Newlyweds Jennifer Lusby and Jeff Ireland met in ninth grade English class, but they weren’t high school sweethearts. They were the troublemakers in the back of the class.

“We became friends,” Jennifer said. “We used to get in trouble all the time in class because he was always doing something silly, and I was always laughing at him.”

Graduation came, and they went their separate ways. Then, in April 2006, they met up again and romance bloomed. “He was still just as silly as ever,” Jennifer said. “We started hanging out all the time and ended up dating. I think it was then that we both figured out that we were great for each other.”

Jennifer, a logistician, and Jeff, an auto mechanic, got engaged Dec. 1, 2006. It was just the two of them at Jennifer’s tiny apartment. She had no idea it was coming.

They were married on the State House lawn at Historic St. Mary’s City on May 31, 2008, in an outdoor ceremony that was almost driven indoors by rain. “It was pouring down rain for about an hour before the wedding,” Jennifer recalled. “About 10 minutes before it was time to walk down the aisle, the rain completely stopped. It was amazing.”

The couple’s wedding colors were ivory, mocha, champagne and pink, though Jennifer said they had to do little to accent the beauty of the grounds at St. Mary’s City. “Between the State House, the water and the gardens, not many decorations were needed,” she said.

She and her florist, Judy from Dickson’s Fields of Flowers in Lusby, did all of the decorating. They filled small buckets with pink peonies for centerpieces and surrounded them with light pink rocks on the tables. Then, they placed candles in votives on the tables. For the ceremony, they topped two columns with ferns and placed them at the front of the aisle.

Jennifer wore a strapless A-line gown from David’s Bridal in Bowie. The ivory gown was embellished with champagne-colored embroidery and a champagne-colored sash. The bridal party and parents coordinated with the color scheme she and Jeff chose for the wedding. The ladies’ dresses were mocha with ivory sashes. The men wore black tuxes -- the groom in an ivory vest and the groomsmen in mocha vests. Both fathers wore champagne vests that coordinated with the mothers’ champagne dresses. The bridesmaids’ dresses, flower girl dresses and tuxedos came from Today’s Bride in California.

The guests dined and danced under a tent set up on the State House lawn. The meal was provided by Abell’s Catering, and the three-tier cake was made by Sara Spano of Prince Frederick. Each tier had a different flavor: vanilla, chocolate and almond. The cake was decorated with pink roses.

After dinner, the guests danced to music by Paul Pessagno of Lusby, who also provided music for the ceremony.

Jennifer had glowing reviews for some key players in the wedding day. Muffin, an event coordinator at Historic St. Mary’s City, helped the couple worry less. “She helped to make our day turn out to be non-stressful,” Jennifer said. “You have to many things to do to worry about the details. She took care of all of that for us.”

The couple was also pleased with their photographer, Armin DeFiesta Photography of Bowie. “Pictures were the most important part of the wedding for us,” Jennifer said. “You work so hard for a long time to plan it, and then that day comes and goes so fast!

“It definitely important to cherish every moment, and it helps to do that by having a talented photographer who knows just the right moments to catch.”

The couple thanked their guests with personalized lemonade mix packets with mini whisks attached. Jennifer also decorated paper fans with pink ribbon, just in case anyone got warm.

Jennifer and Jeff honeymooned in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Jennifer advised brides-to-be to cherish every moment. “Make sure you give yourself enough time to plan the wedding,” she said. “And definitely get a good photographer!”

“We couldn’t have asked for a better wedding,” she said. “It was definitely the wedding I always dreamed of. I feel very blessed.”