Ryan Flanagan, 32
Danielle Morrida, 34
Hometown: Rancho Mirage, Calif.
How We Met: Ryan was a golf professional at the golf club that my sister belongs to. I was sitting on the patio one day recovering from foot surgery. All of a sudden, I look over and see this handsome man (with the coolest plaid pants on) walk up and ask for my sister and her husband. I was horrified because due to cast on my leg, I was unable to shower for several days. I was so embarassed-thinking, "Of all the days to see an incredibly attractive man, it has to be today?"
Our Dream Wedding: Our dream wedding involves sun in the fun at the beach! With just our immediate family and closest friends, what could be more romantic than exchanging vows and the kiss at sunset? I'll be walking a runner of roses in a long, romantic, flowing dress and Ryan in a traditional white linen shirt. We don't want anything pretentious-we want to have a night that everyone will remember and where everyone can have fun. The reception will last well into the night, sipping cocktails and dancing to calypso/reggae on steel drums. Tiki torches set the mood…Lots of holding hands, dancing and feeling the sand between our toes! Paradise Island, Bahamas would be fantastic. We've talked about a private beach in Malibu too. St. James, Barbados would be romantic…or we could even get married in La Jolla, CA too! As long as we have our family, friends and sand we'll be happy.
Obstacles We Overcame: We have a strong bond. A few months after we started dating, Ryan got laid off from his job of 5 years. Two months after that, he lost his house to foreclosure. One month later, we found out we were pregnant. When I was 9-months pregnant, Ryan and I were in a car accident that involved 4 cars…We were both rushed to the hospital in an ambulance and 5 days later, we had our little girl. We've had a lot of hurdles but we've come through all of them, only making us stronger as a couple and as a team.
Our Fave Celeb Wedding: Reality stars Amber Brkich and Rob Mariano, who competed on Amazing Race and Survivor. Their wedding in the Bahamas was beautiful.
Why You Should Pick Us: We are perfect for eachother because no matter what, we're on the same team. He balances me out: I can be irrational, hot tempered and super spontaneous and he's calm, patient and even keeled. I also talk about my emotions very freely and he's more reserved that way, so we balance each other out. I learn from him and he listens to me. We have a lot of love for eachother and we're bonded because of our daughter, Reese. Our job is to be good parents and role models for her.
We would love to be chosen because this would be an opportunity to have a wedding that our friends and family could share with us. Money is very tight for us and we were considering eloping but my mother is 76 and there's no way I could do that. All she wants to do before she "leaves this world" is to "see her youngest daughter get married." This would be a dream come true for my mother and us.
