**We will be contacting each of the winners via email to mail them their gift.

Secondly, As we say goodbye to 2009 and hello to 2010, I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season and I would especially like to thank our team, our clients and our friends. We could not have had a successful 2009 without you!

Here were the rules for this contest: Submit the title and short summary of your favorite LOVE STORY (book or short story). We received some great entries and now it’s time to find a winner…So, which one of these love stories do you think should WIN?

HERE ARE THE DIFFERENT ENTRIES

True Love — In true love the smallest distance is too great, and the greatest distance can be bridged.”True Love burns the brightest, But the brightest flames leave the deepest scars.” It is impossible to fall out of love. Love is such a powerful emotion, that once it envelops you it does not depart. True love is eternal. If you think that you were once in love, but fell out of it, then it wasn’t love you were in. There are no ‘exit’ signs in love, there is only an ‘on’ ramp. True love doesn’t have a happy ending, because true love never ends. Letting go is one way of saying I love you. For true love is inexhaustible; the more you give, the more you have. And if you go to draw at the true fountainhead, the more water you draw, the more abundant is its flow.”

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks — A man with a faded, well-worn notebook open in his lap. A woman experiencing a morning ritual she doesn’t understand. Until he begins to read to her. The Notebook is an achingly tender story about the enduring power of love, a story of miracles that will stay with you forever. Noah Calhoun, thirty-one, is restoring a plantation home to its former glory, and he is haunted by images of the beautiful girl he met fourteen years earlier, a girl he loved like no other. Unable to find her, yet unwilling to forget the summer they spent together, Noah is content to live with only memories . . . until she unexpectedly returns to his town to see him once again. Allie Nelson, twenty-nine, is now engaged to another man, but realizes that the original passion she felt for Noah has not dimmed with the passage of time. Still, the obstacles that once ended their previous relationship remain, and the gulf between their worlds is too vast to ignore. With her impending marriage only weeks away, Allie is forced to confront her hopes and dreams for the future, a future that only she can shape. Like a puzzle within a puzzle, the story of Noah and Allie is just the beginning. As it unfolds, their tale miraculously becomes something different, with much higher stakes. In the end, Allie must decide which course to take - the man she loves with such passion, or the man whom her family and society expects her to marry. “I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.” - Noah Calhoun in The Notebook. This is the story Noah reads to his sweetheart many years later, when Alzheimer’s claims her memories. On a good day, she comes back to him and knows the story is about the two of them. It is truly a story about the power of true love.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer — Bella Swan has always been a little bit different. Never one to run with the crowd, Bella never cared about fitting in with the trendy, plastic girls at her Phoenix, Arizona high school. When her mother remarried and Bella chooses to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she didn’t expect much of anything to change. But things do change when she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen. For Edward is nothing like any boy she’s ever met. He’s nothing like anyone she’s ever met, period. He’s intelligent and witty, and he seems to see straight into her soul. In no time at all, they are swept up in a passionate and decidedly unorthodox romance - unorthodox because Edward really isn’t like the other boys. He can run faster than a mountain lion. He can stop a moving car with his bare hands. Oh, and he hasn’t aged since 1918. Like all vampires, he’s immortal. That’s right - vampire. But he doesn’t have fangs - that’s just in the movies. And he doesn’t drink human blood, though Edward and his family are unique among vampires in that lifestyle choice. To Edward, Bella is that thing he has waited 90 years for - a soul mate. But the closer they get, the more Edward must struggle to resist the primal pull of her scent, which could send him into an uncontrollable frenzy. Somehow or other, they will have to manage their unmanageable love. But when unexpected visitors come to town and realize that there is a human among them Edward must fight to save Bella? A modern, visual, and visceral Romeo and Juliet story of the ultimate forbidden love affair - between vampire and mortal.

Love Story by Eric Segal — Love Story by Erich Segal is a timeless story of tragic love. Oliver is a child of privilege, the son of a family of importance dating back many generations. Jennifer is the only child of a widowed baker, as opposite from Oliver as one person can be. However, their union is one of strength and volatility that sweeps them both up in an uncontrolled wave, their love surviving every obstacle except one, mortality. Love Story is the Romeo and Juliet of the twentieth century. Love Story revolves around the lives of two young college lads, whose love for each other was immortal. Oliver Barrett, heir to the Barrett fortune and legacy and Jennifer Cavilleri, daughter of a poor baker who does not own a huge bank account but has lots of love. Oliver was expected to follow in his father’s huge footsteps, Jennifer, music major was to go on and study in Paris. But when they met, the sparks flew, and we get involved with them as their love grows deep and strong. Oliver turns his back on his family and fortune to marry Jenny. Jenny gives up her dreams of Paris and being a musician. They are happy with each other in their lives and the stable flow of income that is enough to sustain them. But life can be cruel and Jenny is diagnosed with leukemia. With just a few days to live, the novel speaks about the emotional pain they both go through.

“The Gift of the Magi” — “The Gift of the Magi” was a short story written by O. Henry (William Sydney Porter). In the story, a young couple struggling with economic hardship are faced with what to get each other for Christmas. The wife really wants a beautiful comb for her hair and the husband a chain for his watch. But they really can’t afford it. In order to buy the chain for her husband, the wife chops off her long hair and sells it. However, what she doesn’t know, is that her husband has sold his watch to buy a tortoise shell comb for her hair. They sacrifice their most prized possessions for each other and know that even though they can’t use their gifts, they are still meaningful and deeply cherished.

“A Silent Love” by unknown – Disclaimer: Sorry it is not a very short summary but every word was so important.

