Monday, September 19, 2011

{ SEASON THREE FINALE }


In Ashley's Words:

I truly cannot express enough gratitude and thanks to all those who have helped me throughout this incredible experience. First to Erin Elton, Tristen Ure, and Aubrey Laidlaw for giving me this opportunity. Thanks to Denver Porter for his help in creating my application video – that man can make anyone look good! Check out the project that he’s been working on at www.e3imagine.com. I am grateful for Brad Burnham’s willingness to do my headshots – I am a huge fan of his work! Check it out at www.bradburnhamphotography.com. I cannot thank our incredible film crew enough for the countless hours they have put into this project.

I am so blessed to have the best family and friends you could ask for, who have helped carry me through this intensely wonderful experience. I especially owe a shout out to my Mom and Dad, each of my siblings, and many other friends who have sent me supportive notes, given me phone calls to check in, and have given me love and advice through it all (you know who you are!). I have so enjoyed receiving facebook messages and seeing comments from people who I do not know, but who have given me encouraging words and have often come at just the time that I needed them. Thank you for enriching my life.

I of course cannot neglect thanking my Father in Heaven for his infinite wisdom in placing me in the situations that have guided my life, that have pushed me to my limits of both sorrow and joy. He has brought me into touch with so people who have shown me how to be a better person, how to have faith and belief that no matter what, things will work out as they should. “Come what may, and love it” – Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin.

I am forever changed by The Mormon Bachelorette. Thanks for joining me on the journey.

{ WIN YOUR DREAM WEDDING!!! }

FIRST EVER TMB WEDDING GIVEAWAY!!!


Join us at 5pm PST as we find out the ending of Ashley's love story
In the meantime the TMB Wedding Giveaway is here!


Getting married to the man/woman of your dreams in Utah?  You deserve your dream wedding to seal the deal! The Mormon Bachelorette has teamed up with the best of the best wedding vendors in Utah to turn your dreams into reality.  Here is how it works:
  • Apply here to enter the giveaway - deadline October 15th, 2011
    • Each Couple must submit a video (no more than 3 minutes) that will be posted to The Mormon Bachelorette - tell us your love story and why you should win the wedding of your dreams in Utah
    • Admission is FREE!
  • From October 16th-October 30th the voting begins - the couple that gets the most votes wins the dream wedding!  Be creative in rallying voters - you can use any method you want to promote your video.
  • On October 31st we will announce the lucky couple that wins The Mormon Bachelorette Wedding Giveaway 2011
  • TMB will be there on your special day to capture the magic and feature your wedding on our site 
So spread the word, get your videos in and get ready for more True Mormon Love!

The Vendors:


Reception Venue, Caterer, Wedding Flowers
White Willow is Utah Valleys Premier Reception and Events Center 
Where Every Event is Customized to Fit Your Dreams


Wedding Day Photography
Creating Memories


Wedding Flowers - Bouquet, Bridal Party, Reception
Jolley's Flowers with head designer, Rachel Osguthorpe, have the experience to create an outstanding and beautiful enhancement for your big day.  We will work closely with you in design, color and display to make your wedding a truly memorable occasion.  If you can dream it . . . we can create it!
www.jolleysgifts.com

Wedding Dress and Tuxedo Rental
We Have the Perfect Dress for Your Perfect Occasion


Bridesmaids' Dresses

Engagement Photos
Amanda Castleberry Photography wedding and portrait photographer


Wedding Photographer
Julie Lafferre Wedding Photos
www.julielafferrephotography.com


Wedding Video
Wedding Videos That Will Melt Your Face
www.collinkartchnerstudios.com


Wedding Invitations
Personalized Wedding Invitations Designed to Fit Your Personal Style


Wedding Cake
Wedding Cakes that Taste as Good as They Look, Serving the Wasatch Front for 20 Years


DJ
Entertainment At It's Best Since 2004




Bridal Make-up
Freelance Makeup Artist


Bride and Bridal Party Hair
Premier On-location Hair and Make-up Artistry since 2004
www.signaturebrides.com


Bridal Eyelash Extensions
Customized Eye Lash Extentions That Turn Drab to Fab in Less Than 2 Hours
www.glamlash.com


Painting of the Bride and Groom
Personalized Paintings To Capture Your Love Through Generations

We can't wait to watch your love stories unfold!  Questions?  E-mail Erin, Aubrey and Tristen at: themormonbachelorette@gmail.com




Thursday, September 15, 2011

{ Post Date Interview #2: ASHLEY & RUDD + voting + TMB Wedding Giveaway }

Now that Ashley has finished the last of her 8 second dates who will win her heart? The Season Three finale will air this Monday, September 19th. Until then vote for who you think Ashley will choose as her man! Will it be Jace? Aaron? Brad? Erik? Rudd? Pete? Mike? Alex? We will know soon!


