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Jessica and Michael

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Jessica: Michael and I met on August 2, 2007.  We have been together everyday since. It was a whirlwind romance.  We were happily surprised to find out that I was pregnant with our first child just 10 months later.  After the birth of our third child in 2016, Michael asked me to marry him, and presented me with a ring on Valentine’s Day.  We have been happy together raising our children but there have been no wedding plans.  
The children often ask, “When are you going to get married?”  I don’t really have an answer for them.  Money is a struggle.  We unfortunately live paycheck to paycheck and can not afford a wedding.  I am a teacher.  I currently teach 3K in Starrett City, Brooklyn.  Michael is a safety engineer. Our parents are also not wealthy.  We are very busy everyday between working full time and running the children to extracurricular activities. Planning a celebration has not been easy.  I would love to have this experience and create a memory that will last a lifetime.  
It would mean a lot to our children if their parents were officially married.  It would give them a sense of security.  We have three girls ages 15, 11, and 7.  I would love to have the same last name as them.  
Thank you for considering us for this opportunity.

Brianna and Brian

Brianna: Brian and I met on a Black Friday our senior year of high school. What started off as being determined to be friends due to an embarrassing first exchange quickly grew to a romance. I wasn’t going far for school, but my parents made it clear they didn’t want me coming home every weekend for a boy. We decided just a summer fling, and when we started college that fall- we cut things off. Well, almost 10 years later, and it has been the longest summer ever! It was not smooth sailing since then: after only dating for a bit we had found ourselves becoming teen parents. We welcomed a little boy right before our sophomore year of college. Being young parents has its hardships, but we fought a lot of odds to be where we are today. Brian dropped out of college to work full time, and I graduated early with my bachelor degree. Finding a job post graduation was not easy; it felt like struggle after struggle to get our feet off the ground. Then once I finally found a job where I could see myself growing, and we were trying to figure our life out, we hit tragedy. A month into the pandemic, unrelated to COVID, my dad passed suddenly. It was such a hardship on us and our relationship; however we continued to push forward, and being only 22 and 23 we’d come so far. I made the decision to go back to school for my masters, and Brian began his career hunt to switch jobs. And through our grief and hardships, we came out stronger. Now, at 26 and 27, we have found careers to grow into, and established stability for our son. And in the course of this we found out another surprise: we are welcoming our second child into this world! Brian and I worked so hard to be where we are at this place in our lives. However, planning a wedding seems so out of reach. We know our love is true and strong, and we know all our hard work has a pay-off. I’m so lucky to call him my partner for life. Thank you for taking time to read our story!

Henry and Elisa

Henry: When I met her she was heartbroken, as her ex had left her for another woman and didn’t want anything to do with her. Right about that time is when Covid hit. We lived in the same building, and one day I saw her seem very down. I started a conversation, and asked why she was so sad, and if she wanted a beer; we talked. Still on the sidewalk, and before I knew it she just burst out crying. I lifted her up and carried her to her apartment, and told her she had to be strong for her daughter, as her daughter was worried about her. I told her she deserves to be treated a lot better than she had been, and that I would show her how a woman should be treated. I told her that if she dwells on her ex she would be miserable while everyone else was happy. She got herself together and decided to be strong. We started dating. I took her and her daughter out to the park, miniature golf, and nature walks, she couldn’t believe how no one had ever done little things for her. Little by little we fell in love. We planned a life together, and I proposed to her on Christmas of 2020. We decided to have a baby, but unfortunately she had a miscarriage of New Year’s Eve of 2021. I was sooooo sad. Then we decided to try again, and had a baby boy on February 23, 2023. I had everything planned out, but I lost my job just two weeks after my son was born. It was a struggle. What was meant to be the happiest days of our life became so difficult. I couldn’t find a job that would make everything better until September, and she had to carry all that weight. I am still trying to catch up on that year I lost financially. But it’s very difficult: she thinks I was not serious about my engagement, but I really want to keep my word and make her my wife. I want us to be as happy as I told her we would be, but at the moment I can’t even afford our wedding rings. I had to sell my car to keep my head above water and pay the rent. I am working on that. But I need to keep my word on getting married as well. It’s very difficult trying to do all at once, but I really need to get everything done and catch up with all my bills. At this point, she would be happy if our wedding bands come from a candy machine, but I can’t do that, I have to give her the wedding she deserves, I need to keep my word and make her as happy as I promise. If you can help us with the wedding that would be amazing. Thank you.

Diane and Steven

Diane: Steven and I have been together since 2012. We got engaged in June 2014, and were planning to have a big wedding with family and friends — and then we found out I was pregnant with our first child! We decided to delay the wedding until after we had our son. We ended up eloping, just the two of us, when I was 8 months pregnant, and we kept saying we would have our wedding with our family and friends later on. Well, fast forward to now: three kids and 10 years later and we never had our wedding. At this point I think we have both accepted it isn’t going to happen. With the kids, and a mortgage, and everything else, a wedding just never seems to take priority. I’m beyond thankful to have our beautiful family!! But we would both love the opportunity to finally have the wedding we’ve always dreamed of, and finally officially celebrate our love with our family and friends.

Haley and Joseph

Haley: Joey and I met when I moved to NY from Baltimore. We have endured our shares of challenges in life, and quickly learned that our love for one another helped both of us tackle life’s issues. In 2020, right when the pandemic was at its worst, we welcomed our son, Landon, into the world. In 2022, our daughter, Gabriella, was born. Both of our children have brought so much love into our lives. About 18 months ago, Landon was diagnosed with a rare lipoblastoma in his neck and head. I write this while sitting Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center while he is recovering from a very involved surgery. He has endured a few complications and remains in the hospital. Our wedding plans have been put on hold several times because life keeps getting in the way. Nothing would make our and our children’s lives more complete than a wedding, one that we are unable to afford. It would bring us some very needed smiles.

Dori and James

Dori: We went to junior high and high school together, but we never talked or looked at each other.  He hung out with the jocks and I hung out with the guidettes. And then, in 2014, he friended me on Facebook, and a mutual friend from high school told me that James was checking me out. So he asked me through Facebook messenger to hang-out. We went on our first date on the Nautical Mile (at E.B. Elliott’s at the time), and after that he has never left my side.  It was Memorial Day that day, and he asked me to marry him 3 years later on Memorial Day!  We now have been engaged for 7 years now. Just never got around to doing it. But would love to win!!

Antionette and Steven

Antionette: The first thing people tend to notice about us as a couple is our significant age gap. While many see this an obstacle, we see it as a testament to the depth of our connection. Despite the years that separate us, our connection is undoubtedly strong and unbreakable. Steven embraced not only me, but also my two daughters from a previous chapter in my life. Regretfully, there had been a lot of abuse and turmoil in my previous relationships, leaving PTSD in both my daughters and me. Steven has been nothing but understanding of this, and I could not ask for a better male role model for my girls.
We have been together for two and a half years, and there is no doubt we both have been wanting to celebrate our love in a wedding surrounded by our family and friends. Unfortunately the only obstacle stopping us from planning this wedding is our financial trouble. Currently my ill mother, and beloved autistic aunt are under our care. We are in the process of finding a home big enough for our unconventional family. This means we must use all of the funds we have to put into a mortgage, leaving our wedding on the back burner. Winning this contest would be a dream come true!

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