CHANTELLE AND PAUL
Chantelle & Paul Court
Married 27th September 2007
HISTORY
The Edge's third attempt at marrying two complete strangers has so far been successful, despite the crazy twist!
We found our bride first, a Canadian school teacher called Chantelle Swanson. Then we asked men to apply to marry her. We narrowed it down to ten groom finalists, then Chantelle chose her top 5 just from listening to them on the air. Her close friends interviewed them and chose two finalists - Dave and Paul. The boys had one week to woo Chantelle. On the wedding day, both Grooms and their families waited with great anticipation of who Chantelle would choose. Before walking down the aisle, Chantelle decided she would marry Paul. It wasn't until she stepped into the aisle that everyone knew who she chose. Dave and his groomsmen sat down and the attention was focussed soley on Chantelle and her chosen Groom Paul.
They hit it off immediately! This was the very first time they had even seen each other's faces. They were both very happy.
Watch this space for important updates.
THEIR BIG DAY - JJ's DIARY ENTRY
Oh my GOD that was the most amazing wedding I've been to in ages!! Chantelle chose Paul to marry today for The Edge Three Strangers & a Wedding.
I was so fricken nervous... especially since she was thinking of pulling out last night!! He mum and dad are not exactly thrilled with the idea of her marrying a complete stranger, which I guess is totally understandable, but the pressure got to Chantelle and late last night she was considering pulling the pin. This morning I woke up, imagining there would be no wedding at all. I was pleasantly surprised to arrive at her hotel and find her relaxed and ready to go.
At the venue, there were two aisles. Dave and his groomsmen stood on the left and Paul and his Groomsmen stood on the right. Their family and friends sat in front of them. Chantelle's friends sat in the middle. Everyone was nervous and anxiously waited to see what would happen. Chantelle arrived, and stood behind the curtain. Her two bridesmaids walked out, one down each aisle... and then Chantelle stepped out behind the curtain and walked down the right aisle toward Paul! There was cheering!! Dave and his groomsmen quietly slipped down to seats in the audience, while Tim Shadbolt married Chantelle and Paul, who up until this point had never even seen a photo of each other! They beamed when their eyes met and they seemed to be happy.
After the ceremony, I went on a boat with them while they got photos taken. They seemed so relaxed and cute together, it was hard to believe they had only just met. On the boat they talked, giggled and held hands. It was incredible how quickly they bonded.
At the reception, they held hands through most of the speeches and even had their first dance together. Chantelle's best friend Lauren had every woman and a few men in tears with her moving and heartfelt speech. My makeup was officially ruined!
You could tell Chantelle and Paul couldn't wait to be alone. They leave for their honeymoon in Rarotonga tomorrow, so there'll be plenty of time for that!!
I wish them all the best. They make a gorgeous couple.
WATCH IT ON TV!
20/20 recorded every moment of the process from beginning to end...
Watch the documentary they aired on TV, the wedding ceremony, and extra footage they filmed
HERE
Couple meet and marry in radio promotion
Stuff.co.nz
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Chantelle Swanson and Paul Court met for the first time in Auckland today, and then got married, thanks to a promotion by radio station The Edge.
The couple met for the first time only moments before Invercargill mayor and marriage celebrant Tim Shadbolt conducted a short ceremony and pronounced them husband and wife.
The "3 Strangers and a Wedding" promotion began seven weeks ago and attracted nationwide interest, with more than 100 women applying to be the bride and "a generous number of eligible bachelors".
The bride and two potential grooms were chosen by a panel of experts, friends and listeners.
Today at the Floating Pavilion on Auckland's viaduct harbour Ms Swanson, a 25-year-old Canadian school teacher living in Auckland, chose Paul Court, 28, a Christchurch horse trainer, as her new husband.
He was picked ahead of Christchurch man Dave Logan, 29.
Dominic Harvey from the station's morning show said the two were from totally different walks of life, "yet they have so much in common".
Part of the prize package was a honeymoon at the Edgewater Resort in Rarotonga.
It was the station's third promotional wedding between strangers. Both couples, the first married in 1999 and the second in 2003, were still together and had children.
Oakville woman weds reality show stranger
Chantelle Swanson and Paul Court met for the first time only moments before they were pronounced husband and wife on a New Zealand reality show.
THE TORONTO STAR
Sep 28, 2007
Lauren Mentjox
AUcKLAND, N.Z. – When Oakville native Chantelle Swanson moved to New Zealand three years ago, the plan was to go to teacher's college, maybe get a job.