In the meantime the first ever Mormon Bachelorette Wedding Giveaway will take place starting on September 20th - starring YOU! TMB has teamed up with the best of the best wedding vendors in the state of Utah to give away an entire wedding to the winning couple (valued over $30,000!). From September 20th-October 15th we will be taking applications from couples that want to win their dream wedding in the state of Utah.  Each couple will need to submit a video about how they met and their love story which will be posted on TMB.  Voting will start on October 16th-30th and the lucky couple with the most votes will be announced on Halloween!  More details to come tomorrow morning - until then spread the word!!!

And... Here's RUDD!!!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

{ Second Date: ASHLEY & RUDD }


In Rudd's Words:

Who needs the make a wish foundation when you've got Ashley Chapman. My dreams came true when Ashley asked me out on a second date. I was sure thankful that I was at the end of the first round so that I didn't have to wait very long for the second round to start. My deepest appreciation goes to Erin and Tristen for their tremendous logistics abilities in getting me where I needed to be. Another huge thank you to Mesa's real men Lee and JR for taxi services and hotel accommodations.

My date was supposed to go down on Saturday, late morning where I was to meet up with Ashley and the Crew in Black Canyon Springs. An hour or so later we pulled up to Slide Rock Canyon above Sedona. Its always interesting to go to a new spot, but then mix that with a new person and then stir in a camera on you at all times and you've got an interesting situation. I figured the best thing to do would probably be to take off my shirt. The Go-Pro camera was a great addition to our date, the question is that as I was getting tossed in the water if I got my good side or not? There were some cliffs that provided me with some prime spots to do my best George of the Jungle impersonation.

Hunger set in so we found some delicious food at Oaxaca(wa-hoc-a). The restaurant name is actually best pronounced if you have a lot of saliva in your mouth. Ashley and I shared some Flautas and huevos rancheros and Ill let you guess who ordered what. There was no dessert at this meal but I was ok with that seeing that the conversation was pretty sweet.

The drive back was for the most part in the dark. No one snored on the ride home, thank goodness, but needless to say there wasn't a whole lot of conversation either.

At one point of the date I found myself wondering if I had more sparks with Ashley or with the Creative Director Luke (in a platonic way of course) They were soo much fun to work with and had some great ideas as to shots and even different ways to find a reason to hold Ashley's hand. We even did improve music videos for crying out loud.

So back to Ashley...she was exhausted the poor girl. At the end of our first date I thought that there was some spark. I guess the way I understood it was by the fact that Ashley and I didn't feel any kind of personal bubbles, especially at the end of the date. This time around I thought the same thing could happen at the end but that vanished into thin air when I realized she was sailing at half mast well say.

I stratigized with Luke as far as camera set up went and decided that I was going to invade the Ashley's bubble and see if she backed away. Eye on the prize, eye on the prize I repeated to myself. As we conversed I referred back to a compliment she had paid me earlier in the day and used that as a little creative foreshadowing we'll call it. And before she or I knew it I had tripped right into her lips. The fourth of July came about a month late for me this year.

Monday, September 12, 2011

{ Second Date: ASHLEY & AARON }



A BIG thanks is in order to Jason Cooley at Freedom Boardshop for coming out on the lake with Ashley and Aaron to throw down some sick tricks and give really good tips and advice. Not to mention the t-shirt that is now Ashley's favorite t-shirt ever. Shop Freedom Boardshop for awesome boards and apparel. 


When I got the call from Ashley for a second date I was pretty relieved that she did. I mean I had made a pretty confident prediction that I would get a asked for one... period. Needless to say I was excited to drive out to Arizona (this time with a fully functional air conditioned car).