From the very Beginning, the girl’s family objected strongly on her dating this guy. Saying that it has got to do with family background & that the girl will have to suffer for the rest of her life if she were to be with him. Due to family’s pressure, the couple quarrel very often. Though the girl love the guy deeply, but she always ask him: “How deep is your love for me?” As the guy is not good with his words, this often cause the girl to be very upset. With that & the family’s pressure, the girl often vent her anger on him. As for him, he only endure it in silence. After a couple of years, the guy finally graduated & decided to further his studies in overseas. Before leaving, he proposed to the girl: “I’m not very good with words. But all I know is that I love you. If you allow me, I will take care of you for the rest of my life. As for your family, I’ll try my best to talk them round. Will you marry me?” The girl agreed, & with the guy’s determination, the family finally gave in & agreed to let them get married. So before he leave, they got engaged. The girl went out to the working society, whereas the guy was overseas, continuing his studies. They sent their love through emails & phone calls. Though it’s hard, but both never thought of giving up. One day, while the girl was on her way to work, she was knocked down by a car that lost control. When she woke up, she saw her parents beside her bed. She realised that she was badly injured. Seeing her mum crying, she wanted to comfort her. But she realized that all that could come out of her mouth was just a sigh. She has lost her voice……The doctors says that the impact on her brain has caused her to lose her voice. Listening to her parents’ comfort, but with nothing coming out from her, she broke down. During the stay in hospital, besides silence cry,…..it’s still just silence cry that companied her. Upon reaching home, everything seems to be the same. Except for the ringing tone of the phone. Which pierced into her heart everytime it rang. She does not wish to let the guy know. & not wanting to be a burden to him, she wrote a letter to him saying that she does not wish to wait any longer. With that, she sent the ring back to him. In return, the guy sent millions & millions of reply, and countless of phonecalls,.. all the girl could do, besides crying, is still crying….The parents decided to move away, hoping that she could eventually forget everything & be happy. With a new environment, the girl learn sign language & started a new life. Telling herself everyday that she must forget the guy. One day, her friend came & told her that he’s back. She asked her friend not to let him know what happened to her. Since then, there wasn’t anymore news of him. A year has passed & her friend came with an envelope, containing an invitation card for the guy’s wedding. The girl was shattered. When she open the letter, she saw her name in it instead. When she was about to ask her friend what’s going on, she saw the guy standing in front of her. He used sign language telling her “I’ve spent a year’s time to learn sign language. Just to let you know that I’ve not forgotten our promise. Let me have the chance to be your voice. I Love You. With that, he slipped the ring back into her finger. The girl finally smiled.

“I love you not” by unknown – This is how the conversation begins…
Boy: Baby, we need to talk.
Girl: Ricardo, what do u mean?
Boy: Something has come up…
Girl: What? What’s wrong? Is it bad?
Boy: I don’t want to hurt you, baby.
Girl: *Thinks* Oh my God, I hope he doesn’t break up with me… I love him so much.
They go back and forth while she tries to get him to tell her what is wrong. During the conversation her father picks up the phone and yells at her to hang up and stop talking to boys. Then, she decides to sneak out and meet him at the park so he can tell her whats wrong. After they meet, he explains that his father is sending him to a boarding school out of town. He then hands her a letter and leaves. She reads the letter after he leaves…and begins crying…it has many hateful words in it. It said he never loved her…to forget him etc. A few days later, after crying her heart out, her friend calls her and tells her that Ricardo (the same guy) sent a message to tell you that he slipped another letter in her jacket. It basically showed how much he loved her…that all the hateful words= love words…he did this incase her dad found the letter. She is so happy and turns on the tv…the flight he was on crashed!! She has noone and nothing to live for and commits suicide. The phone rings…it’s Ricardo saying that he is alive and well, not to worry because he missed his flight…he wanted to see her one last time. Now he is staying in town for good.

First Love by Ivan Turgenev – Again, another story highlighting practicality. Despite a bit of a tragic ending, it explores the feelings of a young boy who experiences “love” for the first time. I think it’s rather entertaining for anyone over the age of 16 who has once upon a time thought they had their “first love.” I’ll paste the wikipedia summary for your benefit: “Vladimir Petrovich, a 16-year-old, is staying in the country with his family and meets Zinaida Alexandrovna Zasyekina, a beautiful 21-year-old woman, staying with her mother, Princess Zasyekina, in a wing of the manor. This family, as with many of the Russian minor nobility with royal ties of that time, were only afforded a degree of respectability because of their titles; the Zasyekins, in the case of this story, are a very poor family. The young Vladimir falls irretrievably in love with Zinaida, who has a set of several other (socially more eligible) suitors whom he joins in their difficult and often fruitless search for the young lady’s favour. Zinaida, as we find throughout the story, is a thoroughly capricious and somewhat playful mistress to a set of rather love-struck suitors. She fails to reciprocate Vladimir’s love in a sensible and honest manner, often misleading him, mocking his comparative youth in contrast to her early adulthood. But eventually the true object of her affections and a rather tragic conclusion to the story are revealed. Conclusion and outcome: Vladimir discovers that the true object of Zinaida’s affection is his own father, Pyotr Vasilyevich. In the tragic and devastatingly succinct closing two chapters, Vladimir secretly observes a final meeting between Pyotr and Zinaida at the window of her house in which his father strikes her arm with a riding crop. Zinaida kisses the welt on her arm and Pyotr bounds into the house. Eight months later, Vladimir’s father receives a distressing letter from Moscow and tearfully begs his wife for a favor. Pyotr dies of a stroke several days later, after which his wife sends a considerable sum of money to Moscow. Three or four years later, Vladimir learns of Zinaida’s marriage to a Monsieur Dolsky and subsequent death during childbirth.”

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton — It starts out about a man visiting the small town of Starkfield. He notices Ethan Frome due to his unusual physical appearance. Some days later, the man has trouble reaching a train station to go to work and asks Ethan to assist him for a small price. Ethan agrees to and one day while they are coming back, a huge snowstorm hits and they are forced to stay the night at Ethan’s house. Before they get to his house however, the flashback of Ethan’s love story begins. Ethan is 28, his parents are dead due to illness and his wife is always sick and bitter. His wife’s niece comes to take care of her and Ethan and the niece fall in love. Before Ethan’s wife finds out, they start to run away and end up in a huge accident. Later when they come home (after the hospital), the wife ends up taking care of the niece. Then the man and Ethan enter Ethan’s house from the storm.