The last thing that was probably on her mind – and most certainly her parents' – was getting married. To a man she didn't know. After meeting him, sort of, on a live, on-air, radio reality show.
But it happened. All of it.
"It's crazy," Swanson, 26, admitted yesterday. "But it's very exciting, and I am so happy."
Well, her mother sure doesn't think so. A Toronto business executive, Ginny Swanson yesterday just didn't want to talk about it.
"Yes, she did tell us she was doing this," she said, her head peeking out from behind the imposing door of the family's sprawling lakefront mansion on Oakville's Bel Air Dr.
"Of course I'm upset," she added. "Other than that, I don't really want to talk about it.
"I'm sorry," Ginny Swanson said, a plastic brace fastened around her shirt. "I have a broken back and I just can't deal with this now."
Mom's reaction couldn't have come as much of a surprise to daughter Chantelle – or to the countless New Zealanders who were listening to the radio program Three Strangers and a Wedding, a seven-week promotion for radio station The Edge.
When they heard about the plot – their only daughter, now a middle school teacher in Auckland, was about to pick one of two potential grooms who were waiting for her at the altar, neither of whom she'd met – the parents did what parents do.
They objected. They offered bribes. A ticket back to Canada. A house.
Instead, Swanson picked Paul Court, a 29-year-old horse trainer, and rejected 29-year-old Dave Logan, a courier company team leader, within moments of meeting the two men yesterday.
"I was always hoping for a big proposal and stuff, so this has happened in a very different way," Swanson told the New Zealand TV program 20/20, which followed the radio promotion.
The Edge promotion, which began with three potential grooms before an elimination round left two, drew more than 100 wannabe brides and a score of eligible bachelors for the chance to marry a stranger, live, on air.
Minor detail: the choice of mate was based solely on telephone conversations with the potential groom and meeting his family and friends. Swanson said she "loved" meeting Court's parents.
"They're great, and I know they will stand by me even if my family won't. It's about him and I, making it work."
Why Court? Swanson said she felt "more of a connection" during her telephone conversations with him while the groom, evidently a man of few words, allowed as how he was "stoked" to win Swanson's hand.
"It's bloody great," he said. "Chantelle is nothing short of stunning and I am very, very lucky."
Friends were gushing, too.
Bridesmaid Lauren Massie, who flew from Toronto for the wedding, gave an emotional speech while best man Andrew McPherson said Swanson would probably get the best seat at the (horse) races now.
Emma Anso, a Torontonian living in New Zealand, said she hadn't eaten for four days because she was so nervous for Swanson.
"But when I saw Chantelle together with Paul I knew they were right for each other so it put me at ease again. It was awesome."
This was not the first time the radio station had put its hand to matchmaking.
The Edge made headlines across New Zealand and around the world in 1999 and in 2003 for pairing off complete strangers.
Eight years on, Paula and Zane are happily married with two children while Steve and Kersha have been married for four years, with one child and a second on the way.
This being the station's first Kiwi-Canuck match-up, it remains to be seen what the future will hold for Mr. and Mrs. Court.
Kiwi driver marries in radio promotion
HARNESSLINK.COM
28-Sep-2007
Paul Court & Chantelle Swanson - literally married the moment they lied eyes on one another
The happy couple - with Morning Madhouse host Jay Jay Feeney
Already up to mischief? - Paul Court and Dominic Harvey share a high-five
Templeton, near Christchurch, horseman Paul Court has become a national celebrity overnight after taking part in a radio station promotion that saw him marry Canadian-born Chantelle Swanson just moments after first laying eyes on her in Auckland yesterday, September 27.
27-year-old Court, who has driven 82 winners in his 10 years, the last three seasons as an open driver, had taken part in four weeks of build up that saw him and another man, Dave Logan, named the finalists in a bid to be Swanson's groom.
After being assessed, scrutinised, tested and interviewed until he was blue in the face, Court emerged as Swanson's choice based on what she had heard from him in the preceeding weeks.
The promotion attracted nationwide interest, with more than 100 brides and a generous number of eligible bachelors applying to be a part of it.
Friends, the grooms’ families, supporters and media gathered together at the Floating Pavilion in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour yesterday morning to witness Chantelle make the biggest decision of her life; who would be her chosen husband.
Dominic Harvey of The Morning Madhouse says: “Chantelle and Paul are from totally different walks of life, yet they have so much in common. If it wasn’t for The Edge their paths might not have crossed, so that’s pretty cool!"
