By Nick Mattera
Niagara Gazette
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.
