After they attended a friend's wedding, Stephanie Hall first thought her boyfriend, Chris Jett, was asking hypothetically when he brought up the subject of marriage.

"It took me a week to realize that he was serious, because he didn't have a ring and we were just talking," said the new bride. "When he asked me about a week later if he could start referring to me as his fiancée, I knew he was serious. I guess it's not a very romantic engagement story, but more of a comedy."

Photo courtesy of McGovern Photography (ENLARGE)

The happy couple during the unity candle segment of the ceremony.

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She got the ring soon after that, and romance quickly took center stage as the couple began to plan their wedding.

Their June 23 ceremony at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center included 24 attendants, a lavish, sit-down dinner for 150 guests, and a getaway in a vintage 1968 silver-and-gray, two-toned Daimler Princess.

The 11 months of planning the nuptials went fairly smoothly, Hall Jett said. She booked Callanwolde Fine Arts Center last November, after her parents came to visit from Baltimore. By then she had already found her dream gown at David's Bridal: a strapless A-line dress in ivory and champagne. Her attendants' gowns were ivory or champagne, accented with hot pink, red and ivory bouquets.

The couple hired wedding and event planner Georgette Lake to assist them with details.

"It was a huge help to have Georgette working with us," she said. "There were so many details to handle and she knew just what to do."

The initial budget was $15,000. But after meeting with Lake and the staff at Callanwolde, the couple realized there were many items they hadn't considered.

"As time went on we found that there were things we didn't think about at first, such as chair rental for the reception and wedding favors."

The couple had help from their families and ended up spending $23,000.

Chris and Stephanie wanted to include their children in the ceremony. Their daughters (he has two, she has one) served as attendants. The couple has a 1-year-old son.

"We both had children from previous relationships, so it was important to us that we recognize that it would be more than the two of us creating a family together," Chris said. "We're one big family now."

The wedding didn't start on time, but Chris said he wasn't concerned.

"I knew that she would be here."

It turned out that Stephanie had planned a day at a hair and nail salon for all her attendants, but the appointments ran longer than expected.

"We were supposed to start the wedding at 5:30 but it was about 7 before the ceremony started," she said. "Georgette suggested that we start with the cocktail reception, to be flexible, and the 150 or so guests didn't mind at all."

At the reception, the couple gave each adult guest a lottery ticket with a card that said, "Good luck and riches to the new Mr. and Mrs."

Although no one won big cash, she said that lots of people won $5 or $10 with the scratch-off tickets.

Chris' favorite memory of the wedding was his first dance with his new wife.

"We danced to "Misty"[by Johnny Mathis], and it was absolutely perfect," he said.

They left the reception in the vintage Daimler Princess, rented for the day by his grandfather as a wedding gift.

They honeymooned in Aruba and recently returned to Atlanta, where he works for Colgate-Palmolive and she's a medical office manager.

THE DETAILS

• Date: June 23, 2007

• Flowers: On Bended Knee

• Photography: McGovern Photography

• Wedding and groom's cakes: Unforgettable Wedding Cakes by Ramona

• Venue: Callanwolde Fine Arts Center

• Catering: For You Catering

• Dress: David's Bridal

• Entertainment: Suite 103 Jazz Combo

• Wedding planner: Georgette Lake, My Special Events