EVERETT, Mass. -- There's an old saying -- "All's fair in love and war," but sometimes war is not fair to love.

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Sonya Pfeiffer Reports On Wedding

NewsCenter 5's Sonya Pfeiffer reported that when a Malden soldier was called to active duty, he and his fiancee, an Everett teacher, decided to get married now -- one year early.

You could call it makeshift matrimony -- with paper pillowcases from the school nurse covering cafeteria chairs and the wedding trellis wired to the auditorium's projection screen.

"I can't believe it has been pulled off," said bride Nicole D'Attilio.

There was nothing makeshift about D'Attilio's happiness as the school cafeteria was turned into her wedding chapel.

"I'm nervous. I just want to get in there and see my future husband," said D'Attilio before the ceremony.

The teacher and her fiance, Dave Cook, intended to wed next summer, but when Cook received word that he was being activated, the couple decided to move up the date. The couple had planned to marry at city hall until D'Attilio's vice principal found out.

"That was not going to happen -- no way," said Joan Feudo. "City hall wouldn't hold the number of people who wanted to help her and Dave celebrate, so we said our cafeteria is big enough. We decided to have it here."

In just two weeks, a full-fledged wedding was planned complete with home-baked cookies, donated flowers and a volunteer disc jockey.

Friday night in the school cafeteria, D'Attilio and Cook became husband and wife.

After the ceremony the couple said the wedding was not what they expected, but they would never have it any other way.

Cook leaves for duty next Saturday.