"Tell Your Story" Contest Winners Announced - Feb 14, 2009

Man, Was it tough to select the winners! We had so many great entries, all the panelist had a hard time narrowing it down to our finalists and then selecting the Grand Prize Winners.  Here is what two of our panelist had to say:

“I was amazed by all of the wonderful and heart-string-tugging stories that were sent in. Each entry was an unique and inspiring story of love and accomplishment. This contest was about more than winning a service, it was about sharing your life with others. As a photographer I sometimes see couples get caught up with the planning, but taking the time to revisit why your in love and sharing that with others is what really makes your wedding important. Thank you everyone for participating and congratulations to the winners. ” –  Josh Rodriguez

“It was such a pleasure to be a part of this amazing gift, this will be forever remembered by the fantastic couple that was chosen. Even though it was an incredibly difficult decision to make, the winning couple was definitely unique and well deserving. Thank you for letting me participate, I feel incredibly honored.” — Shari Johns

I kid you not when I say, we have the best job in the world.   Imagine documenting stories such as these nearly every weekend, year after year.  It’s a blessing and a responsibility that we take very seriously.  And hosting this contest reaffirmed our belief that for an instant, love can transform the world.  I commend each and every one of you out there that has taken the chance to love and to love unconditionally.  Happy Valentines Day to you! — Shezad Manjee

Do you believe in love at first sight? Soulmates? Kismet? Have you ever met someone and instantly felt like you’ve always known them? Well, neither had I …until I met Brian. The minute we met and started talking it was as though we were picking up where we left off in a recent conversation. Though we had never met before (him being from Maryland and I from Brooklyn) we knew each other immediately. We talked about nothing and everything, with zero awkwardness or game playing, and we haven’t stopped talking and laughing together since. That chance meeting was eight years ago, and, for no good reason, he still remembers exactly what I was wearing (”that black shirt with white polka dots. Uchh!”) and I, not known for my stellar memory, also remember every detail.  We were instant friends.

Soon after we met, Brian was making arrangements for a cross-country move (DC to California). The very day that he flew out to CA to secure an apartment, I showed up at my DC office only to find that the company was going under. They told us to pack up our desks and go home, giving us a nice little severance check to cushion the blow. With some cash in my pocket and time to kill, I accepted Brian’s spontaneous invitation to join him as he checked out San Diego. Uncharacteristic as it was, I hopped on a plane and met him in LA. As I flew I was thinking, “am I really meeting this guy I barely know in a city I’ve never seen?”. Even my best friend said I was crazy (and boy, if that’s not the pot calling the kettle black).
When I landed in LA, Brian greeted me with a huge smile. Almost as if he knew we were about to embark on the adventure of our lives.  We rented a car (I used my severance dollars and job-related misery as an excuse to upgrade to a convertible) and we spent the next three days driving from LA to San Diego to Tijuana, then out to Las Vegas and back to LA. We didn’t sleep, we could barely sit still. We took amazing photos. We saw amazing things.  We both laughed harder than we ever had before. It was the best first date the world has ever known.

And he never did move to California.

Seven years went by in the blink of an eye. So, fast forward seven years (hey, it’s not a cop out!  There are literally thousands of adventures and romantic notions I could tell you about that took place in that time. But it all went so fast)!    Where does the time go?

On July 11th, 2008, seven years to the day after our three-day-first date, we could be found at a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert in Charlotte, North Carolina.  A little backstory is in order: We tend to follow that particular band around when possible, as we both always have such a good time at the shows.  Okay, truth be told, we’re huge fans.  Huge, huge. Also, not having much money between us (he’s a substitute teacher and I work on government contracts for the National Cancer Institute), little weekend roadtrips became our version of true vacations. And, let’s face it, since ol’ Tom’s not getting any younger; we think it wise to go to as many shows as possible, while it’s still an option. So, there we are in Charlotte in July. It’s about 800,000 degrees outside (okay, I exaggerate. But it was at least 700,000 degrees out) and the venue had run out of water. We were dying of thirst and there weren’t even sodas or smoothies available to purchase. Therefore, I was forced to purchase, and drink, a few giant beers.  So, when Brian got down on one knee, in front of thousands of screaming fans, and asked if I would be his wife, I had no idea what he was doing. On bended knee, fuzzy black ringbox in hand, Brian looked up at me and asked “will you go to the end of the line with me?”. To which I responded “what are you doing”?  If this telling seems disjointed, blame it on the beers and the humidity; my memory of this moment is not what it should be. I am told he was down on his knee for a very long time. A “very, very long time”.

Eventually I realized what was going on and I said, “yes”!

You may wonder, was I truly surprised …after 7 years of dating? Truly? Yes! I mean of course, the topic had come up.  And of course we had our moments, our arguments. But pretty  much since day one were both quite that we were going to be spending the rest of our lives together However, in that moment, when Brian proposed I could barely breathe! Especially when I realized that everyone around us, thousands of fans, were watching and waiting and anticipating!  After I realized what was going on, and after the thunderous applause, I asked if he would mind if we stepped outside for a minute (as much as I’d hate to miss a minute of the show) to catch my breath.  But I also had to call my mom and best friend!  Turns out that everyone (and I mean everyone; from my cousin in Toronto to my third grade teacher) already knew of Brian’s proposal.  Brian had called my parents the night before to ask for their permission, and blessing, to propose.  Good news travels fast!

I know Brian is the right person for me because he makes me laugh, so often and so easily. He makes me laugh like no one else can. He is my protector, my confidant, my best friend. In his eyes I see the future. He is truly romantic, sensitive and all around wonderful. To be frank, he’s also a smart-ass jokester, who always keeps me on my toes.
I know Brian is “the one” because I never really believed in “the one” until I met him.

Our Love Story:
I have published our love story on our wedding blog, complete with photos taken the date of the proposal.  You may click the links below to view each story individually, or you may click on the link above to view the entire blog.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed sharing it!

How we met

As most of you probably already know, Kyle and I met at Baylor University. However, as dorky as this may sound, we actually first met on the INTERNET!! Yes, I admit, it is true…. Sometime after I had committed to going to Baylor, whether it was during the final days of my senior year of high school or the few months of summer before college started, I did a little search on the infamous internet provider–AOL. After typing in “Baylor” as the search keyword, I came across various users of many ages with either an interest or some sort of affiliation with the university.

One user in particular caught my eye, partly because he was to attend the very same institution as I, in the very same year, and partly because he happened to be online that very moment! Thrilled with the coincidence, I took the opportunity to meet a classmate before even registering for classes, thus I initiated a chat with “Astrke.” What we actually talked about, I haven’t the slightest recollection, however, in the end he made it on my friend list and I am certain we parted with salutations and mutterings of potential future sightings on campus.

