The winning couple got just short of 400 nominations alone to win. They have a lot of love and support out there. I look forward to meeting with them and being a part of their special day later this summer.
Labels: Contests
Although Lauren and Ryan spent their childhoods in the same Ohio town, they actually didn't meet until years later, despite unfounded rumors of having been in the same youth swim class .In 2008 ,Lauren returned to Columbus from teaching in New Mexico and that spring I invited her to come play poker at my house with some college friends, including Ryan. Once Lauren, who doesn’t even play poker, and Ryan realized their hometown connection, they started to chat. Later in the evening, it quickly became clear that their conversation would include no one else, so being the wonderful friends that we are, we left them to their own devices.
Over the next few weeks, Lauren would know about happy hours and other gatherings before I even got a chance to tell her because Ryan was quick to invite her. Lauren, being the voice of reason as always, asked me what she would be getting herself into by dating Ryan. It was easy to tell her that Ryan was the most solid guy I knew, and shortly after, they went on their first date. The date almost killed Ryan due to a nasty bout of pneumonia (how’s that for tenacity?), but after making a full recovery, I rarely saw one without the other.
At the end of that summer, Ryan finished graduate school and moved to Cincinnati for work, while Lauren stayed here in Columbus for her work. After a year and a half of doing the long-distance relationship and weekend-warrior commuting between Cincinnati and Columbus, they moved into their first home, which is located almost exactly between Columbus and Cincinnati. They quite literally meet in the middle everyday, a gesture of compromise that truly characterizes their relationship.
Their Engagement:
Almost three years after the spring they met, I got an email from Ryan asking me to help him pick an engagement ring for Lauren. He had clearly put a lot of thought into this purchase before talking to me, seeming to know absolutely everything there is to know about cut, clarity, color, and carat. In the end, the ring Ryan did choose sincerely represents them both very well The diamond is fluorescent and glows blue under UV light, appropriate for Ryan the engineer who is fascinated with how things are put together. The ring's band has intricate metalwork and Art Deco design that fits Lauren’s personality perfectly. In the end, the ring Ryan chose sincerely represents them both very well. Ryan waited for the ring for weeks, and once it arrived, he showed it to me before he gave it to Lauren, basically because he was so excited that he thought he would burst if he couldn’t show someone. He proposed at their house after a celebration for Lauren’s acceptance into graduate school. The happiness in their self-timer, post-proposal photos is tangible. They will surely have a wedding that is full of love, laughter, and unforgettable merriment. They are, after all, very fun people who know lots of other very fun people. As a bridesmaid with the pleasure of knowing the groom-to-be for 5 years and the bride-to-be for 13, I so look forward to the marriage and celebration of two of my very favorite people in the whole entire world.
Why This Couple:
After 4 years, we’re thrilled that they’re finally tying the knot. They love, support, and complement one another—a model of what marriage is supposed to be.
COUPLE #2 JEFF AND JEN
How did you meet?
Erin and I met through the online dating site ‘Match’ in January 2010. There are two interesting pieces to this. The first is that I had been on Match for nearly a year and had had very little success. I was about to let my membership expire at the end of January and had already signed up with another online site. It figures it would happen like this especially after I shelled out six months of service with the new site to get absolutely zero use out of it. : D The second is that Erin and my first actual date\meeting got rescheduled due to the flu. When this happened, I had a bad feeling that she developed cold feet and that this may not occur. Fortunately, this wasn’t the case the flu passed and we met up for drinks a couple of nights later on Thursday, January 28th 2010 at the Rusty Bucket in Arlington. As they say, everything was downhill after that. : D
How did you propose?
I always wanted the engagement to be a surprise. Where’s the fun if you know when or where something is going to happen. To that end, I planned on proposing at a date and time when she wouldn’t be expecting anything. I also caught a big break when her best friend decided to come into town the day of our anniversary. I nonchalantly said that the date her friend was coming into town worked for me knowing that this would probably drive Erin crazy. It did. : D
I like to think the actual proposal itself was flawless. I had put the wheels in motion a couple of days earlier by letting Erin know that my parents wanted us to come over for dinner on Saturday, January 21st. I knew that Erin wouldn’t be expecting anything with dinner plans at my parents.
