01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, August 15, 2004

Colleen Kennedy and Matt Walsh

St. Thomas Church, Providence

7.3.04

It was the last day of Matt Walsh's five-week vacation when he met Colleen Kennedy on a sunny Sunday afternoon in July, 2001. Matt would have to work nearly every day for the next ten months with the New England Patriots organization.

With little time for a social life during football season, Matt's goal during that five-week stretch was to find a girl whose company he enjoyed -- he really wanted to start a relationship. But the majority of those five weeks had been spent with his good friend, Dennis.

On the last day, Matt and Dennis were riding around Narragansett Bay on Waverunners. As the wind picked up and the bay grew choppy, they decided to ride up the Woonasquatucket River, which bisects downtown Providence. Idling along, Matt said "I wish I could just find a nice pretty blond girl." They continued to where the canal ends at Waterplace Park, and as they passed under the last bridge, a voice called out "If we jump, will you catch us?"

Two young women leaned over the bridge, one brunette, the other blond. Matt and Dennis looked at each other, then back to the women.

"So are you going to give us a ride or what?" one of the women asked.

They pulled the Waverunners over to the stairs while their passengers went to borrow lifejackets from a nearby boat rental site. "I told Dennis I wanted the blonde," Matt said. "But the brunette got to the stairs first and got on my waverunner."

Once they were in open water, Matt pulled alongside Dennis and asked if the two girls wanted to switch. The brunette said she was just fine where she was. Later, as they parted, Matt's rider said she was from Baltimore and flying home later that day. The blonde, Colleen, was a local, and gave Dennis her phone number.

Matt wasn't sure how Dennis felt about Colleen, what his intentions were. Every day for the next week, he asked Dennis if he had called Colleen. He didn't know what the protocol was, "the appropriate amount of time to wait before asking Dennis if he would mind giving me Colleen's phone number."

After two weeks, Matt finally asked. Dennis said he wondered what had taken him so long.

Matt was afraid Colleen might not remember him. He was relieved when he got her voicemail. "Now the ball was in her court and if she remembered and was interested, she would return my call." The next day she did.

Matt grew up in Coventry, Conn. and Colleen grew up in Johnston and West Greenwich. Both are 28, both Geminis, born 20 days apart. She is a physical therapist at Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket. He has worked for the New England Patriots in various capacities: operations, public relations, video/game planning, area scout. In January 2002, he left the Patriots, and a year later took a job with NFL-Europe, working with the Cologne Centurions. "NFL-Europe is the equivalent of major league baseball farm teams," explains Matt. In February and March, he is at training camp in Tampa with the team. From March until June, he's in Germany. Colleen travels with him whenever she can.

But today, after exchanging vows at St. Thomas Church -- with Dennis as their best man -- they are taking pictures at Waterplace Park, on that same bridge where Colleen had called out, "If we jump will you catch us?"