B.I.O.: Thomas Bennett, Heather Manley

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Tom, 39, is a systems specialist. Heather, 35, is a biologist. They will live in Centreville.

» The Main Event: An informal destination wedding in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, on Jan. 9. Heather walked down the aisle to the syncopated rhythms of "The Wedding March" on steel-pan drums.

» How They Met: At the American Society for Microbiology Biodefense Conference in D.C.

» First Date: They talked on the phone for a month before he asked her out. Once a dinner date was scheduled, Heather was so sick she had to bail. Another date was planned, but the still-ill Heather had to cancel again. Undeterred, Tom "offered to stop by with food," says Heather. "So, our first date was with Carrabba's takeout, and I was in pajamas."

» How He Proposed: As Heather primped before going to her birthday dinner with pals, "Tom came up to the bedroom. I was flossing my teeth when he got down on one knee. I thought, 'Put the floss down.'"

» Pet Names: "I usually use 'love' and the name of an animal," says Tom. "Like 'Love Squirrel, Love Turtle and Love Chipmunk.'"

» The Dress: "I wore a silk dress from J. Crew that I got brand-new on eBay for $60," says Heather. "I nearly got my veil [also new] for $1, but someone outbid me, and I had to pay a whopping $5.50."

» When It Hit: "I knew he was sticking around when he went with me to the Mayo Clinic for a week."

» Weird Family Traditions: "Tom keeps saying something about me taking his last name."