in New York.
Bridesmaids' dresses: The bridesmaids wore a gray-blue color called Atlantis by Dessy from the Bridal Boutique.
Men's apparel: The groom and groomsmen wore black tuxedos from the Bridal Boutique.
Flowers: Christine Rubin of Fleur de Lis Florist in Baltimore designed the bouquets and centerpieces using succulents, hydrangeas, eucalyptus, dusty miller and polo roses.
"On the bridesmaids' bouquets, I added a little pewter charm with their initial on the front and quote that reminded me of them on the back," said Nessa. "I wanted to add a little personal touch."
Entertainment: Ken Rochon, owner of Absolute Entertainment in Hanover, was the DJ at the event. The couple's first dance was to Elvis Presley's "Fools Rush In."
"The DJ did a great job," said John. "He kept it moving, kept it fun and kept people dancing."
John also set up a GoPro camera behind the DJ to capture the reception on film.
"No one knew it was up there filming," he said. "So it was fun to watch people dancing afterward."
Weekend Watch
Food: Nessa and John opted for a Chesapeake Bay seafood theme, complete with crab legs and crab cakes with lamp chops and top sirloin.
Dessert: The couple selected a four-tier cake from Peace of Cake in Stevensville. The almond cake included raspberry filling and buttercream icing. The cake topper was from the Etsy shop Blue Butterfly Design and was modeled after the "LOVE" sculpture in Philadelphia.
Favors: The couple gave their guests Rheb's Jimmy truffles.
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