Steven considers Deb a great match for him, partly because she is so energetic and extroverted, which contrasts nicely with his own personality. “And obviously she’s beautiful,” Steven says. “She has a great personality, and she’s very outgoing.”

Deb loves Steven’s calm demeanor. “He’s like a tether that keeps me down to earth,” Deb says. “Steven makes me laugh every single day, that’s something that attracted me to him as much as his inner strength and loyalty.”

The two had been dating casually when Deb took a trip to Europe. Steven made arrangements to meet her in Paris. “We ended up walking over to the Eiffel Tower and having Champagne under the lights with the tower all lit up,” Steven says. “We officially became boyfriend and girlfriend.”

Steven proposed in Disneyland at the Blue Bayou, the Pirates of the Caribbean restaurant. The staff brought out celebratory sparkling cider, dessert and mementoes at just the right time. 

“I was really happy; I didn’t expect the proposal,” Deb says. “He just dropped down to his knee and it was really shocking.” She said yes, and onlookers cheerfully applauded.

They decided on a beach wedding. Deb had loved the ocean since childhood and Steven knew how much it meant to Deb. “I wanted to make sure that the woman of my dreams had the wedding of her dreams,” Steven says.

A beach wedding brought special challenges, among them the weather. Rain was forecast for the week before and the week after, though that Saturday of their wedding was supposed to be clear. “But you know how weather can change,” Deb says. “As an event planner, I’m used to having a back-up plan, and I didn’t have a back-up plan.”

At the rehearsal on the beach the evening before the wedding, it rained. Then suddenly a full rainbow appeared. “We felt that was a really good omen for us,” Deb says, “blessing our wedding.” 

On the wedding day there was no rain. The bridesmaids marched in with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on ukulele. Deb’s brother-in-law played the bride and her father down the aisle by trumpet, the royal wedding march, “Trumpet Voluntary.”

With Deb having about 200 yards to walk from the car to the ceremony spot on the edge of the ocean, Steven turned so that she would be near when he caught his first sight of her. “When I turned around, oh man, it was amazing!” Steven says. “It was excitement, happiness, a bunch of stuff rolled into one.”

The ceremony went by fast. “It was so nerve-wracking,” Steven says. “I’m putting this ring on her finger. We’re getting married! It’s happening!” Then he couldn’t get the ring to untie from the pillow. But that was only a moment, and then he was able to free the ring, and everything was perfect.

Though she was nervous, Deb also felt calm. “I was really secure in knowing that this was the right decision, which was a good feeling.” 

      —Margaret Snider