Shelley Albea bought the first dress she tried on. “I cried tears of joy because it was perfect,” Shelley said, recalling the moment shared with her English mum, grandmother and aunt. They were shopping together in London.

“The dress was my grandmother's gift to me since she couldn't come (to the states) for the wedding,” the bride said.

With help from Ellyne Bridal in Lincoln, the gown found its way to Nebraska for Shelley's Oct. 11, 2008, wedding to Daniel Knapp. The couple exchanged vows at Omaha's Marriott Regency Hotel.

No detail was overlooked as Shelley immersed herself in the arrangements. “People told me it was the most beautiful, personal wedding they had attended,” the bride said.

Shelley and Daniel met through mutual friends. On their first date, they shared wine and tapas at La Buvette in the Old Market. “We talked about our ambitions and our dreams,” Shelley said.

The couple returned to the restaurant with wedding videographer Shari Sing, who recorded their special memories for a keepsake video that played during the reception.

The couple worked from a “Seasons of Love” theme. The hotel ballroom was decorated with vintage wedding photos from family albums and crystal trees with CDs of favorite love songs hanging from the branches. In a favorite romantic touch, the couple's names were projected in lights on the dance floor. “I couldn't believe I could have that in Omaha,” Shelley said.

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