The summer passed and the time had finally come to move onto campus. After spending the morning getting settled into a closet they call a dormitory, my mom took me to the Student Union Building to drop me off with the rest of the freshman class of 2006. I recall choking back tears as I watched her drive away, leaving me on campus…alone. ….It took all of five minutes to make friends with some kids eating their sandwich plate in the grass under some trees. I think I made more friends, more easily during that first week at Baylor than I ever had in my entire life!

After Welcome Week ended and classes had started, I was lounging in my dorm and decided to sign onto AOL Instant Messenger to catch up with some high school pals. Suddenly, I noticed a familiar screename pop up in a chatbox inquiring if I had, in fact, started classes at Baylor. It was Astrke from my AOL search! Immediately, I responded to see how he was liking BU thus far. We talked about welcome week, the first few days of classes, some of the people we had hung out with…. Wait! CorrieLee, Benji, Dax? I had hung out with the same people! Rollerblading with a shopping cart on campus just a little while ago? Me too! Oddly enough, we had already met and spent time together and didn’t even realize it!

Thus began our friendship, which later became a relationship, and soon will be a marriage!

The Proposal

The date was December 8, 2007. It was an unseasonably warm Saturday afternoon in Waco, TX, perfect for a romantic rendezvous with nature. Earlier that week Kyle had promised me a picnic if I drove the hour and a half commute from Dallas to Waco to visit him that weekend. A sucker for sack lunches in open parks, I obliged.

Utterly involved in my chicken feast, I was completely unaware of Kyle’s silent plotting.

Stuffed and satisfied Kyle suggested taking a walk. I agreed, but offered that we clean up our leftovers and put them in the Expedition first. He urged that we leave them. I insisted that we put them up. He was adamant that we walk first. I caved, retrieved my dog from his hitch and we started on our walk. About 10 steps from the table Kyle grabbed my hand, dropped to one knee, and produced from his pocket a small black box containing the sparkle of something in every little girl’s dreams. “Candice Woodward, will you marry me?” he inquired; the little black box quivering ferociously in his trembling hand. Previously oblivious to the now apparent purpose of our outing, and completely dazed by this unexpected proposition offered upon me, I stood speechless. I was awakened from my temporary paralysis as Kyle cleared his throat, eyes searching for an answer. “Yes!” I finally responded, and I leapt into his arms brimming with love, happiness, and excitement!

I hadn’t the slightest inclination that he was going to propose.

Shortly after, we proceeded to pack up the leftover chicken.

A Little Bit of Background…

I am definitely a believer in the phrase that love has a way of finding you when you least expect it.  I came to know Landon at a point in my life where I had pretty much given up on the idea that honest, Godly men still existed in this world.  However, as our relationship evolved from co-worker to friend to boyfriend and then finally to my fiancé, this all began to change, and I hope by writing this I will do justice to the remarkable man that he is.

Before I can begin, I need to give you some background on another important person in my life, my grandmother.  My Grandma Rose was an amazing woman in every sense of the word.  She was a role model to me, and lived her life in such as way that I could only hope to.  I can still remember our last conversation as if it had happened yesterday.  I had just found out the guy I had been dating for the past year was not the person I thought he was.  Heartbroken, disappointed and frustrated, I called my grandmother for consoling.  She told me that she was praying for me and that she knew God was going to bring me someone wonderful, I just needed to trust in Him and be patient.  Two days after that conversation, my grandmother died peacefully in her sleep on July 3rd 2006.

How We Met…

I first met Landon in April of 2006 (about a year before we actually started dating).  We both worked for the same consulting firm.  I had already been working there for about a year and he had just been hired on as a new consultant.  He was assigned to the same project that I was working on and I have to admit that my first impression of him was that although he was cute, he was kind of a dork.  Due to limited space at our client site, Landon and I had to share the same office.   If you’ve ever had to share a workspace with another person, you’d know that this opens up a whole new window to someone, allowing you to see the quirky details you wouldn’t otherwise see in a social setting.

Landon had these reading glasses that he would always carry around with him, but never wear.  He was always twirling them with his fingers, chewing on the ends, putting them in the case just to take them back out again…..it drove me crazy!!

There was also a large window in our office that faced the other corporate office buildings along Turtle Creek Blvd.  This window was very distracting for Landon.  He would walk over to it about 15 times a day, nearly press his face up against the glass and say “Today would be a great day to be outside”.

Then there was the time I mistakenly mentioned in conversation that I couldn’t tell the difference between canned and fountain Dr Pepper.  When I saw the look of genuine concern on Landon’s face, I knew I had made a mistake.  For the next 30 minutes of our lunch break, Landon carefully and methodically explained to me the critical, yet distinctive difference between the two as if the information he was giving to me would one day save my life.  I quickly learned to never confuse the two again!

All in all, Landon reminded me of a kid….a good guy, but not a guy that I would ever see myself dating.

Eventually, Landon and I moved on to different projects.  Although we didn’t see each other, he would periodically send me emails to check in and see how I was doing.  At company events, he would always make a point to talk to me and I found myself looking forward to our conversations and his emails.  I still had no intentions of dating him, but he was becoming a good friend.  In July of 2006, my Grandma Rose passed away unexpectedly. I was crushed. When Landon found out about this, he reached out to me expressing his sympathy and compassion for our family.  He said that he was praying for us and that if I needed anything to give him a call.  I did not call him, but I remember thinking that some girl was going to be really lucky to have a guy like him one day.

Falling In Love…

As fate would have it, in February of 2007 we were again staffed to the same project.  This project was a lot bigger than the last one Landon and I had worked on together.  There were about 16 people from our company assigned to this account and we would all be working in Los Angeles for the next 6 weeks.  While out of town, our project team made an effort to do something most nights of the week which meant Landon and I were eating dinner together, playing tennis, or doing some sort of activity together 3 or 4 times a week.  I noticed that I was trying to sit by him at every event we went to so I stopped myself only to find that he continued to sit by me.  Then one night, after dinner, he called me from his hotel room and somehow worked his way into coming to talk to me.  We had a long conversation about anything and everything.  I enjoyed talking to him but wasn’t sure what he thought of me.  I knew we were friends but I was afraid that was all we were going to be.

