Hello Blog Readers! Welcome to the official voting for the 2012 Rivets and Roses Wedding Giveaway! The three amazing couples below have all sent in their nominations and would LOVE for Leslie to be their photographer! The winning couple will be decided by you, the public! Please take the time to read each couple's story and cast your vote for who you think deserves to win this amazing giveaway!

Couple #1// Liz & Neel

Wedding Location// Stamford, Connecticut

Their Story// Liz and Neel met the old-fashioned NYC way, at a bar! They were both there invited out by mutual friends on a Friday night to see a comedy show, and as soon as Neel sat down at the table, Liz couldn't take her eyes off of him. That was 3 years ago yesterday, and has felt like a dream. The best kind of dream.

[quote]In most ways, we are just your average twenty-something couple. And we've been through a lot in our short three years together so far. We have an amazing dog, bought a house in the suburbs, comforted each other after deaths in our families, celebrated the births of babies, the devastation of an estranged parent. Neel truly is my soul mate, my better half. I am so blessed that we found each other. Neel is an only child, and I am the first of my siblings to be getting married, so we have a lot of pressure on us! We are throwing a day-long event with a full Indian/Hindu ceremony, followed by a traditional/western ceremony, and a big dinner and dance party for our 250 guests. As you can imagine, that's a big event for two average people to be hosting! We would love to have a legit photographer, and such a talented artist such as yourself, to preserve these memories for us as we celebrate with our families on our wedding day.[/quote]

Couple #2// Missy & Mike

Wedding Location// On the Shores of Lake Michigan

Their Story// Mike and Missy met in a funny way. They are from the same small, Wisconsin town, lived in the same neighborhood, and even dated siblings from the same family through high school. All that considered, we never exchanged a word. When college came around, Missy moved to Seattle and eventually back to Minneapolis, where she randomly moved into a house across the street from Mike's brother, Patrick. One day, a bunch of their friends piled into a car to take a trip back to their hometown, tt was here that she met her future husband. Long story short, it took 8 years, 2 moves and 1 extremely long car ride to finally meet one another. They have been together ever since.

[quote]We love native plants, ducks, and our families' heritages, from the upper peninsula of Michigan + Scandinavia. We're not as concerned with a cohesive theme as much as we'd like it to be happy, colorful and tons of fun! I will just say that your photos are stunning, real and exactly what I've imagined for the big day. Mike and I aren't from the 1920's, and we aren't throwing a vintage carnival so props and unnatural poses aren't what we're looking for. I'd love our day documented as it is, in a beautiful way.[/quote]

Couple #3// Maggie & Matt

Wedding Location// Suncrest Gardens Pizza Farm, Wisconsin

Their Story// Matt and Maggie grew up 2.15 miles away from each other, but did not meet until they were 19 and 22. They ran with the same crowd, but at different times. Many of Maggie's friends from high school became Matt's friend's after she went to Madison for college. Their good friend Danny Turner would come home from California from time to time during his stint in the Marines and people would come back to Eau Claire to attend wild parties for his homecoming. And alas, this is how Maggie met Matt. Matt was very shy, but with much persistence, Maggie got him down to Madison for a visit in no time! After Maggie's graduation, they spent a year in New Zealand traveling around the country and working on farms and in hostels. Then they lived in St. Paul, MN for 2 years. Maggie has spent the last 3 years going to law school down in Madison while Matt has held down the fort in St. Paul. They cannot wait to reunite for a lifetime of fun!

[quote]We spent our first few summers together going to tons of music festivals. We are also into the music scene in Eau Claire and the Twin Cities. At our wedding everyone is getting a lawn chair and we are eating on hay bales, picnic style. We want it to have the feel of a music fest. The decorations will have old school circus details, such as lettering and flags hanging from the tent. We can't wait![/quote]