‘My wildest dream come true,’ Lowcountry frontline workers win a wedding

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Two newlyweds in the Lowcountry got the surprise of a lifetime when they recently won a free wedding. Kelsey and Zachary Lucas heard about a contest on the radio which was aimed at finding a Lowcountry couple, who were frontline workers, to win an intimate elopement package.

“We honestly didn’t think we were going to win but we were like, well let’s just do it, there’s no harm in trying,” Kelsey said.

The idea for the contest came from Chelsye Harp, owner of Intrigue Design and Events, and her staff.

“We love what we do and we want to get people married and have their special day, and when that completely gets dragged out from under you because a pandemic hits, a lot of emotions arise,” Harp said. “We brainstormed a lot. And it was like, what if we could give away a wedding?”

She reached out to vendors around the Lowcountry to see if anyone would be willing to donate their time and services for a deserving couple.

“I feel like you should be a celebrity to give away a wedding, but it was something that we were just really passionate about,” she added.

In their submission video, Kelsey and Zach Lucas talked about how they had been impacted by COVID-19. Kelsey is a labor and delivery nurse and Zach is a paramedic.

“When it first came to Charleston...it was just kind of really stressful to be around something we just didn’t know,” Zach said. “It was really stressful when we started to run out of PPE, and we were really struggling to protect ourselves.”

“It’s just really had a huge impact on not only me but the people I take care of,” Kelsey said. “My unit that I work on made us pick up mandatory overtime.”

When they got the news they won the contest, they couldn’t believe they would be getting married in a few months.

“This was like, my wildest dream come true,” she added.

Vendors pitched in, the team picked out colors and dresses and everything came together.

“The day of was was really nice and just very easygoing,” Harp said. “And I think a big part of that was just because of who they are and their personalities. The overall reason of why we were there to begin with was because they wanted to get married and it was all about the love.”

Kelsey and Zach said their favorite part was the first look, a time before the ceremony when they see each other before walking down the aisle.

“I was kind of nervous, leading up to it,” Kelsey said. “But then once I saw Zach all those emotions went away and I was so happy.”

“I felt the exact same way. I was shaking,” Zach said. “But I was focused on her the whole time and nothing else really mattered.”

The couple hopes to travel for a honeymoon once it’s safe to do so are are grateful to have been chosen.

“It makes us feel really special and appreciated,” Kelsey said. “Everything was a big blessing”

They wanted to give a special shout out to the following vendors who made the day so special: Intrigue Events and Design, Hope Taylor Photography, The Arbor Room, Other Brother Entertainment, Zoe Violin, Salthouse Catering, Roadside Blooms, The Social Spool, Snyder Event Rentals, The French Eclectic, Cakes By Kasarda, Silhouette On-Site and Tiny Shin Digs.

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