July 16, 2014 at 1:05 p.m.
Military couple wins $20,000 wedding contest
Military couple wins $20,000 wedding contest
By Kayla Thomason-
Mangerson found out about the wedding contest for military couples, sponsored by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, through a contact with the United Service Organization (USO) in the Milwaukee area and jumped at the chance to give his bride-to-be a once-in-a-lifetime ceremony.
He entered the contest by writing an essay. His essay, and three others submitted by other couples, were posted online and the public was asked to vote for which couple should win the contest.
It was a very close vote. At one point Mangerson and Burton were tied with another couple, and then they fell behind, but a final surge of 1,500 votes put them over the top.
They won the contest by only 203 votes.
"We really owe it all to our friends and family," the couple said in an email. "The network of people voting involved grew exponentially and internationally because of their efforts."
Burton and Mangerson have toured Potawatomi's hotel and event spaces and are making preparations for their ceremony.
"The win has meant a lot to us - not really winning the prize, but mainly seeing how supportive our friends and family were," the couple said. "So many kind words and such effort [was expended] on our behalf. We can never fully express our appreciation and how much it meant to us."
Mangerson and Burton said they hope their guests have an excellent time at their wedding and hope everyone feels a bit of personal ownership in making their dream wedding a reality.
"Thank you to all our voters, our advocates, Potawatomi Hotel and Casino, and everyone that has made this a reality," they said.
The couple will tie the knot July 11, 2015.
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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