How they met: The couple met in a casino in Washington state.

How they got engaged: They were at home. “He was in the other room, down the hallway, and he said, ‘What do you think about spending the rest of your life with me?’” Heather recalls. “I was surprised, but pleasantly surprised.”

Details, please: Heather and Fred had an Irish handfasting ceremony, a traditional ritual in which a ribbon, cord or scarf is wrapped around the marrying couple’s joined hands. “I just thought the tradition of it was really beautiful,” says Heather. Fred met his bride as she entered the room and they walked down the aisle together. “Ours was very simple, very private, very elegant,” Heather says of their 12-person wedding, which took place by candlelight in front of a fireplace.

Fun stuff: For a photo, 6-foot-3-inch Fred put 5-foot-6-inch Heather on his shoulders, wedding dress and all.

Memorable moments: The first dance (to James Otto’s “Just Got Started Lovin’ You”), taking photos in the snow, a post-nuptial carriage ride with a “Just Married” sign on the back and the vows stood out most to Heather. “My husband wrote our vows,” she says, “and they are beautiful.” 

A memorable moment for Fred: “Saying ‘I do.’”