Four Los Angeles-area couples will never again think of Kaua’i or listen to the radio without remembering their wedding day. Thanks to Princeville Resort, Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays and KIIS-FM, one of Los Angeles’ most listened to radio stations, love is
Four Los Angeles-area couples will never again think of Kaua’i or listen to the radio without remembering their wedding day.
Thanks to Princeville Resort, Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays and KIIS-FM, one of Los Angeles’ most listened to radio stations, love is on the air today on Kauai’s North Shore. They’ve combined to produce a group trip and wedding.
Rev. Fern Merle-Jones married one of the four couples as part of a live KIIS remote broadcast this morning from Princeville Resort. The remaining couples were united by Merle-Jones in a group ceremony at the resort.
The eight newlyweds are staying, gratis, at the resort. The wedding package would have cost $1,600 per couple, according to the resort’s Stephanie Reid. And at that price, Christy Krueger and Patrick Lynam, both of Orange County, wouldn’t have gotten married anywhere any time soon.
“We had planned to get married on Maui in March. But Pat lost his job and we canceled it (Maui wedding) to pay bills,” said Krueger, 24.
Lynam entered the contest for the couple. To win the prize, he had to explain why his wedding trip and marriage should be on Kaua’i. Krueger said he told the radio station, “‘I have found my soulmate.'”
He also explained how their planned wedding had gone down the financial tubes. His tale must have pulled at some KIIS heartstrings, because the couple were chosen out of thousands of entries.
KIIS “called me at work. I was totally shocked,” Krueger said.
“I thought it was just a friend playing a trick on me. They weren’t on the air or anything. When I found out it was for real, I was pretty excited,” Lynam said.
Lynam and Krueger met last May when both were working at the same company in Orange County. Lynam said he knew Krueger was the girl for him as soon as he saw her. But Krueger took a bit of persuading.
“He had to convince me. He kept telling me, ‘I’m going to marry you,'” she said.
The four couples arrived on Kaua’i last Sunday and will leave this Saturday.
“The people here are so hospitable,” Krueger said, smiling as she and Lynam walked toward Kalapaki Bay hand in hand after she was fitted at a nearby shop for her wedding dress.
The other couples tying the knot today are Vanessa Mittelstaedit and Jeremy Timbraza, Cynthia Maudlin and Bret David Edwards, and Shelly Burkhardt and Aaron Nichols.
They are all from the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) and mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net
