Although Sara Preston and Patrick McDonald came from neighboring towns and knew each other in high school, they didn’t start dating until after he’d come home from two tours in Iraq. A Marine Corps veteran, Patrick has Irish heritage while Sarah is part-Scottish, so the two sought to honor both his service and their heritage with a classic yet oh-so-romantic event celebrating the theme “Love never fails.” As the sun shone bright against a crisp blue sky on a perfect 75-degree day, the Marine Corps hymn trumpeting, Patrick in his dress blues sliced the cake with his sword. At his side, Sara stood in a gown so timeless it could be handed down to the next generation. Guests were treated to bagpipe music as the wedding party of 16 helped launch the couple on this next tour of duty, honor and love.
