Katie Couric interviews 'runaway bride'

So easy that they got engaged last August, 10 months after their first date. They were preparing dinner at John's house.

Mason: You know, I had the ring in my pocket. And I turned and showed it go her, and she started crying. And I got down on one knee. And she's just crying. And I was like, you know, will you marry me? And she's just crying. And I said, I asked you a question. It'd be nice for you to answer it please. And she did.

They eventually began living together at his place. But in stark contrast to John's younger, wilder days, they decided pre-marital sex was out of the question.

Couric: Why was it important for both of you to remain chaste or to not have intimate relations before your marriage? Sorry, I feel like Dr. Ruth here.

Mason: It was very important to both of us. Soon as that happened, actually, during our first conversation. She was asking me what kind of relationship we would have. And I said the relationship, if you and I ever have one would be honoring God. And what I mean by that is we would be pure until marriage.

Couric: And people are skeptical, John, about that to you.

Mason: What do you mean, skeptical? Most people didn't ask me that because they knew how I've lived, how I was living my life. And how I had changed my life. Or how God had changed my life. And knew that that wasn't going to be an issue with me regardless of who I was with.

This spring, as their big day drew closer and closer, Jennifer Wilbanks and john mason were in the final planning stages. The date on the invitation: Saturday, April 30.

No one had a clue, but Jennifer would soon be making other plans. As she kept up appearances, she dealt with caterers, gown fittings, eight different showers. It was hectic, but it was what she always wanted.

Wilbanks: I've talked about this day for a very long time. People that have grown up with me and that have just come into my life as an adult know that I have always dreamed of that fairy tale wedding. And that it was just going to have to happen for me. Or I don't think I would have been happier any other way.

The ceremony would be at a church near the couple's home. The reception at the posh Atlanta Athletic Club in Duluth.   

Couric: Fourteen bridesmaids, is that right?

Wilbanks: Yes.

Couric: Fourteen groomsmen, 600 invited guests, right? By standards of your friends and other weddings, was it unusually large?

Wilbanks: I think some of the bridesmaids, groomsmen, part of it probably was a little bit.  Because we are older and we couldn't decide where to draw the line. And then, for me, it would break my heart even to have to draw a line. Because, you know, this is a big day for me. This is the most important day, thus far, of my life. And I wanted everybody that I loved and was a part of my life to be there and witness it.

Couric: That's a lot of planning, lots of logistics. Did you feel overwhelmed, nervous that, gee, I want everything to go--

Wilbanks: Perfect.

Couric: --perfectly? And did you feel under tremendous pressure during that period of time?

Wilbanks: Absolutely. I wasn't feeling pressure from everyone. Because it was exactly what I wanted. But obviously, I was stressed, because I am a perfectionist. And I want everything perfect. And that was the hard part for me.

Jennifer had registered for Lenox china, her pattern – solitaire. And Lismore tall crystal by Waterford, and the grand baroque pattern by Wallace for her silver. Family members, especially Jennifer's mom, were excited. Wedding gifts arrived and plans progressed, but as the day drew closer, fears and anxieties that Jennifer had suppressed for years started to bubble to the surface. Could she somehow escape?

Wilbanks: I would see John. And I would talk to Vicky, his mom. And she was, you know, they'd tell me about the flower arrangement that she had, you know, was working on for the centerpieces. My mom was all excited. And, you know, my dad and I remember, my dad and I were joking about walking down the aisle together and, you know, not tripping one another. So you know, during those moments, it would just be so-- take the edge off the pressure a little bit. But not the pressure that I was feeling internally, not pressure from the wedding.

Couric: Pressure to run.

Wilbanks: Right. So, you know, it kind of pacified me for the moment, you know, temporarily.

Jennifer says she handled things the way she always did. She kept them inside.

Couric: Did you ever talk to anyone, Jennifer, about how you were feeling? It sounds as if you've got great friends and a loving family.

Wilbanks: I'm very lucky I have wonderful friends and a wonderful family. But, you know, what I'm going to say to those people is it's not their fault. I wouldn't have come to you under any circumstances. No matter what.

So five days before the last shower, 11 days before the wedding, on April 19, she sneaked away and bought a Greyhound bus ticket, which was good for a week.