THE COUPLE: The pair first met when Megan Hawthorne, a health services consultant, moved in with Erik McCrillis’ sister, Michelle, who then introduced them. They quickly exchanged numbers, went out and stayed up until sunrise talking on their first date.
THE RING: Although the start of their relationship was seamless, the start of their engagement was anything but: Erik, a journeyman electrician, ordered a loose diamond to set in a ring for his love, but winter storms delayed its delivery for weeks and stranded it at a FedEx facility on Christmas Eve. Erik begged the facility for access to the truck, retrieved the diamond and had a local jeweler set it just in time to propose on Christmas.
THE CRAFTS: The couple took on the challenge of crafting as much of the glitzy-glam gold decor as possible, right down to the bride’s veil. Megan scoured thrift stores for vessels and frames to decorate the tables at the reception, while Erik built and refinished the bar and welcome table. Together, the pair went through about 20 cans of gold spray paint to ensure the reception frames, mirrors, and vases had just the right amount of sparkle.
THE COCKTAILS: The pair’s giant English mastiff is a family celebrity, so they named a specialty cocktail in his honor. “It was pretty funny to hear everyone enthusiastically order ‘The Dennis’ all night,” Megan says.
