We Entered America’s Favorite Couple Contest… and Came in Third Place

Jul 2

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Hi, friends!

So… Jon and I are officially America’s Third Favorite Couple. Out of thousands. Which sounds chic until you realize we were this close to $20K and a feature in Variety. Imagine me rehearsing my acceptance speech in the mirror and then… boom, third. Cue the dramatic piano music.

But, to be fair, 3rd place is still a flex. We weren’t background filler, we were in the spotlight, almost grabbing the crown, and now I have enough ridiculous photos of Jon holding our cat like he’s auditioning for a pet calendar to last a lifetime.

How It Started

We entered half as a joke, half because I love chaos. Next thing you know, I’m running a full-blown campaign: texting relatives like I was canvassing votes for city council, scheduling living-room photoshoots, and casually dropping “I’m in a national competition for being in love” into conversations.

Jon? He mostly tried to keep me fed while I spiraled into spreadsheets of vote counts. He’s the calm, I’m the storm. Balance.

The Campaign Madness

Highlights include:

Me bribing people with baked goods for screenshots of their votes.
Jon posing with Wesley (our cat) like he was the trophy.
Friends texting “voted!” like they were part of my PR team.
Me practicing how I’d casually mention our Variety feature at parties.

The Results

We came in third. Not first, not second, but solid, podium-level third.

Did I mourn the $20K? Yes. Did I imagine a floral installation at our wedding that would’ve made people cry? Also yes. But third still means we were one of the top couples in the country. That’s huge.

Why Third Place Still Counts

Visibility: Thousands of new eyeballs on my blog, my brand, my story.
Proof of Audience: People showed up, clicked, voted and that’s real loyalty, and it meant so much to us.
A Story That Sticks: “We placed third in America’s Favorite Couple Contest” is the kind of party line I can use forever lol.

What I Would’ve Done With $20K

For the record:

Extra over-the-top wedding details (flowers that feel like Versailles).
Home upgrades I’ve had bookmarked forever.
Funding new projects I’m bringing to Chronically Chic (yes, those are still coming… slowly but surely lol)

Why We WEre in This Contest

Why did we put ourselves through this crazy contest? Because it was fun? For sure! Because we wanted to win? Absolutely, but honestly? It was because we genuinely love each other (duh), but we also could have REALLY used that prize money! 😩 And let’s be real, it’s not like we’re perfect… Oh goodness, we are so not perfect!!!

We've been together through most of our twenties, (actually, all of mine!) so trust that there were plenty of dumb fights, bruised egos, bad decisions, big mistakes, lots of learning, non-linear growing, and plenty of other things that only couple's who literally "grew up" with each other can understand. We were just young, dumb kids, and now we're all grown up and getting married!

But that’s the beauty of it, amidst the silly (or not-so-silly) squabbles and little meltdowns, we find ourselves laughing and pulling each other through the most difficult moments in life, like losing my dad, a bad investment, car accidents, damage to our home, chronic illnesses, and so much more. It’s that nurturing aspect we have for each other that feels so incredibly special to me.

This contest wasn’t just about winning, it represented so much more to us. It’s was a real chance to help make our wedding dreams a reality (and if you've been following me for a while, you know planning has been a bit of a non-starter thanks to life's fun little curveballs). I’ll be honest, we’re doing our best to piece it together in a way that feels beautiful but still realistic.

*And if any wedding venues or vendors happen to be reading this, I’d genuinely love to find a way to work together. Nothing over-the-top or unrealistic, just a fair trade that makes sense on both sides. If you help us with a space, service, or detail, I’ll create thoughtful content that showcases your work across my blog and social channels in an organic, lasting way.
It would mean so much to us personally, but I also want it to be valuable for you professionally. I believe in showing off the heart and effort behind good work, and I’d be honored to do that for the people who help make our day possible.

The contest prize also would have gone towards home repairs we've been desperately needing, and just all around building our future together with a little more peace and hope. For me, that meant also getting to expand my blog and brand, while for Jon, it meant finally being able to launch that dream project he’s been brewing for ages. Growing together, having fun, and tackling life’s little hurdles, that's what it's all about!

The Aftermath

Was I salty? For like 12 hours. Then I remembered: I now have a folder of hilarious content, a story worth retelling, and proof that we really are that couple.

Third place isn’t losing. It’s the perfect mix of humble brag and “we almost won $20K for being in love.” And honestly? That feels very on brand for us.

What’s Next

This isn’t the end of my “America’s Favorite” era, it’s just a new chapter. Wedding content, big home projects, giveaways, and more chaos are coming.

Want the uncut behind-the-scenes diary of this contest? Sign up for my newsletter and I’ll spill the things I couldn’t post publicly!

Why It Actually Matters

Online contests might seem silly, but they’re also so powerful! They’re platforms, little spotlights that let people like little ol' me, who didn’t grow up with connections or insider access, get seen. Winning would have meant even more opportunities for us, more getting our names out there and showing the world that little couples like us deserve main character treatment sometimes too... LOL

And yes, it meant an amazing cash prize, would have been so cool and completely changed our lives (and given us some space to breathe...) But honestly? The chance to share with more people, to grow this blog, and to keep chasing this big, beautiful, unrealistic dream of mine? That’s what really lights me up.

Final Thoughts (Before I Cry)

If you voted for us, THANK YOU 🥹💖✨ Jon and I aren’t perfect, but we love each other with our whole hearts (even when we disagree about parking spaces or the temperature of the house). You helped two weirdos in love prove that they’re worthy, and you changed our lives for the better. Thank you to all of you wonderful, beautiful people who voted for us. I can't even begin to tell you how grateful we are!

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And tell me in the comments: Do you think Jon and I should have won? Be honest. I can take it. Sort of 😂

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