"It was 3 in the afternoon, and I was just waking up from the previous night's festivities," recalls Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, 34, of his New Year's Day 2002 marriage proposal to No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, 32. "I put shorts on to make sure I was dressed. My dog Winston, a Hungarian sheepdog, and his girlfriend were on the bed with us at the time, so it was crowded. And it was cute, you know?"

A 40-minute proposal ensued, followed by Stefani's gleeful acceptance. The couple, who met while touring together in '95, will stage two ceremonies—one in London Sept. 14 for his clan and another in L.A. Sept. 28 for hers. In addition to critiquing caterers ("I'm in charge of the food because I like to cook"), Rossdale has been busy recording "Adrenaline," a solo single on the XXX soundtrack, and preparing to return to the studio with Bush by year's end. For now, he's looking forward to the wedding, the first for him and Stefani. Then "we'll finally be alone, and it will sink in, the reality of it."