Kayelily's Couple are Biggest Losers!

Heba and Ed were married on November 4, 2006 at Rose Hill Plantation in Nashville NC. It was a chilly evening and I remember it well. Their ceremony was held in the Gentlemen's Lounge in front of the huge fireplace. All the sofas and tables had been cleared out and chairs for the guests filled the room. It was packed with their friends and families. It was a grand event. The ceremony started a bit late due to a delay in the shuttle arriving from Raleigh with a bus load of guests. Ed, his groomsmen and I waited outside the side door getting chilled until our cue to enter. The ceremony Ed and Heba created from my material was short and sweet but very meaningful and a reflection of their love for each other and their guests. We began with a warm welcome to their guests and they gave Ed and Heba their enthusiastic support of their marriage in a community blessing. The couple had written their own tender vows and read them to each other from my book as they exchanged rings. Then following the pronouncement and big kiss, we closed with a cheering blessing and I introduced the newlyweds to their guests. Then the couple and their wedding party and I exited outside for photos.

I got to know Ed and Heba well in the months before their big day because they wisely chose to do my Preparation for Marriage premarital counseling program. They were thrilled that the relationship analysis showed they were a good match and their prospects for a happy and satisfying marriage were excellent. We worked through some areas of potential future pitfalls and practiced communication and conflict resolution techniques. I was delighted that they related to each other honestly and without reservations and were willing to listen and understand each other. They were a delightful couple to work with and I loved officiating their ceremony uniting them in marriage.

In August of this year 2008, I got a call from NBC's The Biggest Loser show wanting me to sign a release because Ed and Heba were going to be contestants on the show and they wanted to use some wedding photos that included me. I gladly signed and even sent them more photos that I had of their wedding. The show premiered this season on September 16th and there they were! It was so good to see them again and working so diligently to lose weight. There were a couple of their wedding photos shown and there I was on national TV! Thanks, Heba and Ed. They are forbidden from revealing the results of the show until all the episodes air--so I don't know if they will be the "biggest losers" or not. If they are not, it will not be due to any lack of enthusiasm and hard work on their part and I know that whether they win or not, they will still be "big losers!" They are dedicated individuals and their love for each other inspires them to press onward.

The show is on NBC Tuesday nights from 8:00 to 10:00 and I will be watching to the finish, cheering Ed and Heba on. Go Orange Team!