Weird Newz #80

According to MSNBC.com, bride-to-be Kelly Gray and her fiancé, Karl Gau, were planning a modest wedding in their hometown of Virginia Beach. With a combined income of $32,000 annually, the young couple had decided they could only spend $7,000 on the wedding and would have to find some creative means to generate money to pay for it all. That’s when Kelly and her bridesmaids came up with a clever plan that produced some surprising results.

Gray had considered doing a bake sale to help pay for some of her wedding expenses when a bridesmaid suggested trying an auction on eBay. Gray explained that her bridesmaid had said, “’We need to auction something (on EBay). There’s Dr. Pepper cans and Cheetos bags for sale, so let’s just go ahead and do a bridesmaid.”

Gray and her bridesmaids decided that the winning bidder would not only be a bridesmaid during the ceremonies, but would also receive the dress, shoes, and a reception invitation for the “bridesmaid” and one guest. Gray did not expect the auction to receive much attention. In an appearance on NBC’s Today Show, she commented, “put it up for a penny, and I thought, it wouldn’t sell at a penny, I thought that was it. When I started seeing some bids, I couldn’t believe it.”

To everyone’s surprise, the auction caught the attention of media nationwide. The Dr. Pepper Snapple Group took interest and decided to pitch in – the company placed the winning bid of $5,700, then upped the ante to $10,000.

Now, instead of baking their own wedding cake and using an iPod instead of a DJ, the couple can afford to have the wedding of their dreams. In addition, the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group will provide their beverages and select the bridesmaid to be in Gray’s and Gau’s wedding ceremony. Gray and her bridesmaids agreed they hope the company would consider having Ellen Degeneres in the ceremony because, as Gray stated, Degeneres “would dance and have fun…I could see her dancing down the aisle.” more

The Church of Sweden now offers express wedding services to couples via drive-thru service, according to Reuters. The church decided to offer the services to auto enthusiasts in Vasteras who are attending the car rally.

According to priest Jerker Asterlund, 36 couples have applied to have their nuptials held at the rally. The priest designed the idea to promote making marriage more accessible.

Asterlund commented, “Weddings are getting more and more commercialized and that is not something we have any interest in. We would like to make things simpler and more down to earth when people take the plunge and get married. This is not just for fun, but also a way for the Church of Sweden to show we can take part in celebration and happiness and not just in crisis and catastrophes.”

Ten priests will conduct the ceremonies alongside a central event of the rally, a motorcade of 1950s and 1960s cars. more 

NEW YORK (AP) — At Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in New York’s Times Square, six contestants displayed their wedding dress creations to compete for the grand prize of $1,000. What makes their designs so exceptional is that each intricate dress was fashioned completely out of toilet paper.

Representatives from Ripley’s Believe it or Not!, Charmin and Cheap-Chic-Weddings.com acted as judges for the competition. In the fourth year of competitions, increasing numbers of entries have shown some remarkable talent in design.

Katrina Chalifoux of Rockford, IL won the grand prize this year with her entry of a sheath dress with a raised flower pattern from molded toilet paper. Chalifoux spent more than two weeks creating her design. Terri Glover of Marlin, Texas won second prize, followed by Ann Lee, of Honolulu, Hawaii, placing third. more 

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – When night clubs and dating sites didn’t help this single mom find love, Deven Trabosh decided to take a new approach and offer her real estate and her heart on eBay. Trabosh, a 42-year-old mother, has spent more than a year trying to sell her four bedroom home. Trying to find a new approach, she decided to make a real estate posting on eBay and include a shot at marrying her.

Trabosh commented, “I figured let’s combine the ad because I’m looking for love and I’m looking to sell the house.”

In Trabosh’s ad, posted to eBay and Craigslist, she describes “a life of romance and travel and a home decorated with vaulted ceilings, upgraded tile and a soaking tub in a gated community with a pool and tennis courts,” according to MSNBC.com. The woman’s ad originally offered the home for $340,000, but then raised the price to $500,000 when she added the possibility of her lifelong companionship.

Trabosh hasn’t received any serious offers, but she has received for than 500 responses to her ad. Responses have been mixed, including those of her daughters, who in part are happy for her but also a little embarrassed.

“I’m not selling myself. I’m selling love…to meet that true love,” Trabosh stated. “Of course, it’s gonna take more chemistry and connection. It’s not going to be instantaneous that I’m just going to be automatically for sale…it’s a package deal for true love.” more