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Veterans Day Wedding Giveback winners celebrate their big day

The winners of the seventh annual Veterans Day Wedding Giveback celebrated their big day on Nov. 12 with a ceremony on the steps of Brecknock Hall in Greenport.

U.S. Navy Lt. junior grade John Dunne, 25, married Katie Anthony, 28. Mr. Dunne, who’s originally from Southold, is currently serving as a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter pilot stationed in Norfolk, Va.

“We are so incredibly blessed to have been given this opportunity,” Mr. Dunne said in a press release through Peconic Landing, which sponsors the giveback. “It was a beautiful, elegant and picture-perfect wedding. The generosity and compassion of every single vendor and volunteer are unparalleled, and we cannot ever thank them enough.”

The Veterans Day Wedding Giveback started in 2011 as a way to thank military personnel and recognize them for their service in honor of Veterans Day. At least 30 businesses helped contribute to the wedding this year.

Ms. Anthony, a Florida native, graduated from Florida State University with a psychology degree and currently works for Navy Federal Credit Union. She hopes to one day assist veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“The day meant so many things to me,” she said. “The start of a family, a celebration of love, and the act of appreciation for my husband’s service to our country. It was the perfect beginning to our lives together.”

The couple was surprised last May with the news that they had been selected as the winners.

Photo caption: The couple kiss in front of Brecknock Hall on Nov. 12. (Credit: Anchor & Lace Photography)

(Credit: Anchor & Lace Photography)