On her beautiful spring wedding day, Leighann saw her bridesmaids leave the bridal party room for their march down the aisle. For the first time since the day before, Leighann was alone. The hectic pace slowed, and her mind cleared as time nearly came to a stop. Outside, her father waited for her to appear, so he could take her on his arm and walk her to Josh. “It was after all my bridesmaids had gone and lined up and I was there waiting to go out by myself that I got really, really emotional,” Leighann says.  She was thrilled to be at that point and know this was the person with whom she would spend her life. 

At the same time, she was sad that her grandmother, whom she had hoped would be a big part of the day, was not there, having passed away six months before. Josh’s grandmother had also passed away during that time. “Oh, don’t ruin your makeup,” Leighann told herself. “You’re about to lose it.  No crying!”

Once out of the room, Leighann took her father’s arm. “It was smiles and excitement from when we finally got down to the aisle and the wedding itself started. Definitely a whirlwind of emotions.”

The couple had met six years before—in a hospital emergency room. As an ER nurse, Leighann needed help moving a patient and called on Josh, an Emergency Medical Technician who worked with another EMT whom she knew. She had seen Josh there before in the course of her work. “I definitely found him attractive,” Leighann says. 

Later, Leighann invited both EMTs to her upcoming housewarming, and she and Josh began seeing each other. They had a lot in common, with their interest in sports and their medical occupations. Both of their families had law enforcement or medical backgrounds, as well. 

As time went on, the two attended Giants games and spent time on their dirt bikes and wakeboarding behind Josh’s parents’ boat.  “It is nice to have a like-minded brain,” Leighann says. “I can talk to (Josh) about things and he totally understands everything I’m saying.”

Josh’s proposal came when the couple were out with friends from Oregon and decided to go wine tasting. The other couple knew the proposal was going to happen and maneuvered Leighann into photo opportunities with Josh.  Then Josh got down on one knee, pulled the ring out of its box, and their friends caught the moment on camera. “My face was pure shock, then excitement,” Leighann says. “That was really cool.”  It was Valentine’s Day.  They married 15 months later.

The wedding party included eight bridesmaids and seven groomsmen. “They were just great in the whole process, between my bridal shower, his bachelor party, and just in general,” Leighann says. 

“I can’t say enough about everybody who was there and the support; it was just truly perfect,” Leighann says. 

—Margaret Snider