NIAGARA FALLS —
Like every other bride-to-be, Lewiston native Lauren Ulatowski wants an unforgettable wedding. Unlike other brides, however, she needs votes to help make that happen.
Ulatowski, a 1999 graduate of Lewiston-Porter High School, and her fiancé Greg Merante of Hicksville are one of four finalist couples on NBC’s “Today Show Dream Wedding Contest.”
For the couple to win they need to amass the most votes, which are being tallied on the Today Show’s website www.todayshow.com or on the shows Facebook page www.facebook.com/todayshow.
“This is an experience of a lifetime and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Ulatowski said. “We beat thousands of applicants to get to this point and now we just need the votes and we will have the most amazing wedding possible.”
If they win, the couple will be married live on the NBC show on Sept. 30. All of the wedding decisions including the dress, the ring, the honeymoon location and the bridesmaid dresses are being left up to viewers, and Ulatowski welcomes the input.
“I’m not scared one bit, I would rather have someone else plan it. It’s really exciting to have America do this,” she said. “This is more about the experience and who you are marrying rather than the little things.”
Ulatowski and Merante met in 1999 when the two were both freshman at SUNY Fredonia. Ulatowski, 29 said she skipped her biology orientation to be with Merante 29, a decision she said paid off.
The couple became engaged in June after dating for the past eight years, living for six years in Western New York and the past two in Long Island where Ulatowski works an admissions officer for a SUNY college and Merante as a manager with an insurance company.
Ulatowski said no matter what the outcome of the vote is this has been a tremendous experience the two can share for many years to come.
“Just being invited to New York and being on the “Today Show” and the thought of having the entire wedding paid for is a dream come true,” Ulatowski said.
Viewers have until 1 p.m. today to cast their votes online and can also do so by texting number “1” to #622639.
Communities
Related Photos
-
Lauren Ulatowski and her fiancé Greg Merante pose for the camera. The couple is currently a finalist for a “Today Show” wedding contest.
Cast a vote for Lauren’s wedding
Lewiston native and bride-to-be could have entire wedding planned by TV viewers
- Communities
-
-
It's ni hao Lew-Port for Chinese teacher
“Knee how.”
While the spelling is incorrect, the pronunciation is exactly how the Chinese say hello. The sentiment is precisely how Wang Ying, the newest — though temporary — member of the Lewiston-Porter faculty greeted her students for the first time when she arrived in late January. -
Memorial Day parade participants being sought
The Niagara Falls Veterans Memorial Commission is organizing the Niagara Falls Memorial Day parade this year.
-
Shining a light on the issue of teen dating violence
Kim Davidson didn’t fully grasp what her daughter had gotten herself into.
Although she had seen “changes” in Kari’s behavior — sudden distance from old girl friends, quitting the cheerleading squad, downsizing her college and career plans to accommodate a boy she’d only dated a few months — Davidson confessed she had no idea those changes were warning signs of a looming tragedy. -
Joseph Davis State Park gets some green
Officials in the Town of Lewiston received approval Thursday to spend a significant portion of the community’s incoming greenway funds on the redevelopment of Joseph Davis State Park.
-
Lewiston's welcome center honored as project of the year for historic restoration
A piece of Lewiston’s history is about to be honored as a preservation project of the year.
-
SLIDESHOW: Volunteers Search for Judith
Volunteers gathered on 102nd Street in Niagara Falls to search for the missing Judith Burr, 67. Shortly after the search began, the body of Judith was found in the dense brush just east of 102nd Street.
-
Niagara woman is fooled by ‘phisher’
Beverley Porter was taking a nap one day last week when her phone rang.
The scammer at the other end of the line had gotten lucky. After most likely making random calls to numbers in the 716 area code, he was able to catch the Town of Niagara woman when she was groggy, and slightly medicated from a minor surgical procedure earlier in the day. -
On the hunt for blue jeans at Niagara Falls High School
Students at Niagara Falls High School are ready for one final push in its campaign to win a national contest.
-
Lewiston Relay holding kickoff party
The kickoff to the 15th annual Relay For Life Lewiston will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, at the Hard Rock Cafe, 333 Prospect St.
-
Teacher likes this Apple at Lew-Port
Keeping up with technology is a problem almost everywhere. But in the classroom, a deficiency can cripple children as they move through their formative years into post-high school.
- More Communities Headlines
-
Raw Video: Israeli Embassy Car Attacked
Coroner: Don't Know Houston's Cause of Death Yet
Valentine Greetings Sent Worldwide From Loveland
Greek Austerity Measures Spark Riots
Raw Video: Obama Budget Goes to Capitol Hill
Arab League Wants U.N. Help in Syria
Nordic Festival Puts North Korea in Spotlight
'Rumor Has It' Adele's Rolling in the Grammys
Grohl, Grammy Nominees Cut Up on the Red Carpet
Greece Passes New Austerity Deal Amid Rioting
Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote
Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48
Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing
Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party
79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport
Fuel Removal Under Way on Capsized Italian Ship
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
