If it weren’t for mutual friends, Erin Flynn and Tom Hutsel might never have met in the fall of 1998. They first got together at a friend’s birthday party, then started going out in a group. After a couple of months, Tom made it clear he wanted more.

“We were in a car and he said, ‘Do you want to go out for a date?’ ” Erin remembered. “Eventually, it led to, ‘Do you want to be my girlfriend?’ ”

After dating throughout their senior year of high school, the couple both went to Mizzou.

“People joked, ‘Oh, when are you going to get married?’ ” Erin said. “It wasn’t something I was dying for. I thought it would happen when it happened.”

After college, the couple moved to Kansas City where Erin began dental school. On Aug. 6, 2007, Tom was supposedly still in St. Louis on a visit back home, but, unbeknownst to Erin, he returned early. When Erin got home that night, she couldn’t get the front door open.

When she finally got in, she knew right away what was going on - Tom was going to propose. Besides the traditional candles and flowers (mostly lilies, her favorite), Tom added a novel touch to the setting, placing dozens of framed photos of the couple all over the apartment.

“It felt surreal,” Erin said.

Tom went through several proposal plans before settling on the final one. With Erin studying dentistry, one idea was to become her patient.

“I had thought about booking an appointment for a toothache and showing up with the diamond in my mouth,” Tom said. “I thought this was a fantastic plan. I later found out that some people thought it was a little gross.”

Nearly one year later, on June 7, 2008, the couple married at Prince of Peace in Manchester, the same church where Erin’s parents wed 30 years before - by the same priest.

Tom’s aunt and uncle offered their home for the ceremony and the couple quickly put together plans A, B and C: Have the whole thing outside if the weather allowed; have part of it inside and part, outside if it rained; or hasten everyone to the basement in case of tornadoes - which were a definite possibility that day.

But, as it turned out, there were no high winds, no rain and no searing temperatures to interfere with their wedding.

“I couldn’t have asked for better weather,” Erin said.

The dancing began with Erin and her dad - both in cowboy hats - swaying to the song, I Loved Her First. Through the night, the band let family and friends take part in the musical entertainment. Erin’s friend played the drums and her uncle played My Girl on the keyboard while her dad sang along. Her mom got into the act, belting out the Beatles’ Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da and her cousin crooned Elvis’ Hound Dog.

After the wedding the couple returned to Kansas City where Erin is now in pharmacy school and Tom is working in a job he really likes. As they think of having children some day, they ponder moving back to St. Louis.

“Over time, we’ll start a family, but right now I’m way too busy with school,” Erin said.