“We’ve put hundreds of hours into finding two men who were perfect for Chantelle. She and Paul are ideal for each other; they’ll make a great couple."
"Will they be the next Paula and Zane? Only time will tell. But I do know one thing for sure; they will keep the bar staff at The Edgewater Resort in Rarotonga busy on their honeymoon!”
Fun loving 26- year-old Chantelle is Canadian born and entered the promotion because she thought it was an original way to meet her future husband.
She teaches at an Auckland school and describes herself as fun, adventurous and open minded.
“Chantelle is an exceptional woman and full of excitement, which is what I’m all about,” says Paul.
“Paul seems fun, outgoing and I can see us having a good time together in the future; there’s a lot of chemistry,” says Chantelle.
It isn’t the first time The Edge has paired up two complete strangers. In both 1999 and 2003, the radio station made history and headlines across New Zealand and around the world for marrying two strangers.
Eight years on Paula and Zane are happily married with two children; Steve and Kersha have been married for four years, have one child with a second child on the way.
So, will 2007’s marriage be another success for The Edge Morning Madhouse?
“I’m quietly confident Chantelle and Paul will be as successful as our first two arranged marriages. If not, Chantelle can always look Dave up on Facebook and maybe he will forgive her for ripping his heart out in such a public fashion,” says Dominic.
‘We might have to go into business… Morning Madhouse Matchmakers. How does that sound?” says Jay Jay Feeney.
From NZ GIRL
Would You Marry a Stranger?
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There’s always one of “those” moments during a wedding, and when celebrant Tim Shadbolt asked if anyone had reason why Paul Court and Chantelle Swanson should not be married there was a nervous titter of laughter from the guests, followed by an “I do” from Dave the unsuccessful groom.
While getting ditched at the alter is a common enough cliché, getting ditched then having to sit through the bride marrying someone else is a little outside the realm of the ordinary.
I felt pretty sorry for the unsuccessful groom in the Edge’s Three Strangers and a Wedding promotion, but my sympathy was short lived (boy, I’m cold!) and the focus quickly shifted to Paul, who was about to become a husband.
Marrying someone you’ve just met for the first time has to be a pretty awkward experience but Chantelle and Paul handled it well and Paul’s goofy grin portrayed exactly what he was thinking of his incredibly gorgeous bride! Of course, watching a wedding where the bride and groom barely look at each other is a little unusual and I have to admit to feeling incredibly nervous for them when they went in for that first kiss at the end of the ceremony.
At the press conference after the ceremony that smooch was one of the first things Chantelle was asked about and she rated Paul as a good kisser (just as well, given the  knot has been tied and there’s no going back now!).
Canadian native Chantelle’s path to marital bliss has been pretty rocky with her parents refusing to attend and putting a lot of pressure on her not to go through with the wedding. Evidently there were cold feet the night before, but she appeared calm and excited on the day (not to mention a little nervous – as you would be!).
She looked stunning in a beautiful Jane Yeh gown and I have to say her makeup, which was done using nzgirl products, looked perfect. Mr Nigel Russell, our Hairy Stuff guru, was responsible for the gorgeous hairstyles of Chantelle and her bridesmaids and he did a great job (I’m so stealing those ‘dos for my own up-coming wedding!).
Once her teaching contract in Auckland is up Chantelle has plans to move to Christchurch to be with Paul. This is the third time the Edge has married two strangers and it will be interesting to say if this union is as steady as the other two have worked out to be.
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See more photos from this story HERE
They're even talking about it in Romania!
Casatorie in mare viteza
28 Septembrie 2007
Chantelle Swanson, profesoara, si Paul Court, antrenor de cai de curse, s-au casatorit la doar cateva minute de la prima lor intalnire.
Cei doi si-au unit destinele, dupa ce s-au prezentat la un post de radio care a organizat un concurs denumit “Trei straini si o casatorie”.
Ascultatori, prieteni si asa-zisi experti au ales-o pe Chantelle Swanson (25 de ani) dintr-un grup de peste 100 de potentiale mirese care au participat la concursul ce s-a desfasurat pe parcursul a sapte saptamani.
Apoi, ea l-a ales pe Paul Court (28 de ani) dintre cei doi finalisti ai grupului de candidati pentru postul de mire.
Un prezentator al postului de radio The Edge a precizat ca insurateii au multe in comun, chiar daca au urmat cai separate in viata.
Sursa: Independent Online