How Winning a Dream Wedding Contest Sparked a Faith Movement

In life, we often find ourselves on a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Our story is a testament to the power of faith and hope, and unexpected blessings can be in store when you think you lost out on something. Imagine losing your job and feeling uncertain about the future. But then, against all odds, you win a dream wedding contest that ignites your faith and sparks a faith movement that is life-changing. Crazy, right?

We got engaged in May 2008, and immediately began planning our dream wedding. We found the perfect oceanfront spot in Hilton Head, SC, and started saving money to secure the venue. Months later, my husband lost his job. It was a devastating blow, leaving us financially unstable, and uncertain about the future. The idea of our fairy-tale wedding started to drift far away, but we still had such a strong desire to get married. We considered going to the courthouse, and even eloping to Vegas, but nothing felt right.

One night, an unexpected glimmer of hope appeared when Adrian heard a commercial on the radio about a dream wedding contest that promised a fairy-tale ceremony with all expenses paid. Shortly after finding what was required to enter the contest, Adrian got to work by putting together photos and writing an essay to share our love story. The odds of winning felt like a long shot, but Adrian decided to take a leap of faith and entered the contest.

A couple of weeks went by, and the date for finalists to be contacted to attend the wedding giveaway gala was fast approaching. We did not hear anything from the event organizers, but we held onto hope that this was for us; so Adrian decided to take matters into his own hands and call the contest organizers to see if we were finalists or not. During the conversation, the organizers did not give Adrian any indication that we were finalists – only a hint that calls to finalists will be made in the next few days.

A few days went by and we did not receive a phone call. We were heartbroken and didn’t even bother attending the ceremony where they will announce the winners, because we thought we lost. The Sunday morning of the wedding giveaway, we decided to move on and praise God anyway. We turned the page and began to pray for God to open another door for us to get married. Then, as we were in the middle of worship, we received a life-changing phone call – we were actually finalists for the dream wedding contest, and needed to be present at the gala to win! Excited, but confused, we hurried and got dressed (in our not-so-Sunday’s best). As we were driving, the contest organizers were frantically calling, and eventually informed us that we were in the top 3 finalists for the giveaway. They needed us there immediately. So we drove to the location of the dream wedding giveaway ceremony as quickly as we could. While still en-route, we received yet another frantic phone call. The organizers let us know that they were now stalling the announcement of the winners (us)…because the winners were not there! 

We arrived at the gala and parked our car right in front (possibly a towing zone). We walked into a crowded ballroom with flashing camera lights, celebratory music, with confetti and balloons falling from the ceiling. Long story short, It was a moment of pure disbelief, and yet, it marked the beginning of our faith journey. After the confetti was cleaned up and we finished our press rounds, it all still felt like a dream. We couldn’t believe what just happened to us. From there, we were to be married in 2 months! The process was easy because everything was planned out and paid for. Our wedding was on April 25, 2009 at The Highlands Golf Club in Virginia. Our wedding was truly a Dream Wedding, we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful wedding day! Everything was top tier and perfect, a true gift from God. 

Winning the contest wasn't just about having a free dream wedding. It became a symbol of having faith in God, even when you think you lose. We learned to trust in God’s power to bring blessings even in the darkest of times. We recognized that sometimes, when we hold onto our dreams with unwavering faith in what our God is able to do, miracles can happen. We pray that our story is a reminder that even in the face of adversity, miracles can occur. Our journey from job loss to winning a dream wedding contest has ignited a faith movement that we hope will encourage others to believe in God’s blessings, especially when your dreams seem out of reach. 

Winning the wedding was a dream come true, but the greatest blessing of all was the movement that was ignited. After we won the wedding we were determined to live a full life in Christ. With that, came a wilderness season of pruning, visions and dreams for our life calling, and a foundation for an unbreakable bond as husband and wife. Our life together has taken some twists and turns, but in the end, we’ve learned that faith and hope can lead to the most beautiful and unforeseen blessings that only God can bring.