Kristen Lenze of Atlanta, has been named the winner of $15,000 “Tie the Knot” wedding sweepstakes.
Last month, Lenze was named one of the top five finalists in the "Tie the Knot" sweepstakes, which was sponsored by SuperPretzel, beating out more than 1,700 other entrants nationwide. Participants were asked to share a unique detail of how they plan to "tie the knot," and Kristen's story won over the hearts of the judges. Here it is:
Kristen is planning a surprise first dance for her parents during her wedding reception because they never got one of their own. Her parents were forced to cancel their originally scheduled wedding in Florida in 1985 due to road closures and horrible weather from Hurricane Elena. However, that didn’t stop them from saying “I do.” The next day, on Sept. 1, 1985 they still got married after realizing all they really needed with the priest and each other. The reception was cancelled and never rescheduled, so Kristen and her fiancé are going to dedicate their first dance to her parents by letting them enjoy the first dance they missed out on 31 years ago. How thoughtful is that?
“We want to say thank you to The Knot and SuperPretzel for generously creating this contest. We also need to thank everyone who voted for us. The love and support we have experienced from our family, friends and community over the past couple of weeks has been overwhelming. Before we even found out we won, we felt like winners from the outpouring of love during the contest,” Lenze said in an e-mail to The AJC. “Last and most importantly, we want to thank God for blessing us with this opportunity. The money will be a huge help as we continue to plan the wedding.”
Lenze and her fiance, Palmer Ensell, who are both 27, are planning a June 2017 wedding in their hometown Peachtree City.Tie the Knot, a wedding resource and marketplace, said voting opened on Nov. 24 and lasted until Saturday, Dec. 10. Lenze received the most votes, making her the grand prize winner of $15,000.
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