Did you think I could ever wait until December 1st to announce our winner of our Full Service Package Give-a-way? I am so happy with the feedback I received regarding our contest. There was a tremendous amount of support from our favorite vendors and friends and I thank them all for spreading the word! We received seven entries and they were all fabulously written stories of love mixed with planning frustration. A huge thank you to ALL of our couples who entered. I was so blown away with your stories and the Libra in me wants to help ALL of you! And I am not just saying that – it really was a tough decision. With that said, there can only be one winner.

I touched base with my assistant and we read, reread, and then read again all the entries. We intuitively kept coming back to the very last entry we received only a few days ago by a very stressed Jody Warrick. Jody wrote a very honest and heartfelt entry that I found to be humble and humorous. I wish she showed a little confidence in the fact that she could win this contest because she did!

What I liked most about Jody and Eric’s story was that it was real. It is the story of so many of us regular people who want the wedding of a lifetime and pay for it ourselves. Besides, the girl as four wedding gowns that she bought off ebay. She seriously needs an intervention! I’m going to leave you with the fabulous entry that Jody submitted. I am so excited to meet her and Eric and begin the process of helping them to plan their fabulous January 2010 wedding!

To all of our other couples who submitted an entry – please check your inbox as there is something special waiting for you there.

Our contest was an absolute success and I am looking forward to carrying on the tradition into next year!

Jody & Eric

Growing up I wasn’t like normal little girls dreaming of their knight in shining armor or their prince charming. I was something of a tomboy and enjoyed playing flag football and dressing in baggy clothes like the boys. As I got older the lights got dimmer and dimmer as the hope of even finding someone suitable to date never mind being a life partner faded into the background of ‘real’ life. I had focused on my career and strolled from broken relationship to broken relationship along the way. Albeit discouraging, it allowed me to really find out who I was as a person to grow change and learn about me and what I did and did not want in and for my life. Five years ago my life changed and a beautiful soul named Sydney Elizabeth came into my world. She is my daughter and my greatest love and greatest achievement. Her being with me had made dating that much more difficult. As my standards for my daughter are much higher than my own and as we come as a package deal I needed to make sure whoever was going to share our lives would be worthy of both of us.

14 months ago I met a man that slowly and quietly crept into my heart. Initially I thought it was strange, a relationship that move slowly at a quickened pace. Seems like quite the oxymoron huh? In retrospect I knew he was the one for me. The yen to my yang! We are so different, I am loud and he is quiet. I am impulsive and he is a thinker. But we laughed together and enjoyed each others company. Of course the true test was yet to be administered. Miss Sydney Elizabeth! When they met it was not instant fireworks, she is very much like her mother in that way. As I am writing this and reflecting their relationship was a lot like ours (Eric’s and myself). It quietly took shape. Now (14 months later) I call him my love and she calls him Daddy Eric. I look into his eyes and I can feel the love that he has for me. He watches me while I sleep and he loves Sydney as if she was his own. I call him a good egg!

This brings you to the wedding. I was perfectly happy planning a romantic gondola ride at the Venetian or even the Eiffel tower at the Paris. Yes that’s right… I am talking about Vegas Baby! Quick and clean! ? But alas it was not to be…. Him being an only child (I am the baby of 4 (see told you we are different)) and his mom being 79 years old, his only request to me was that he wanted his mother to see him get married. This is the man that I adore and he looked me in the eyes and told me that was all he wants… I had to make it happen for him… for us! But how???? OMG! How the heck was I going to plan a wedding? I have a full-time and a part-time job, a four year old daughter, a finance that lives in New York, and a Matron of honor that lives in VA (That’s another long story). I had never been through the planning process before but I did have some ideas. From the first bridal fair and guest list dry run I knew I was in over my head! I just know that it has to be fabulous. It’s either all or none, and one of my biggest fears is that it will not meet my expectations (even though I am not sure what those are). My mother goes “You need a Wedding Planner”!.

Please pick me!! I need help!!! No Really… I need help!! But you probably already figured that out ?!

By the way did I mention that I have 4 wedding dresses (purchased on eBay) and not sure if any of them are the one due to the fact that I have never pictured myself in a wedding dress never mind getting married.

I am sure that I probably should have written this beautiful essay about my love for Eric and how everything is lovely and sunny bright… but the truth is our guest list is at 216, our date is 01/22/2010 and we are paying for this wedding ourselves … he wants a lot of flowers and a harpist during the ceremony. I want a fabulous party with great food, drinks, family and friends… I want people to talk about our wedding years down the road I want to … no I have to look back and think that was the 2nd best day of my life (first best day was the day Miss Sydney Elizabeth was born) ?!!! I know that I can not pull this off alone!!

There is so much more I can write so many more stories but for now all I will say is…..

HELP!