Congratulations to our June 2013 Chiavari Chair Winners Melissa and Owen!

When Melissa met Owen at her job at Olive Garden, she didn’t think he was the type to “settle down.” She’s never been happier to be wrong! Read more to find out what TV show inspired their wedding colors and how he proposed!

Where did you meet Owen?

Owen and I met at Olive Garden about 5 years ago. We were both servers there. I was immediately attracted to him, but honestly didn’t ever dream that we would end up together. He wasn’t exactly the type to settle down. Fortunately, all that changed when we started dating, and now we’re getting married!! He has been an answered prayer. We have had some challenges in our relationship, but we’ve come out stronger because of it. I knew he was the one, because he has stuck by my side through thick and thin, and I couldn’t imagine walking through life without him.

How did you know he was the one for you and what are some things you have in common?

We share very similar goals and values in life, as well as a similar sense of humor 🙂

How did Owen propose?

Owen proposed on December 21, 2012- The day the world was supposed to end 😉 He proposed at Lake Eola. I love being outdoors and in nature. He said he wanted to do something nice with me and asked me to leave work early. He picked me up from work and we went to the park. We were walking around, and I was cold. He offered to let me warm my hands by placing them in his coat pocket, when I did I could feel the ring box. At that point he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife 🙂 I very happily agreed.

What part of the wedding day are you looking forward to most?

The part of the wedding day that I am MOST looking forward to is ..well.. I’m very much looking forward to walking down the aisle and seeing his face as I’m walking towards him, I can only imagine the excitement of the day finally being here. I’m also looking forward to us saying our vows to each other as we will be writing our own vows. But mostly, I’m excited that about the moment after we say “I DO”, and we will at last be Man and Wife 🙂

What inspired your wedding colors?

As for my wedding colors- Gold and Ivory. My favorite show of all time is “FRIENDS” and in the 7th or 8th Season Monica (Courtney Cox) gets married to Chandler (Matthew Perry), and her wedding colors are gold and Ivory and I fell in love with it. I just thought it was so elegant and romantic. So, I actually decided on my wedding colors about 13 years ago 🙂