Christine and John were smitten from the very start -- a conversation at a college bar. After graduation, he joined the Marines, and three years and countless long-distance calls later, they were engaged. Since John was deployed to Haiti in the months leading up to the wedding, loved ones pitched in to help Christine, who works for a nonprofit, plan a formal affair at John's 52-acre childhood home. And on the day that mattered most, he was back -- looking dapper in dress blues -- to marry his college sweetheart.

An antique urn greeted guests with hydrangeas, zinnias, and dahlias grown by friends and family. "Accept all offers of help," says Christine, "and your day will instantly become full of love."

The same flowers were used to create eclectic bunches for the wedding party.

The couple posed in front of the reflecting pool with their bridal party.

A ginkgo leaf motif adorned the navy-and-white invitation created by The Written Word.

John's battalion's flag and another from the Marine Corps complement Old Glory.

Guests raise Japanese wooden oars and red maple branches, a riff on the Marines' sword ceremony.

A Jarvis Newman rowboat topped by a thin sheet of glass becomes a Champagne bar.

Catering: Churchill Events

Stationery: The Written Word

Wedding Photography: Kari Herer Photography

Bride's Gown: Modern Trousseau

Bridesmaids' Dresses: J.Crew

Menswear: Neema Clothing, Ltd. (blazers); Bonobos (pants)