Hillary & James in Savannah, GA

The decor was minimal, the guests were serene, and the bride was gushing with excitement, having just said, I do to the man she'd deemed her soul mate when she first laid eyes on him four years earlier. THE BRIDE Hillary Brooks, a 31-year-old U.S. Naval Aviator Lieutenant THE GROOM James David (J.D.) Darby, a 38-year-old U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Officer Lieutenant THE DATE May 27 Hillary and James met one summer evening at Seattle Seafair, an annual event in Seattle, Washington. A friendship quickly ensued, which, thanks to circumstances beyond their control, remained platonic for a couple of years. In 1997, J.D. was deployed to the Persian Gulf. When he returned six months later, Hillary left to serve her own six-month stint in the Gulf. When she returned in 1998, she discovered that J.D. had moved to Meridian, MS. To make matters even more frustrating, Hillary then received orders to move to Jacksonville, FL. But, in November 1998, J.D. drove nine hours from Meridian to Jacksonville to meet some friends. He called me, and as our first real date, we drove four hours to have lunch with his grandfather in Tampa, remembers Hillary. It was perfect. One year later, a day after spending another November afternoon with J.D.'s grandfather, J.D. proposed.