When I got over to Erin’s that night I asked if she could review a presentation I had put together prior to heading to my parent’s. Saying the presentation was the result of a recent PowerPoint training class I had taken. I sold this to Erin in the prior months letting her know that my boss wanted me to develop presentation skills for my job hence the class and assignment.
I pulled together a photo album with pictures over the previous two years of our relationship and embedded an mp3 of One Republic’s ‘Good Life’ with text around some of the pictures. As I set up the presentation with Erin I let her know that she should focus on the timing of the slides, text, and arrangement of slides. I wanted her opinion on the overall flow and where I could revise something like this for my job. I then fired up the presentation and let her know that I needed to freshen up before we headed to my parents. The song gave me the perfect timer to know when I needed to get back downstairs. As I heard the song playing, I could hear the chuckles and giggles. I could also hear a couple of “wow I didn’t realize he had that picture” comments. I quietly grabbed the ring and flowers I had stored away upstairs and made my way back downstairs.
At the very end of the presentation I inserted two slides that tied the presentation together. The first was the picture of a fortune cookie message that read “If you wait for the perfect moment, the perfect moment will pass you by”. I had always liked this message because it signified that perfection and timing rarely (if ever) line up. The final slide was a picture of the ring itself with the text “Make me the happiest man” as this slide came up I made my way back into the room and got down on one knee with the ring in one hand and flowers in the other. To be perfectly honest, I don’t really remember her saying yes, but saying how sweet and great the presentation was. She was floored and elated that her day was finally here.
Why do you deserve to win?
I want to win for Erin’s sake. Erin’s love, kindness, and compassion make me a better person. Spending time with her has given me a greater appreciation and perspective around the importance of family, friends and the things that truly matter. Erin also has a great appreciation for pictures. One of Erin’s favorite hobbies is scrap booking. When I first heard about this hobby I kind of chuckled and thought isn’t that a hobby for women in their 60s or 70s, but when I saw some of her work and how she could make even the blandest of pictures come to life and sizzle I no longer was a doubter and became a believer.
Good luck to you all!! Stay tuned to find out who won.....I'm giddy with anticipation!
Labels: Contests
The past two winning couple's have been so great to work with and get to know them better. It's been such a delight. Here are some of their engagement and wedding photo's.
2010 Winner's Chelsea and Brandon
Labels: Contests
Jason and Kate have been dating since the 4th of July, 2005, when they met in Athens, OH. Kate’s parents are now retired and are looking to fulfill their lifelong dream of moving out West. While Kate and Jason are both thrilled for them, Kate can’t help but feel sad that her childhood home will no longer belong to the Kastenholz family. Jason was well aware of Kate’s sentimental feelings toward the town and her parents’ house. The couple was scheduled to visit Oberlin on a particular weekend in January when Kate’s sister and her boyfriend were in town visiting from Oregon, and Jason planned to use that weekend to ask Kate’s father for his blessing. Because there was a good chance that this would be the last time everyone would be together in that house, Jason decided that he would not only ask for her father’s blessing, but also ask Kate to marry him that same day. That night, Jason and Kate took their dog, Scarlet, for an after-dinner walk. They reminisced about memories of the neighborhood and town, and as the walk was coming to an end, Jason turned the conversation to their plans for the future. Jason stopped at the end of the driveway, pulled something from his pocket, got down on one knee (as Scarlet sat down next to him) and asked if Kate would marry “them.” Kate of course said yes, and as Jason was taking the ring out of the box, Scarlet popped-up in a prairie dog-like position to sniff the ring. Luckily she only wanted a good look at it and didn’t help herself to it!
Why choose us? We’re planning to do a somewhat non-traditional reception on 9/10/11 in that we’ll be having a nice dinner in a downtown restaurant, after which the group will head to the Big Bang piano bar for a night out on the town. The pictures Kama would be able capture at our unique event will surely stand out from the standard run of the mill wedding reception. Not only would our pictures help to build her portfolio, but they’ll also be fun and different for you all to look at!
Labels: Contests
Labels: Contests
Labels: Contests
THEIR STORY:
He explained that unbeknownst to either of them, both guys were shopping for rings from the same jeweler at the same time, literally working with the same saleswomen. During a softball game, Mike told Brandon he was going to pop the question to me before I left for school, Brandon looked stunned and then told Mike he was going to ask Chelsea the same thing. Both had planned to ask our father permission to marry us the following day at a family picnic. As Mike and Brandon talked through the logistics of two sisters getting engaged at the same time, they soon came to realize each of their girls deserved our own time to bask in the glow of engagement. So Brandon graciously stepped aside and told Mike to ask me. After a long four months of waiting, with a ring in his pocket, Brandon was finally able to give my sister the surprise of her life!