One weekend the team randomly decided to take a trip out to Vegas. Having already been to Vegas and not being much of a gambler, I was pretty reluctant to go.  But when Landon told me that he would go if I went, I quickly changed my mind!  As it turned out, Landon wasn’t much of a gambler either so we spent most of our time walking up and down the strip looking at all the extravagant hotels.  When we passed the Bellagio Fountains, I pulled Landon aside and we squeezed through the crowd to find ourselves a spot along the railing where we could watch.  The area was so packed with other spectators; Landon and I were squeezed together to the point where our arms hands and legs were touching.   I didn’t really mind ?. After the performance was over and the crowd parted, Landon and I stayed and talked for awhile (arms and hands still touching ?).  It was then that I realized this was the guy that I had been waiting for….the man that God had put on this earth for me.

Unfortunately, the LA project wrapped up and we were no longer scheduled to be in the same place.   Every once in a while Landon and I would cross paths in our company’s office.  On those days he would visit me at my cube multiple times a day to see what I was doing (I’m not sure if he ever got any work done on those days). He would then wait on me at the end of the day (even on the days when I worked until 6:00 or 7:00) so he could walk me to my car. Then he would just stand there awkwardly in front of my car, like he had something else he wanted to say, but just couldn’t spit it out.  The first few times this happened, I thought I would be encouraging.  I tried to wait out the awkward silences, in hopes that maybe Landon would get his words together and finally ask me out on a date. Bad move. This just led to more painfully awkward silences.

Just when I was about to give up on poor Landon, he finally got the nerve to ask me out! Our first date started off with Landon taking me to Lake Grapevine and showing me his favorite spot.  He then took me back to his place where he proceeded to awe me with his wide-range of cooking skills which included a gourmet meal of chips and queso and kettle-corn.  (Ladies, don’t be jealous now!)  We then watched the movie that we had picked out earlier that evening, The First King of Scotland, which turned out to be one of the worst 1st date movies ever!  All in all I had a good time.  It wasn’t the most glamorous date I had ever been on, but it was definitely the most meaningful and the most special.  There was something about Landon that was so honest and sincere that I had never experienced with anyone else before.  When he held my hand for the first time that night I knew that our year-long friendship had been sealed and our new relationship had begun.

Over the course of the year that Landon and I have dated, we’ve done everything from watching a movie or TV series on the couch to flying in a private plane over the metroplex.  He’s taken me to the lake in his boat which is actually an experience in and of itself because the entire time you’re on the lake, you’re praying that his old, beat-up boat will stay afloat!  In January of 2008, he bought our first house where we will live together after we’re married.  In the meantime, we’ve tried to spend our weekends fixing it up, but it looks like it will be a project that extends into our marriage.  We’ve also had the opportunity to interact with both of our families through vacations, graduations and weddings.  I already feel like I’m a part of his family and he is definitely a part of mine

Landon has continued to be a gentleman in every way possible throughout the course of our dating.  He continues to open doors for me and tries to breathe life into me on a daily basis.  That’s not to say that our relationship has not had its share of ups and downs but I can honestly say our downs have not ever been that bad.  We have a very trusting and forgiving relationship and we know that neither one of us would ever intentionally do something that might hurt the other person in any way.  Over time, I’ve come to realize that when Landon says he loves me, he means all of me, faults and all.  He’s committed to me regardless of whether our relationship is smooth sailing or crossing rocky terrain.

The Proposal…

This past Labor Day weekend Landon and I traveled to my grandmother’s former house in the small country town of Hallettsville, TX.  Although he never had the chance to meet my grandmother, Landon knew how special she was to me.  A few months into our dating, I had told Landon about the last conversation my Grandmother and I had together, and how he was the one she had been praying for me to find.

I remember on the day he proposed Landon kept asking me if I was going to take a shower.  I was a little annoyed with him and asked him, “Do you think I smell or something? Since when have you been so concerned about my hygiene?”  I found out later that he had kept asking me that because he didn’t want me to decide to take a shower right when he was getting ready to propose.  Just before sunset, Landon asked me to come outside with him for a walk.  We walked down to the pond in front of my grandmother’s house and stood there for a few minutes in silence as the sun began to set over the water.  I could smell the steaks that my dad was cooking out on the grill and a few deer began to cautiously walk up to the other side of the pond for a drink.  Pretty soon, ten of them had made it to the water to where we had this perfect picture moment that you would see in a Thomas Kinkade painting.

Landon had nervously said “You know I love you” a few times during these moments.  I just thought he was being weird because he does that sometimes.  But then he started in on a new phrase.  He said, “You know I went to see your parents a couple of months ago, right?”  Yes, I knew this, but nothing had ever come of it.  He continued, “I want to tell you what I said to them.  I told them that over the past year and a half, you had become my best friend.  I love you so much that it hurts to be away from you even for a day. I told them that I wanted to ask you to marry me so that I can continue to prove my love to you and your family for the rest of my life.”  Now I was starting to think that something was going on and I could feel my heart beating inside my chest.  I could also tell that Landon was really nervous.  He turned and looked at me and said, “You know that I’ve wanted to ask you to marry me, but you said I had to have a ring first…” Then he paused.  Oh no I thought….surely he wasn’t bringing me along this far and getting my hopes up only to tell me that he didn’t have a ring.  “Umm yeah” I replied, stating the obvious.  Then he looked at the worried expression on my face and laughed as he pulled out a ring and said, “Will this one work?”  Instinctively, I reached out to grab it only to have him pull it back.  “You have to say yes first, will you marry me?”  With tears in my eyes, I said, “Of course I will…Yes… You know that.”  On a side note, any ring that he could have given me would have been great.  However, he custom designed my ring so that it had everything I wanted.  He gave me a ring that was made specifically for me, and it was perfect.

Our story has been a long time in the making… and i am happy to say, still has a long way to go!!!  Blake and I are from the same city (Irving, TX) and first laid eyes on each other in 5th grade at Farine Elementary.  You see, Blake and his family moved (from south Irving to north Irving)when he was about to begin 5th grade, and i am so so glad that they did because we would have probably never met otherwise.  We would have grown up in the same city going to different schools and probably would not have crossed paths.  The first day of 5th grade there was a buzz about the new guy in school.  All the girls thought he was so cute.  When i got a look for myself, i thought …i don’t see what the big deal is, he’s not that cute! :)  Well little did i know that would all change.  My mom first saw Blake when he sang “That’s Amore” in our PTA program (which is very appropraite since he is Italian!) and he got her vote then and there!

