Katia and David's story starts at Universal Studios, of all places. All of the U.S.-based groomsmen have two things very much in common: military service and a deep love for Universal Studios theme parks. David and Sam had just gotten out of the Army and Navy, respectively. So naturally, David and Sam celebrated their freedom from the military machine by paying lots of money to participate in the even more deeply American institution of the Disney-Universal entertainment complex.

The boys were having fun. But Sam had an agenda. The last morning of the trip, Sam told David that he and his wife Katarina wanted him to meet someone, and asked if he would come through Jacksonville before heading home to Savannah. David had never turned down a blind date before, and he certainly wasn't going to start now.

David remembers two things about that night. He remembers seeing Katia walk in the room, and he remembers that nothing has been the same ever since. From this point on, the words of singer-songwriter Eddie Rabbitt are all he can offer to tell the story and explain to anyone what happened since that evening: