After ABC’s Good Morning America (GMA) viewers voted for Lorenzo & Peggy Abundiz for having the most amazing love story, Lorenzo and Peggy found themselves having their dream wedding and saying their ‘I Do’s’ before millions of GMA television viewers at the crossroads of NY Times Square! In addition to be featured on Good Morning America, you can also see their inspiring story featured in US Weekly and People Magazine! So after Bridal Fantasy learnt about their love story, we heard from Lorenzo Abundiz himself telling us about their touching story after their dream GMA wedding! And we’re not lying ladies and gentlemen, it was not only moving but just as inspiring as well. How could we not share with our readers their story?!? It’s in his very own words too!!!

“Since our story book GMA wedding, our love has been put to the test many times over, with three cancer battles and countless surgical procedures all relating to my firefighting career. In 2003 I was diagnosed with bladder cancer and, in 2006, doctors removed my left kidney, and in 2009, I battled prostate cancer (click HERE to find out more). Peggy is my hero, and it was her love that saved me from the nightmare of cancer. Peggy is determined never to let cancer take me away from her. Peggy is one woman who takes her marriage vows very seriously, especially when it comes to “sickness and health.” When doctors gave me no hope, it was my angel Peggy who stepped in to bring me a miracle with her love.”

And so . . . “Peggy and I have created a firefighters nonprofit foundation called Code 3 for a Cure dedicated to assist firefighters diagnosed with cancer and to honor and remember firefighters who died from this terrible disease. Each year a team of us firefighter/cancer survivors drive a fire engine across America and Canada to share our personal cancer experience and encourage early cancer screening to firefighters and the public.” Watch a FDNN news coverage of their foundation video below:

“To help the foundation my wife Peggy wrote a book about our love story of survival. Once the book is published all proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Code 3 For a Cure Foundation to assist firefighters diagnosed with cancer who are facing a financial hardship, and to help other nonprofit organizations who are fighting the war on all cancer. Visit Peggy’s website which contains many great pictures of our Times Square wedding www.onceupontimessquare.com. We were truly honored to have Diane Sawyer and Charles Gibson sign our marriage certificate as our two witnesses.”

June 22, 2011 will mark Lorenzo & Peggy’s ten year wedding anniversary and the end to Lorenzo’s cancer battles! And in his email to us, Lorenzo only asked for one thing: “It would be a great honor and a big surprise for my wife Peggy to receive recognition and see my anniversary message to her on your website.” So to help him in his efforts to make their 10 year anniversary with his wife  and hero Peggy even more special, the least we could do was make his wish come true. Here’s to the two of you love birds, congratulations and Happy 10 Year Anniversary!

LORENZO’S 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY MESSAGE TO PEGGY . . .
“Peggy throughout my firefighting career I quickly learned that Fire has the power to create heroes or destroy them. It can also spark true love or extinguish it forever. From the moment of birth fire created a destiny in my heart to find you. As a tough and fearless fireman I never would have imagine, that one day I would need a hero myself. That hero turned out to be you my angel. One month after our hearts met Peggy you were fighting for my life. Cancer wouldn’t give us much time, and when the medical establishment failed to find me a cure, it was you Peggy who stepped in to bring me faith, love and a much needed miracle. Your love has proven to me that miracles are real and that the power and magic of true love can overcome any obstacle, even cancer. Happy Anniversary my beautiful angel and hero”.

Your fireman,
Lorenzo

And to those who were a part of their NY Times Square wedding, Lorenzo also has a message for you all too: “thank you to everyone across the world for giving us that storybook wedding in Times Square 10 years ago. I know there are many people who wonder what ever happened to us since that wedding in NY Times Square. I feel by sharing my anniversary message with everyone, it will them know that we survived the worst and our love continues to get stronger each day.”

Disney’s fairytales and their enchanting Princes and Princesses have inspired thousands and even perhaps millions of girls, women, and wedding planners from all over the world. What girl can really say that they’ve never dreamed of having their very own fairytale story or having a magical Disney wedding with their Prince? Well, one thing’s for sure . . . my VHS copy of Cinderella has definitely put in some good solid hours throughout my childhood.

But there’s no need for dreaming now! With the help of Disney’s Wedding Team, their wedding specialists will take care of everything. From the reception décor, a multi-tiered cake, photographer, food, and even your honeymoon! Watch the Korri McFann’s interview with Celebrity Wedding Planner David Tutera as he gives you advice about your big day and also talks about his Disney Couture Wedding Collection.

Image courtesy of Room With a View

Whether it’s a bad spray tan, a huge zit, irritation from a bikini wax, or over-tweezed eyebrows before your wedding day, don’t stress! Pink Lady Krista Chapman from The Pink Book has got you covered.

Krista recommends that . . .

