NATCHEZ &045; It was red, white and I do.

Many families spent their Fourth of July like the Walkers and Allemands did, celebrating with friends, family and food. But this family had something else to celebrate &045; a wedding.

Hethe Allemand and Jessica Walker Allemand renewed their vows Friday night, almost five years after their marriage began. Hethe and Jessica were married Sept. 23, 1998, by a justice of the peace in Sierra Vista, Ariz., when Hethe was stationed there at a U.S. Army base.

Jessica tried to plan the wedding before Hethe left for basic training, but there was not enough time to get it done. And Hethe always promised his bride they would renew their vows in five years and have the big wedding she always dreamed of.

But this was no normal wedding, it had a theme &045; patriotic.

Flags adorned the entire wedding site at the House on Ellicott Hill on Canal Street.

As &uot;My County ‘Tis of Thee&uot; rang out, the wedding party marched in. The bridesmaids were in alternating blue or red gowns while the groomsmen wore white tuxedos with alternating red or blue ties and cumberbunds.

As the bride began her walk, arm-in-arm with her father, Larry Walker, &uot;God Bless America&uot; served as her wedding march.

&uot;I knew I wanted to have a military wedding,&uot; Jessica said.

These high school sweethearts had been dating just two years when they married and have now been together for seven years. They met through a mutual friend at Natchez High School.

Hethe’s brother, Taylor Allemand, said when Hethe first met Jessica his &uot;jaw hit the ground.&uot;

&uot;She was a gorgeous girl,&uot; Hethe said.

Since getting married, the couple has moved from Arizona to Fort Benning, Ga., and then to their present home, Fort Bragg, N.C. The couple also has a 4-year-old son, Jacob, their ring bearer at the wedding.

Hethe served in Kuwait in February for three weeks while Jessica was in basic training. She just finished her advanced individual training in May in the Army reserve and is applying for active duty.

&uot;There’s nothing like serving your country,&uot; Jessica said.

Hethe and Jessica are glad to be having the wedding in Natchez.

&uot;I am glad to be able to do it in front of friends and family, to be there with the people I love. July Fourth is a huge holiday for both of our families. We all come home so we know most of our family will be here,&uot; Hethe said.

Jessica said this is the day she has dreamed about since she was four years old, although she did not envision it on the fourth of July until recently.

Once she found the dress, she said she knew she wanted to have a Fourth of July wedding.

The last time the two were married, Hethe was wearing his camouflage gear and Jessica was in blue jean shorts and a T-shirt. They did not even have rings, but Jessica already had an engagement ring.

Not this time. Jessica donned an American flag wedding dress &045; strapless with a blue bodice decorated with white stars. Down her left side and into the train were red and white stripes.

Hethe wore his Army dress uniform, a far cry from the attire they wore the first time.

&uot;I can never forget the first time we got married,&uot; Jessica said. &uot;The judge said a few words, we signed the papers and I thought, ‘This is it?’&uot;

This time, they had a Baptist preacher perform the ceremony, the Rev. Steve Purvis of Stanton Baptist Church, a family friend.

With all the preparations for the wedding and not seeing each other until the ceremony, Jessica said, &uot;It feels like we’re getting married for the first time&uot; before the ceremony.

Both Hethe and Jessica said it was better than they expected or could have imagined.

&uot;This has been the best Fourth of July ever,&uot; Hethe said. &uot;To have all my family here is special, and to renew my vows with my best friend is special.&uot;