The REALLY Lucky Couple

Deanna and I went to the Baltimore Wedding Expo a few months back, and we met Eric Duppins at his booth for "Over the Top Events". He talked to us a little bit about his establishment, The Champagne Ballroom, and the kind of food they served. He also mentioned that him and his wife, who are the owners of the ballroom and the catering business, have a very flexible attitude when it comes to their wedding services. Finally, he told us about an open house at the Champagne Ballroom. There would be door prizes. The grand prize would be a free wedding reception.

After a few weeks of looking at different places, the open house at the Champagne Ballroom came around. Deanna had to work all morning that day, and then she had a bridal shower for a couple of hours in the afternoon. She was tired, so we were a little hesitant to go to Baltimore for the open house. After weighing the pros and cons, we decided to go anyway. What was the worse that could happen?

We got to the open house just as they were closing the entries for the drawings. We put our name in and joked about how we'd win because our name would be at the top of the pile. Then we went around the ballroom, looking at different vendors who were there. A very nice woman from the department of Human Resources' foster care service talked to us about being foster parents. That's something Deanna and I are very interested in doing once we are married and have a stable place to live. As we continued to check out the different vendors, we saw Neslie Duppins, Eric Duppins' wife, directing the afternoon.

Then the time came for the drawing. Nesley talked about the main prize, a full wedding reception, including:
- Food for 100 guests (appetizers, main meal, and dessert)
- Wedding cake
- Ballroom for 4 hours
- Floral arrangements

Nesley had a member of the audience, who was not in the drawing, draw the name from a box. All the brides who had entered, including Deanna, were in a group at the front of the room, waiting for their name to be called. I counted about 40 brides. The woman drew the name and handed it to Nesley. And guess what..?

By the title of this posting, you should know that we won. Deanna and I couldn't believe it. About $10,000 worth of a wedding reception, just for showing up. We feel trully blessed and grateful. When Deanna's Dad asked Nesley why they were giving away the reception, Nesley told him that she and her husband have been very blessed, and they wanted to pass on the good blessings. Deanna and I feel the same way. The money we save for the wedding will go toward a volunteer trip to Africa and any charities that we can help.

Oh, and one more thing... Nesley and Eric are throwing in a limo through one of their business contacts.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE LOCATION, TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS, ETC.