. . . if a spray tan has got you lookin’ like an Oompa Loompa or one of the cast members of Jersey Shore . . .
Option 1: Step 1 - “Start with a long soak - this will hydrate skin cells making them easy to remove by exfoliation, which is Step 2” (”baking soda is a great exfoliate.”)
Option 2: A dip in a chlorinated swimming pool, Dove body wash, and then finish off with some Curel lotion. “After a few days, your color will return to normal.”

. . . if you went a bit overboard with the tweezers . . .
Step 1: “Put down the tweezers”!
Step 2: “Select a brown brow pencil a shade similar to your brows and draw in the ideal brow shape.”
Step 3: “Your brow should start in line with in the inside corner of your eye (A), arch following the natural line out from your pupil (B) and finish, again following the natural line from the outer corner of your eye (C).”

. . . if you’ve been attacked by a monster zit before the big day . . .
Option 1: “A cortisone shot at least 24 hours before is said to be the best bet.”
Option 2: “At-home remedies include toothpaste, Visine eye drops, Hemorrhoid cream and most commonly benzoyl peroxide (but this can be very drying, making your zit difficult to cover with make-up).”

Krista’s Tip: a few trial-runs should be ran during the wedding planning phase to determine what works best with your skin, and then trying your best to dial down your stress level before the big day!

. . . if a bikini wax has got you and your skin a bit irritated . . .
Tip 1: “Keeping the area clean is important to prevent bacterial growth in newly exposed hair follicles (using mild soap and water is your best bet).”
Tip 2: An over-the-counter tropical ointment can help to speed healing.
Tip 3: “Wearing loose fitting clothing can also help minimize additional irritations.”

What an adventurous engagement and duo these two are . . . read about all their adventures at www.gate20.ca!

Katherine & Thomas ~ 07/20/2012

Prologue

Once upon a time, there were two young persons very much in love. So much so that they knew they would marry one another since the day they met. It was love at first sight for the young handsome pair and it wasn’t long till they were living together. Although they frequently talked about spending the rest of their lives together, the idea of marriage appeared to be in the distant future. The Girl had always “joked” about being proposed to, but The Boy sensed a hint of reality behind each of them.

In the summer of 2010, the young couple was about to embark on their second journey to Southeast Asia. Little did The Girl know, what The Boy had been secretly planning. When the New Year began, The Boy thought it necessary to secure his catch. There was no way he would let this fine girl go. In order to do this it required much planning and window-shopping for just the right token of love. The Girl had always “jokingly” warned him that if a mall-bought diamond was placed on her finger the answer would immediately be no. Not wanting to test his luck, The Boy avoided the malls and went straight for originality at Rubaiyat.

July 27, 2010
The sun was shining, the palm trees were swaying and the two young lovebirds had just finished a day at the beach on the beautiful island of Bali. The Boy suggested that they go catch a romantic sunset. He said that he knew just the right place - a cliff top temple at the sacred Uluwatu, which housed many fantastic views of the sea. He had spoken of this place many times before, describing the spiritual ceremonies, the peaceful surroundings, and the thieving monkeys. To The Girl who had never visited such a place, Uluwatu sounded oh so magical.

The Girl and The Boy quickly made up their mind and set out to find a way to get there. It came in the form of Ketut who was more than happy to drive them up to Uluwatu in time to see the setting sun. The Girl was a little surprised that The Boy did not bargain hard for a better deal. Sunsets in Bali come around every evening but The Boy seemed in a hurry to see it that very night. They made their way up the winding roads to Uluwatu, all the while shrugging off suggestions of marriage from Ketut the driver. Little did The Girl and Ketut know what The Boy had up his sleeve. Upon arriving at the temple, The Boy jumped queue, paid the admission fee, and the two were then fastened with the mandatory sarong and sash for the Hindu temple.

As they entered the temple, The Girl’s breath was taken away. It was everything that The Boy had described and then some! It seemed as though love was in the air, as the first sight came in the form of a masturbating monkey who was using the insides of a newly stolen stuffed animal to pleasure himself. While doing so, he seemed to also be getting gratification from chewing on the eyeballs of this innocent toy. Afraid that one of them would become its next victim, the young lovebirds carried on their way. The last thing The Boy wanted was for his token of love for The Girl to become the monkey’s new pleasure toy.

As the sun was quickly fading, The Boy felt the pressure to confess his everlasting love to the oh so stunning girl. He led her through the crowd of people who were waiting for a Kecak fire dance to begin. Many of who were photographing a number of monkeys practicing coitus. When the pair arrived at The Boy’s planned destination, he took The Girl’s hand and brought her to a rock near the edge of the cliff. He promised not to throw her down (while thinking, “unless she says no!”), and wiped off the rock for the two of them to sit. While sitting, and waiting for the perfect moment to arrive, The Boy was as nervous as a 13 year old pre-pubescent trying to ask a girl to a dance. He hadn’t planned what he would say, as he would let the moment dictate his words.