Then we went to Travis Junior High.  Blake and I were in alot of the same classes, and you know how it is…awkward junir high school kids…like each other but don’t want anybody to know.  I think i had 2 “boyfriends” if you want to call them that in 6th and 7th grade, and I think Blake and I went on our first “group date” in 8th grade…one of those great movies form 1998!

Freshman year of high school, i was going through that phase where i thought freshmen boys were dumb and the older guys were so cool…stupid me!!!  Blake was such a trooper and wiated patiently.  I didn’t wise up til our sophomore year, when we officially started dating.  We have a lot of fun memories from high school…like him being one of the varsity football captains and me being varsity cheerleading co-captain…or when we were nominated for prom king and queen…you know…kind of your all American high school romance.  It was a blast!!!

After high school, we both went to Baylor University together and graduated in August of 2007.  We had a lot of good times together there as well!  Going to see the Piano Man every Thursday night at Treffs, staying up all night with roommates and watching movies, and throwing awesome house parties.  It was probably our last two years of school that we started seriously talking about getting married.

After we graduated, i was always anxiously awaiting every major holiday or celebration we had becasue i thought he might propose.  I was always worried though because my parents are divorced and i knew that both my mom and stepdad and my dad and stepmom would want Blake to ask their permission in order to propose to me.

This past summer (July 2008) we went on a beach trip to Galveston (pre hurricane Ike!) with my dad, stepmom, and other family.  Blake sneakily told my dad that he was thinking about proposing, while on a trip to the grocery store, and asked my dad what his thoughts were.  My dad told Blake he would be very excited to have him as a son in law! One set of parents down…one to go.  I think it was about 2 weeks later when Blake asked my mom and stepdad, who were also very happy!  Finally….on August 18, 2008 he popped the question!!!

Now Blake’s big thing was that he wanted to surprised me when he proposed…. which is a tricky thing to do when you have been dating as long as we have.  So we were getting ready to go out to dinner for sushi on a Monday night after work, and i was sitting there playing X-Box (i know …pretty funny) at Blake’s house while he was getting dresses, and he came up behind me and said, “Taylor” and i turned around to my surprise to see a betuiful diamond ring sparkling right in front of me.  At that time i started seeing black spots and almost passed out because i was so suprised…so his plan worked…and then he did the whole got down on one knee thing and said “will you marry me?”  It took me a second because i was still so suprised, but then i sreamed “YES!!!!!”  And then i cried all the way to dinner because the fact that we were actually engaged sunk in a little more, and I was so happy!  We have been together 7 years this past October, and can’t wait to get married!

Jim and I met at college.  I was a feminist/picket sign yielding/borderline socialist/idealist freshman.  He was a conservative/carefree/politically-incorrect/ witty junior.

Jim pursued me almost immediately.  To borrow from the movie Juno, “Jocks…always want freaky girls.”  I however, was afraid to return his advances because I was raised in a house with two elder brothers who instilled a fear of the upper classman’s sole intention with an innocent doe eyed freshman.

Straight out of an episode of cliche Dawson’s Creek, on November 18, 2001 Jim and I watched the Leonid meteor shower on the soccer field, and of course shooting stars + cold night + sweet boy = a huge crush for a 19 year old girl.

We were friends for the entire year, sharing nervous banter and debating everything.  We realized that we spent the summers on the same tiny beach in Craigville, Cape Cod and that the house Jim spent his vacations in was the same house my parents had since purchased.  We were amused and amazed that we probably had simultaneously sported our Speedos while molding sand castles out of the same sand and ocean water.

My freshman year ended with me and Jim sitting in the common room on the 21st floor of his dorm (which was stockpiled with remnant furniture and trash from student’s rooms, mind you) watching the sunset over the pioneer valley, and I clearly remember knowing that we would be a happy couple the following year.

I was right, and we have been an item ever since.  I knew Jim and I would get married a few years ago as I pathetically reclined on a gurney at Mass General Hospital because I had fainted watching him as he was prepped for surgery for melanoma.  In one hazy fall I had become a typically melodramatic girlfriend and I was ready to be his wife.  The cancer cells are gone and his operations showed no further metastasis and we have decided to spend the rest of our lives together.

We love each other dearly and challenge each other daily.  He has taught me to relax, laugh, and how to manage my 401K and I’d like to credit myself a bit for the fact that he voted for Obama this election!

Guess it would be best if I started our story from the beginning… I strolled into my office late the first Thursday in August 2007 after being in Chicago the previous three days and my boss called me into his office before I could even put my stuff down.  Apparently he was a little perturbed because he had just called me cell and I didn’t pick up and had something urgent to talk to me about.  He quickly sat me down and said, “If I needed you to work in Qatar for two months can you leave tonight?!”  Realizing what a great opportunity this was I quickly responded by telling him I could leave first thing in the morning - who would have known this business trip would change my life the way it did.

So I arrived at my hotel a little before midnight Saturday night and was told to meet downstairs the following morning to meet the rest of my team before heading to the client (apparently, they work Sundays in the Middle East).  I’ll never forget where I was, I was standing in the middle of the lobby with one of my team members who was telling me about who would be on the project with us while we were waiting for them.  He pointed out Vanessa, who was coming from behind me, and when I turned around I thought she looked amazing in her black slacks and white top, but our first meeting together was far from perfect.  She quickly came up to us, said hi to me, blew me off and went back to her room to grab her computer.  While I was wondering how on Earth I can work with someone that discourteous for two months my coworker told me she just got in the day before me and they had lost her luggage and has been wearing the same outfit for three days.  Understanding how frustrating that could be, I didn’t hold the first impression against her, even though I still give her a hard time about it to this day.

But things warmed up between us pretty quickly after that; we were sitting in the hall waiting to start our interviews and I heard one of the Qatari whistling Clementine from his office.  I looked around at the rest of my teammates to see if they heard the same thing; nothing on their faces.  But then I made eye contact with Vanessa, I knew she heard it too and we had a good laugh, with the rest of our team completely oblivious to what we were laughing at.