When I walked up to the door fro the second date with Ashley I was pretty excited. I didn't know what to expect, I just knew we were gonna have a fun time. She greeted me with a kind smile and great hug. She had told me to dress for something in the water but I had no idea what we were going to do. We started to drive to a board shop, and in my mind a board shop was for skateboarding. Little did I know she was taking me wake boarding! I never grew up really close to a lake and I rarely ever went out on a boat so I was totally floored by the idea of it, not to mention that we got to see up close a two time national champion wake boarder throw down some pretty awesome tricks. When it came our time to get in the water i had a blast, i even learned how to wake surf so that was pretty cool as well.

Ashley looked so comfortable out on a wake board and when she wake surfed. Every time she was ready to board she would say "hit it" and the song "It takes two" came in to my head and i told the crew they should put it on our video. What i like about Ashley is how she is up for almost anything and likes to try new things and different adventures. Being on a boat with Ashley was really fun. Not to mention she looks really good on a board and while she was on the boat... if you know what i mean ;)

Ashley and I got to see what each other were like in a different environment. Second dates are usually more that way. The ice has been broken and your personality comes out a little more, especially when you are doing something together that you really enjoy. Getting to know her better and talking in the car on the way to the lake was really enjoyable. She is really easy to talk to and likes to joke around a lot. I can see that we have a lot in common in not taking things too seriously and going with the flow, be able to adapt to new situations and being comfortable in those positions.

Dinner after boarding was amazing. Authentic Mexican food is probably 70% of my diet. Living in southern California we have some of the best Mexican food there is but Arizona can boast that as well when Ashley took me to this place with Mexican hot dogs. It was really good and I need to find a place out in California that has those.

The night was filled with good times, good conversation, and good food. Ashley knows how to treat a man right. I like her, but with me it is too early to tell if i will get a potential 3rd date but i would be more than happy to be with Ashley. Living in another state does make things difficult so it would be the hardest hurdle to jump if things were to happen between us.

PS what happens off camera, stays off camera... you know what i mean.

{ Post Date Interview #2: Ashley & Brad }

Friday, September 9, 2011

{ Second Date: ASHLEY & BRAD }


A BIG big thank you to Chris and Joe at Western Destinations for a true western adventure for Ashley and Brad. These legit cowboys know how to show you a great time in the wild west! They have all sorts of activities to choose from.


In Brad's Words:

Things started out rough. I've never gotten up so early for a date in my entire life! I went to her house around 4am. I was really tired and quite worried that I was going to be sleepy for our entire date. I had no idea what was in store for me. We started off with a three hour drive, which at that hour, is brutal! Actually, I really do like road trips when the company is good, and she kept me awake. She really is pretty entertaining.

We drove out to the middle of the desert and met up with some cowboy. He was a total character. When we pulled up, he was sitting in a folding chair, right beside his truck. Oh, and he was playing the harmonica. Classic cowboy move.

As soon as he saw Ashley, he jumped up, and shouted a good "HOWDY!!!". We all jumped. He stood up, hurled his chair through the air, and started walked towards us before it had time to land in the bed of his truck. We got a good laugh out of that. Right then, I knew we were in for a good time.

Then the cowboy took us to his ranch. It was awesome! He explained that we were going to have a few competitions. That was music to my ears. I am always up for some good competition. One thing that I really like about Ashely from our first date, was how competitive she was with basketball and skeeball, so I knew this would be good. Life is much more fun when you have someone that can challenge you.

Our challenges included tossing hatchets at some wooden signs, and shooting clay pigeons and cans. We taught those cans a lesson or two about being shot. We even had to do the old fashioned stand off/show down to see who could "draw" first, and shoot the other person.

I thought it was a great date for us. Since we only get one date (2 if you're lucky) we have to spend some quality time together. I really liked Ashley's ability to just have fun. I wish we had more time to really get to know each other. As it is, we were just able to scrape the surface. If this is that last time I go out with Ashley, I will be disappointed. The one problem I foresee with Ashley, is that I fear that my life style is a little too different from hers, and what she wants in a guy. As a filmmaker, each movie is like starting a new business. That takes a lot of work. I am afraid that she would kill me if she had to start putting up with my crazy, ever changing schedule. But who knows… Maybe she will grow to love it!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

{ Second Date: ASHLEY & JACE }


A HUGE thanks to Melanie and Rachel with Freestyle Dance Company for choreographing a great routine for Ashley and Jace. If you live near the San Tan Valley you should definitely take a class!


