Boston Marathon Survivors to Marry Today in The Knot Dream Wedding

NEW YORK, April 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- TheKnot.com, the number one wedding planning destination, today announces the wedding day of The Knot Dream Wedding. Now in its second year, the program followed one couple through every step of the wedding planning process with each element voted on by America. This year, TheKnot.com selected Rebekah Gregory and Pete DiMartino as the very deserving recipients of The Knot Dream Wedding. Today, America can tune in to watch the wedding take place at the Biltmore in Asheville, NC, live on TheKnot.com starting at 11 a.m. See all photos from the day on instagram and twitter by following #TheKnotDreamWedding and @theknot.

Rebekah and Pete were at the finish line of the Boston Marathon cheering on Pete's mother last year. When the bomb exploded, Rebekah's first thought was to protect her son, so she shielded him. She has endured 15 surgeries over the course of the past year, as well as preparing for the upcoming amputation of her left leg. Pete lost 90 percent of his right Achilles tendon and suffered multiple broken bones in his ankle. He has undergone surgeries and months of physical therapy. Their shared experience as a result of the explosion and surviving their injuries brought them even closer together and strengthened their relationship.

"We could not think of any couple more deserving of The Knot Dream Wedding," said Rebecca Dolgin, TheKnot.com editor in chief. "We are so thrilled to help them overcome their past and bring on their new beginning to an amazing life together."

Rebekah and Pete handed off all wedding planning decisions to America. Voting took place weekly on TheKnot.com/DreamWedding where people around the country voted for seven weeks on every element of the wedding, including the location, overall theme, bridesmaid dresses, hair and makeup, rings, cake, flowers and even Rebekah's dress.

"Solidifying forever with Pete DiMartino just makes my heart really happy. And the fact that we get to share our special day with so many others thanks to The Knot, that's pretty cool to me," said Rebekah Gregory, The Knot Dream Wedding bride. "Although we do not feel more deserving of this honor than anyone else, we couldn't be more excited to have shared our journey with so many other people and to have had America plan our wedding! Everyone has trials in life and this just happens to be ours. But if we can inspire one person to keep pushing forward by sharing our story, it's totally worth it to me. And I don't care if I have to hop, wheel or roll down that aisle, I will get to the other end of it because the person waiting for me is the only thing that matters." 

Since Valentine's Day, thousands of people across the country tuned in to help Rebekah and Pete's wedding dreams come true. Additionally, Lee Brice, an award-winning country artist, is providing the couple with his new song "I Don't Dance" as their first dance. Rebekah and Pete will dance to the perfect wedding song, along with enjoying the winning wedding elements:

• Location: Asheville, NC, the couple's favorite vacation destination, was chosen for the wedding among other cities that the couple has ties to, including New York, Boston and Louisville. A garden ceremony at Biltmore was chosen for its fairytale setting next to a real-life castle.   
• Theme: The theme America chose is Enchanted Garden, a vision created by celebrity wedding planner Marcy Blum of Marcy Blum Associates. With green and brown woodland colors, plus whimsical elements like hanging lanterns, this theme is a nod to Biltmore's gardens.
• Rings: Classically Cool wedding bands were selected: a pave diamond band for Rebekah and a titanium band for Pete, both by Michael C. Fina.
• Bridesmaid Dresses: Rebekah's girls will don chiffon gowns in falcon, complete with a trendy sweetheart strapless neckline by Watters.
• The Dress: Rebekah will wear a gorgeous ivory fit-and-flare dress with beaded embroidery, a dropped-waist and sweetheart neckline by Sophia Moncelli for Kleinfeld Bridal.
• Flowers: The romantic and playful whimsical woodland centerpieces features a willow adorned tree trunk base and a secret garden of flowers in shades of pink, plus blooming cherry blossoms designed by Holly Chapple. All flowers are American grown from the California Cut Flower Commission and will play into the enchanted theme with shades of pink, lavender and peach.
• Cake: Cake Alchemy will create a masterpiece of delicate white ruffles, buttons and stunning peony sugar flowers to match the garden theme.
• Hair & Makeup: Rebekah came to NYC for a hair and makeup trial with Alli Web, founder of Drybar, and Kate Watson from Too Faced. The winning look will be revealed on the wedding day.

About The Knot
The Knot is the nation's leading wedding resource, reaching nearly every bride in America through the #1 wedding website, TheKnot.com; The Knot national and local wedding magazines; #1 wedding planning and fashion apps The Knot Wedding Planner and Wedding LookBook by The Knot; The Knot book series; syndication placements across the Internet and regular television appearances. The Knot is the flagship brand of XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO; http://www.xogroupinc.com), a consumer Internet and media company devoted to weddings, pregnancy and everything in between, providing young women with the trusted information, products and advice they need to guide them through the most transformative events of their lives. Follow The Knot on Twitter @theknot.

CONTACT:
Stephanie Fraiman
Public Relations Manager
The Knot
(212) 515-3595
[email protected]

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SOURCE TheKnot.com