It was during their freshman-year French class at Princeton University when Emily, from Calgary, Canada, and Matthew, from Hanover, Massachusetts, said their first bonjour. Now, nine years later their college romance is still in full swing. Matthew, a 27-year-old professional poker player, proposed after living with Emily, a 26-year-old doctoral student in public health at Harvard, for two years. While getting ready for their run one day, Emily saw Matthew slip a camera into his pocket. “He tried to be sneaky, but I knew something was up,” she says. After both were sweaty and needed a breather, Matthew got down on one knee. “It wasn’t a big surprise, but it was so nice,” she says.

The two knew they wanted a nontraditional ceremony held on the grounds of their alma mater. “We wanted everything about our wedding to reflect who we are as a couple,” says Emily. The July 26, 2008, service was planned with the help of Kristin Rockhill from Details of I Do in Princeton, who created a “harvest theme in a wacky fun-house sort of way” for the nature- and nutrition-loving couple.

“All I wanted was an outdoorsy fun day,” says Emily, who says she did not worry about small details like what flowers her bridesmaids carried, especially since she didn’t even carry a bouquet herself. “I was never the type of girl to dream about my wedding. It was more like throwing a big party.”

Before the ceremony, which was officiated by Emily’s grandmother (who was ordained online), Emily and Matthew exchanged love letters in private. “We wanted it to be the two of us facing the world together, before everyone got to see us,” she says. The couple walked down the aisle hand in hand and enjoyed five readings by close friends. “It was a different feel, and I cried the entire time,” says Emily.

The harvest theme was prominent in the reception with three-tiered antique silver tray centerpieces layered with flowers, fruits, and vegetables. “I remember one guest picking up a whole avocado,” giggles Emily. Menu choices included lamb, duck, and salmon. A Mad-Hatter-inspired vegetable cake, atop of large bed of grass, completed the harvest scene.

Both being “awkward dancers,” the couple opted to include other festivities besides a dance floor, such as the game Dance Dance Revolution and a photo booth. “I think we danced all of five minutes, but played DDR for a long time,” she says.