For the next two months we learned more and more about each other, like that even though she was out of the Boston office she was originally from Texas, while I was originally from Boston and out of our Dallas office.  We had the same interests, hobbies, tastes, almost everything and thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company while we were overseas, but I didn’t discuss pursuing anything because I knew that once the project was over we would go back to being half a country away.  But one of my partners from Dallas was trying to convince her to transfer to Dallas when she got back; she entertained the idea for a while, but I didn’t think she would go through with it, but part of me hoped she would.  So after two months I left to work back in the states and she stayed to work on another project; I thought that was the end of it.

So in January I received an email that she would be transferring to Dallas and will be here in February.  Surely and slowly we starting hanging out more and more - trying restaurants for dinner, going to comedy shows, trying new bars, signing up for dance lessons, and even picking up a pair of kittens, one of which I named.  I assumed our office thought we were dating, my boss even assumed so by the time March came around, but we were just great friends.  But my feelings for her started to grow - I knew deep down that she really was something special and I really wanted more from this, but knew if I was wrong about her feelings about me I knew I would be throwing away not only one of the best friendships I’ve had in years, but a great colleague as well.  So after a month of weighing the pros and cons I decided I should say something.  So on the day of our firm’s promotion day party I picked her up on my way to work (we decided to go out to dinner as well afterwards so we just decided to take one car).  As usual there was a little flirtation in the office and a few of us decided to go to lunch before the party.  We sat across from each other with about 10 of our colleagues and congratulated those that were promoted, during which she would often casually reach across the table and grab some of my fries without any hesitation, which did raise a few eyebrows from some of our coworkers.  We went to the party, but we just grabbed a table off to the side by ourselves and talked for a few ours, met a couple of colleagues for drinks later and went to dinner.  After dinner I dropped her off at her place and just told her we should go on a date when I get back in a few days, which was answered with an “okay” and a beautiful smile.

We went on our first official date the following Monday, poor girl was nervous because it was an actual date, but both of us dove right into it without any regrets.  We already knew so much about each other before we even started so we became emotionally close in a considerably short amount of time, and I knew within a couple of weeks that this was really it.  And in the middle of September, a mere 6 weeks into it, we talked about what we want out of life, and how great the relationship is, and how it is the most fulfilling one either one of us has ever experienced.  And, somehow, we casually mentioned that neither one of us would be leaving, which left us unofficially engaged for a moment because there was no ring, but we started planning the wedding immediately.  So after two months of looking at locations, signing vendor contracts, and meeting the families, her ring came in from Europe and I gave it to her immediately to make it official - god knows I couldn’t wait another minute to call her my fiancé!

So that’s our story.  A guy from New England living in Texas had to go halfway across the world to find what he was looking for, a girl that exceeded every expectation he could have ever imagined, who was ironically from Texas living in New England.

Our Love Story
Otis and I met the summer of 1998. It started with him approaching my car after church one night to introduce himself…because I didn’t know who he was, I was very reluctant to roll down the car window when he knocked on it…I actually cracked it only a few inches just so I could hear him and allow him to fit his hand through (he introduced himself and wanted to shake my hand). Even still, he was very respectful with his approach. However, since I didn’t know him or had never even seen him before I chose not to give him my number just yet.  Throughout that year (and the following one!) we would periodically run into each other. He asked for my number again, but it still wasn’t time. Then, more time had passed and we ended up running into each other at a conference at The Dallas Convention Center (out of over 10,000 people) where  we managed to cross paths AGAIN!  This time he escorted me to my car and we finally exchanged numbers. We decided to go hang out downtown for a bit since it was still a little early. We took my car and quickly returned to the parking garage after realizing everything was basically closed. But when we got back to his car we couldn’t get in the parking garage because they had locked it for the NIGHT!!! Well, needless to say, I ended up taking him all the way to Plano! We hung out and went to Denny’s (it was the only place still open). We talked for hours. Once we got back into the car we talked for MORE hours. Caught up in the enjoyment of conversing for hours we were oblivious to the time.  As you can imagine, the sun rose before our very eyes.  OMG we said.  Of course we both had things to do.  Chemistry/Love can cause you to negate your schedule.  Since then, there have been ups and downs but through it all Otis has always shown his love for me. Shortly after the Denny’s incident we began talking on the phone daily and his trips to TCU (where I was studying) from Plano (where he lived) became routine. He has always been a gentleman and very patient.   In keeping with the same persistence and drive that he pursued me with has now been directed on how he can be the best husband and future-father possible.  I sometimes marvel at the sensitivity and seriousness that is in one person.  He makes me want to be a better person.

The Proposal!
The proposal was better than I could have even imagined! Because he knew that I wanted to be totally surprised (even after all these years); in an effort to blind side/surprise me, he began making comments (statements) to make me think it would be a few years before proposing!!  Statements like… “I want to save more money, get another promotion, basically improve stability”. Though I could understand, I was so hurt by the thought of delaying for yet ANOTHER year…(yet, I kept it to myself-even though he secretly knew how I felt). On the day of the proposal he picked me up and had red roses on the passenger waiting for me. I was shocked since he always told me he would never give me red roses unless we were married…But because he already convinced me into believing the proposal was years off, I wasn’t thinking about it. He then took me to a chapel on a hill we used to visit a lot to spend time together. He told me he wanted to show me something  and took me into the small church. He had his briefcase (a decoy with the ring in it) and we sat on the first pew as he told me how deeply he felt for me. Still a little confused about what was going on, I sat and listened. He then got on both knees and popped the question!  Immediately, my tear ducts filled tears of joy, my heart fluttered like the child who arose hours before her parents on Christmas morning!  Here we are today…with the impatience and anticipation of a high school senior with (2) weeks left in the school year or.  Impatience to not only close this chapter, but to also start a whole new book in our lives.

So, you ask “why is this the guy for me?”  It’s even clearer for me to see now. This whole wedding planning experience is like putting a tea bag in hot water (evrything inside comes out in the heat). Even though I can become impatient and a little overwhelmed at times, Otis has offered assistance and a stable support every step of the way (from proofing this entry to helping with the card stock and  texture of the invitation paper). He is nothing short of wonderful and I can’t wait to spend my first night with him!

