Sarah & Josh

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Sarah Turner and Josh Mertz were a match from the start. They met in 2004 during a national tour of Troika Entertainment's "Crazy for You." She was Irene and he was Lance, lovers who tie the knot at the close of the show after a seductive rendition of "Naughty Baby."

Three years later, Sarah went to Arizona to see Josh in a second tour of "Crazy for You." He professed his love by pulling her onto the stage and offering a familiar refrain: "Every day you teach me about real love. My cupcake, my redhead, my naughty baby, my sweet, embraceable you."

Josh, 36, and Sarah, 31, shared the spotlight again in October. This time it was for their wedding ceremony at St. John Catholic Church on the Creighton University campus in Omaha. The celebration continued with a retro-themed reception at the Scoular Building Ballroom.

Sarah grew up in Omaha. Josh is a Wisconsin native.

"She's a girl who's seen the world," Maureen Turner said of her daughter. "But she never considered any place but home for her wedding."

Sarah wore a 1950s-inspired tea-length dress with three-quarter-length sleeves created by Mary Adams, a vintage seamstress in New York. Sarah's hair, makeup and bubble veil matched the period.

"She looked like a silken cupcake," Maureen said of the bride. There was only one problem: "When it came time to sit down, my skirt came up to my nose," Sarah said, laughing at the memory of the fullness of the crinoline.

Vintage vocalist Michael Walker serenaded guests as they entered the ballroom, creating a supper club atmosphere.

Peacock feathers - a symbol of good luck and well-being - were incorporated into the reception centerpieces, as well as the bridal bouquet and the groom's boutonniere. Sarah even carried a peacock feather purse, a treasured find in London.

Guests dined on TV dinners of mashed potatoes, pot roast, green beans and macaroni. "It really came off better than I imagined," the bride's mother admitted. "The caterer found aluminum trays and we personalized them. People loved it."

In true Broadway fashion, Sarah and Josh performed a Johnny Cash and June Carter duet. Then Sarah surprised Josh with a sultry rendition of "Fly Me to the Moon."

"I was afraid that I wouldn't get through it, that I would start crying," Sarah said. "But that's who we are. A couple of cheesy performers."

The couple's engagement photos - enlarged like Broadway playbills - were used throughout the ballroom.

The cake was topped with a miniature replica of the Chrysler Building and iced with an outline of the NYC skyline.

Sarah created a photo display of seven important women in her life and baked a signature cookie for each that was given to guests as a party favor. "It was really touching," Maureen said.

"Nothing was taken for granted in this wedding," the bride said.

The dance portion of the evening began with a video clip of a Rolling Stones concert on a giant screen. "That was the best," Sarah said. "The floor got packed. You couldn't move."

Sarah and Josh took a brief honeymoon to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. They relaxed, went to a spa and indulged at the Culinary Institute. They plan an extended honeymoon in Italy.

As for the wedding, Sarah says she wouldn't have done anything differently. "The excitement for me was seeing it come together and watching everyone enjoy it."