Elise Marble & Doug Gerdes

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Elise Marble spotted Airman Doug Gerdes at a party hosted by mutual friends and was instantly drawn to him.

The attraction was mutual for the Air Force recruit, who was on leave from basic training in Texas.

“Doug drove to Omaha almost every weekend so we could see each other,” Elise recalls. That's when she realized “he was a keeper.”

Doug's surprise marriage proposal on Christmas Day 2006 left Elise feeling “like the luckiest girl in the world.”

She couldn't wait to share the news with her good friend and former boss, Angie Schuster. Angie was working when Elise popped into Von Maur to show off the ring. As they talked, Angie was already considering how work schedules could be rearranged to allow employees to attend the ceremony. Angie, however, never got to see Elise walk down the aisle. The manager lost her life in the shootings at the store Dec. 5, 2007.

Elise yearned to carry something of Angie's on her wedding day. Angie's fiancé came up with the perfect item: A snowflake charm bracelet given to his family in memory of Angie.

Elise says “it meant the world” to wear that bracelet. “I knew Angie was there with me anyway, but it was great to have something so special to remind me of her.”

Doug and Elise exchanged vows June 21, 2008, at Gretna United Methodist Church. Their reception was at Johnny's Cafe, a south Omaha landmark.

“We loved that Johnny's has so much history,” the bride says. A surprise coincidence: Doug's grandparents held their reception at the restaurant decades earlier.

Elise was married in the first gown she tried on. “My mom found it . . . I wasn't (initially) convinced that it was the one. It seemed too easy that the first dress would be the best.”

A red accent ribbon at the waist sealed the deal, playing into her plan for a red, black and white wedding.

Elise's attendants wore black-and-white floral print sundresses — a bold choice that complemented the theme.

Instead of traditional wedding cake, Elise and Doug served nine flavors of cheesecake displayed on black-and-white hat boxes accented with — what else? — red ribbon.

The newlyweds are making their home in Gretna.

Note to Readers: The photography credit for this Real Wedding was incorrect in our July 2009 magazine. We regret the error.