Wedding Website: consuelaandotis.com

On August 1st of this year, Charles, my boyfriend of 10 years, (and fiancé for 1) and I will take the next step in our journey by exchanging our vows in front of loved ones, declaring our love for each other and excitement to share our lives together.

It’s hard to put into words what my relationship with Charles means to us.  I could say the usual things such as special, one of a kind, or love at first sight, and the truth is all of those words would serve our relationship justice.  Yet, it is so much more than that, it is so much more than any words can explain.  We share a love that has literally stretched beyond oceans to find each other and transcended the walls that have stood in our way.

I was born in Uzbekistan, Charles in Venezuela.  Our families both immigrated to the United States in pursuit of better lives for their children, leaving behind their homes.  Back in Uzbekistan, my parents were both educated people, one of which, my father, being borderline genius in mathematics and at a young age early in his 20’s was already a renowned professor teaching academics to much older men and women.  Upon arriving in America I still remember how my parents had to belittle their own abilities and obtain jobs that although paled in comparison to what they had left behind, was necessary to secure our path to a better life here in America.  I will never forget visiting my father, the mathematical Phd professor from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, working at a pizza parlor for minimum wage.  It still amazes me the look of pride he had in his face as he tossed the pizza, only because he knew that his purpose was greater than any job.  This only served as inspiration for me to strive to do my best in adapting to life from a country of poverty back home in Uzbekistan, to life in America.  Charles’ road here was quite similar in that he grew up in a coastal region of Venezuela where life is plenty simple and relatively under developed for people whom do not have wealth.  He often reminisces to me about the feeling of sand under his feet as he grew up.  Wading in the ocean was an everyday activity for him over there.  But as nice as that sounds, a promising future for a young boy in an area where many young men fall victim to their environment and fail to reach any potential, is far too real.  His grandmother was well aware of this fact.  When she left Venezuela, she had roughly $200 in her pocket and four daughters and a grandson to create a home for.  She not only managed to do so, but she to this day serves as Charles’ biggest inspiration.  He gladly exchanged the sand of the beach for the concrete sidewalks of Queens in New York where she was able to settle.  The day that Charles and I become husband and wife, the people that made the biggest sacrifices for our paths to cross will be right there bearing witness.  That will truly be a magical and surreal feeling for both of us.  For two kids coming from poor conditions from a foreign country, the biggest obstacle is just trying to find your place.  What are the chances that two soul mates from literally across the globe would find each other, but in doing so find their place as well?  To understand our special place in life now, you have to go back to the beginning.

I met Charles my senior year in high school working as a hostess at a restaurant.   He used to drop in on occasion to visit a friend that worked behind the bar.  I was introduced to him through a co-worker and besides my obvious attraction to him, his secluded and quiet nature added to my attraction.  All liked him, but no one could truly say they knew him.  Nonetheless he was one of those people who just gave off the kindest of energies.  Beyond that, I think it is safe to say that the physical attraction was mutual, as rarely was there a moment that he was there, where I didn’t see his eyes slipping my way.  I admit I was the younger girl intrigued by the older guy, but that boundary was something over time, we both were willing to cross.  The more he came to visit, the more we got to know each other.  It wasn’t long before our connection drew him to get a job at the restaurant as a waiter.  Although our chemistry was obvious, neither one of us was exactly rushing to make the first move.  In fact, at first, our relationship consisted more about me telling him my boy problems and he would give me advice.  I guess at some point we were fed up of the pretending to be just friends thing and just took the chance that many, including my family weren’t very optimistic about.  The reason for the lack of early support, beyond our small age difference, was the fact that Charles to many could of easily been mistaken for as the bad boy type.  I admit, I too was fooled by that façade, but it didn’t take long for me to recognize his kind nature and realize that his appearance was nothing more than a shell.  The more I learned about him, the more I saw how difficult and complicated his past was.  I felt comfort in knowing he was comfortable sharing his experiences in life with me and that made me feel comfortable to confide in him.  It was with this chemistry and confidence to share with each other and just be ourselves, that we developed a truly unbreakable bond.  Over time, we proved our skeptics not only that they were wrong, but also served as an example of a relationship that although young, was healthy and strong because we are just so natural together.  My family grew to love him as their son, as his grew to love me as their daughter.  But even with the lack of support in the beginning, what made our relationship so strong is our unconditional support to encourage and inspire the other, nurturing each other’s ambitions and dreams.  We fed each other’s passions and with that, grew not only as individuals, but also as a couple.

When I met Charles, it is safe to say he was a wasted talent…a gift that was yet to be opened.  He just wasn’t doing anything with his talents.  He seemed more someone whom had deemed himself set for an already written future that did not include much happiness.  I was also someone who could not envision a path, and although I had the parental support to pursue an education, I lacked in my own confidence to truly shoot for the stars.  Charles and I helped each other recognize our individual potentials.  We both then attended the same university (Academy of Art University in San Francisco), and both worked hard everyday not only in our respective studies, but also by way of working at the same restaurant to make our way through school.  I remember so much the times at work after a hard shift, daydreaming with him about how things will be for us once we graduate and how hopeful we were.  With hard work and dedication we both graduated together on the same day to receive our degrees.  We then made the next big step and moved away from our families for the first time, with only each other as we embarked in our careers and start our lives away from home.  This was so significant for both of us, because for the first time, we would be each other’s sole shelter.  Just over 4 years now we have been in Santa Monica.  I am now established in my field of Advertising, having had the honor of receiving 2 awards, and Charles is an amazing 3D artist at Dreamworks Animation working in an industry where he gets to touch the lives of so many people.  I occasionally tear when I think of how far we have come together.  I especially feel such happiness for witnessing Charles become who he is today.  From the young man whom seemed like a lost puppy, to the grown man whom has found his way and is truly living his dream.  Who would of thought that two loves from humble beginnings would find themselves sharing such a happy and beautiful life together.

10 years and some odd days later, we are stronger then ever as our wedding day looms on the horizon.   If I could describe for you in a few words our relationship, I would say this…

…We are like a strongly rooted tree on the edge of the shoreline…strong to weather the storms, and always ready for what the tide brings in…we are not fully grown, but we are just about to blossom…and the horizon is never out of our sights.