Unfortunately, the moment wasn’t as romantic as he had hoped. Within minutes, The Girl stood up and started to complain about her itchy bum, which to this day the cause is still a mystery. He stood up and knew he had to take charge of the moment. There was no time to wait around, as the sun was nearing the horizon. The first words that came out of his mouth were, “Katherine, you know that I love you, right? And you know that I’ve loved you since the day we met?” The Girl, paying more attention to her itchy bottom, was quick to respond with, “No you don’t!”

All The Boy could do was roll his eyes and get on with it. He told her that he fell in love with her the second they laid eyes on one another, and that her smile stole his heart. He said that there was nobody in the world he’d rather spend his life with, and then asked her to marry him. As this was an ongoing joke, The Girl was confused. This time it seemed real, but she didn’t want to jump to conclusions only to be disappointed and embarrassed. That’s when The Boy told her this was very much for real, and pulled out the most beautiful, diamond studded ring The Girl had ever seen in the entire universe. Immediately, she broke into tears!

After he placed the ring on her finger, the first words that came out of her mouth were, “Did you ask my mom? When did you ask her? What did she say? Where did you get it? Was it very expensive? How much was it? Do you really want to marry me? Are you sure? For real? You want to? How much was it? Who did you tell? When did you decide? When did you buy the ring? When did you start looking for the ring? Where did you get the money? How much was it? Rubaiyat is expensive, right? This is exciting! Engagement is a big deal. Now we can get a joint credit card! I was worried to do it before, but now I’m not, because we’re engaged. We’re going to be together forever!”

The two newly engaged lovebirds carried on their conversation as the sun fell below the horizon and darkness took over. They never wanted to leave the place that had instantly become such a significant part of their lives. However, they feared that Ketut may become worried, and that the monkeys would begin to invade the temple completely. While Ketut wasn’t worried, the latter was quite true. On their way out, the pair witnessed a gang of monkeys surround two dogs, hissing, snarling, and taunting them. They feared that the dogs, and then perhaps them, would become the monkey’s new love toy. They hurried on out, fleeing for safety.

The Girl didn’t know who to tell first, but thought Ketut would do just fine. She ran up to him at the car and showed him the ring, telling him “I’m engaged! He proposed!!” Ketut interpreted this as “monkey stole my ring!!” and had the most worried look on his face. He was about to get out of the car to chase down the thieving monkey, when he saw the ring on her finger and realized everything was ok. They explained to Ketut what “engaged” means in Canada, although in the end, he still didn’t seem to quite get it.

As the two snuggled in the back of the Jeep, Ketut must’ve realized after all what had happened, as he put on a Shania Twain music video DVD for them to enjoy all of her old time hits. Apparently, Ketut was a big fan of music, and knew just the right songs to play to celebrate this special night. It was a perfect ending to a perfect night, and this little love story concludes with a little something Shania Twain would once sing:

“From this moment, as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing, I wouldn’t give
From this moment on”

The End

Love,
Thomas & Katherine
www.gate20.ca

After looking at yesterday’s photos, I’m sure that your anticipation levels are at an all-time high right now, but no need to stress . . . here is Part 2 of yesterday’s blog ‘Wonderfully Lost in Wonderland’. These following photos are more up-close and detailed shots from the shoot . . . enjoy fellow BF Blog readers!

Photographer’s inspiration for the shoot:

“I wanted to do a photo shoot that had a really fun theme, and I started thinking about it and somewhere along the way I decided to do a Disney themed photo shoot. So in total we had 7 themes, originally we had 6 based on the princesses, but since Alice in Wonderland is my favourite, I had to do another photo shoot that had an Alice theme. We were thinking multicoloured and whimsical with a hint of crazy. I wanted this photo-shoot to be more glam oriented, and look a little dramatic. There were a bunch of wedding vendors from over the city that contributed and helped make the photo shoot look perfect!”

Justine Milton

At the age of just 20, Justine Milton is not only a University of Alberta student, she’s been mastering the art of photography for 4 years now. She always tries to have fun while she’s out shooting, and she likes to make sure that everyone involved is having a good time, as she thinks this makes for more natural photographs.

Justine loves photography as an art form and truly capturing the moment . . . polaroids are her favourite! Milton Photography is a company that she started when she was 19, and with it’s current success, she is really excited to see where it can go from here.

She continues to grow as an artist and as she continues to learns new things about photography, she loves applying them to her photos.

Credits for the Shoot:
Photography: Justine Milton from Milton Photography
Flowers: Off Whyte Floral Studio
Cupcakes: Fuss Cupcakes
Makeup: Lydia Yapp from Edmonton Makeup Artists
Hair: Jamie Williams of Dandy Salon Spa
Linens: A Chair to Remember
Décor: Special Event Rentals
Stationary: iBride Invitations
Design & Co-ordination: Jacquelyn Schafer - WPICC Owner/Lead Planner of Hitched Wedding Design
Set-Up: Brianna Miniaci from Cherish Planning
Models: Kevin Saccuci & Ashley Park
Clothing: Kevin’s outfit is compliments of Derks and Ashley is wearing the Isadora Anne by Maggie Sottero