While Mike and I planned the wedding of our dreams for the following Fall, Chelsea and Brandon's dreams took a backseat. Because our parents weren't able to give both of us a wedding in the same year, Chelsea and Brandon would have to wait over two years from their engagement to get married. Throughout our planning my sister always had a smile on her face and was first person to offer help. She put on her brave bridesmaid gameface and never mentioned her own wants or needs. While I tried on wedding gowns, tasted cake, and picked out flower arrangements, my sister with a ring on her finger smiled and made me feel like I was the only bride in the world. Mike and I got married on October 24, 2009 with Brandon and Chelsea by our sides. And now we would love for nothing more than to give them all the love, help, and encouragement they gave to us.
THEIR STORY:
WHY DO THEY DESERVE TO WIN:
We've been through a lot as a couple, but we made it through everything - we're finally getting married to seal the deal! Being able to have the pictures to show how much we love each other is very important to me. I came across your studio on The Knot, I liked what I saw and I was even more excited when I saw that you were holding a contest. We are on an incredibly tight budget; although I did tell my sister that I'd sacrifice flowers, the transportation, bridal shower, alcohol - anything - to be able to get nice pictures. While I have no problem sacrificing these things, I would truly love the opportunity to get some assistance by winning your contest. On the financial aspect of this, I am also a diabetic and am currently with very poor health insurance. I've had some complications and am currently trying to pay off a hospital visit and ambulance call from December and January. I am sure that I will be able to set up payment plans, but having these large expenses has most definitely cut into our wedding budget and any help would be greatly appreciated.
Nominated by Alex.
#3 ANYA AND ROBERT
THEIR STORY:
In September of 2006, Anya's fairytale came true and she married her best friend. They had known each other since high school and had grown up together. They went through so much together in the short year and a half that they dated, fighting a demon beyond their control. You see, when she married Michael in 2006, he was in the midst of the fight of his life, literally. Osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, had completely consumed his body. Michael had been in active treatment for over two years. The summer before they married, the outlook was great. His body was healing and his doctors were optimistic. Either way, nothing was going to stop them from living their life and fulfilling their dreams. On October 10, 2006, eleven days after their wedding, life took a dramatic turn for the worse. On a routine trip to the oncologist for his monthly chemotherapy treatment, Michael was told that his body could not handle any more treatment, and that his cancer was spreading. Over the next six months, Michael and Anya sought any and all alternative treatments, praying for a miracle. On April 3, 2007, four days after their six month wedding anniversary, Michael lost his battle with cancer.
Two days prior, on April 1, 2007, hundreds of miles away, Robert was speaking in front of family and friends as he and his three siblings said a final good-bye to their mother. After battling years of drug abuse and mental illness, Bobbie Sattely’s life tragically ended, leaving behind her four children. Robert was no stranger to tragedy however, his life until the age of 12 was spent running from his mother’s drug dealers and moving from place to place, living in motels or staying with any family they could find. The children were finally moved out of their mother’s custody, and all went to live with different families. Robert struggled to get through high school, and at one point even dropped out. With the help and guidance of a generous family who took him in at his lowest point, Robert not only graduated high school, but went on to study abroad in Germany and was accepted to Hocking College as a nursing student.
After two years of soul searching and healing, and inspired by what she had been through, Anya decided to begin nursing school at Hocking College. While sitting in clinical math class, Anya and Robert struck up a great friendship and became nursing study partners. After two months of great conversation, coffee shop study sessions, and romantic dates, there was no denying the feelings they had for one another. The tragedy these two had both been through in their life, led them to meet the love of their life. Robert and Anya knew what it meant to be truly in love, and to never ever take that love, or life, for granted. They enjoy each other more and more with every passing day. They share the same hopes and dreams, and long to have the happy and fulfilled life they have always sought out.
Labels: Contests
Today is the day.....the final three contestants will be announced tonight right here on the blog at 7pm. Thank you to all of you that entered into the contest for free wedding photography from Candid Kama Photography and make up services from Bella Bride on your wedding day.
Labels: Contests
Labels: Contests
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