In Jace's Words:

After a nice flight from desert to desert, I was greeted at the airport by Ashley. Once again I came with some flowers. However, this time they were a little different. I brought turquoise roses. She thought they were her BYU blue; I thought they matched my shirt perfectly. Interesting how that worked. We had a few good laughs over that. She also had a few things for me. One of them was a package of Mike n Ike's, which represented some things (inside jokes perhaps) from our first date. I was very impressed. I've always been a guy who likes the little things/details and Ashley is very good at doing the little things.

Soon we were on our way. We drove for quite a while to Joe's Farm Grill for dinner. During the car ride we discussed work, politics, and sports. We also had a little discussion about what I thought we were doing for the date. I like surprises, but the suspense was killing me since I was told what to bring a few days beforehand, but I was not informed about the details of the date. She told me to bring basketball shorts and a t-shirt. What could that possibly mean? I thought well maybe she wants to try her luck on the basketball court with me again. Or perhaps we're going to play her game, football. Or better yet, maybe she is taking me to a hip-hop dance club in an attempt to see if I'm really as athletic as she is. I didn't figure that out until we pulled up to the club and saw the sign, but I'm sure she enjoyed watching me as I attempted to figure it out.

We were greeted at Joe's Farm Grill by Joe himself, which was quite a treat. Being in business, it's always fun for me to meet the owner because they are usually the most passionate about the business and can answer all your questions. We had a great conversation with Joe about his farm and his businesses. It's common food done uncommonly well at Joe's Farm Grill. As we waited for our food, Ashley and I were able to take a walk through part of the farm. There was a little hand holding which was great. After our walk we ate at a table Joe had prepared for us with a centerpiece. Our food was delicious. I think we ordered just about everything on the menu. Halfway into dinner we noticed that it became very dark outside. A giant monsoon came through which was really cool because that was something I had never seen before. After dinner we were on to the activity.

As we left Joe's, Ashley told me we were in for another long drive to our activity. She told me we were going to Queen Creek. I don't know the Phoenix Valley super well, but I had never heard of Queen Creek so I figured it was pretty far. Driving thru the desert in a monsoon wasn't quite the way I had pictured seeing the outskirts, but it was kind of fun. As we arrived at Freestyle Dance Co., we were greeted by one of Ashley's college hip hop friends. She and her sister had a choreographed routine for us to learn. I love to dance, but I am by no means a dancer. I thought to myself that this was really going to challenge my abilities. I just hoped I wouldn't embarrass Ashley or the show. We had a great time learning the routine and performing it. After we were finished, I had the great treat of watching a video of Ashley when she was in college as a hip-hop performer. She probably wouldn't admit it, but she is a great dancer.

After she showed me up on the dance floor, we drove back to Mesa. Once we arrived in Mesa, it was time to say goodbye to Ashley. She had been giving me good signs all night for great doorstep scene if you know what I mean. We had great conversation, held hands, and she cuddled up to me a time or two while we were walking. I gave her a chocolate kiss on our first date so I thought it would be extremely appropriate to conclude the evening with a different type of kiss. The play by play from my perspective goes like this. We pull up to the house, I get out of the car and walk over to her. Our eyes meet as we embrace and we chat and tell each other how much we enjoyed the evening. Then the magic occurred. We kissed. It was a great end to a great date.

Monday, September 5, 2011

{ Second Date: ASHLEY & MIKE }


A BIG thanks to Bondurant Racing School of High Performance Driving for sponsoring Ashley and Mike's date. For an unbeatable driving experience, book a class. Shifter Kart classes available.  


In Mike's Words:


As I have come to experience, second dates are usually better than first dates, and this date proved no different. In fact, activity-wise this was probably the best date I’ve ever been on. Ashley knew I’m a big car guy, and she organized the perfect date for me. She left the day’s plan as a surprise and we quickly embarked to meet some sort of deadline. On the way over we just so happened to drive head first into a sandstorm of epic proportions. People were pulling off onto the shoulder of the highway, as if in a crippling snow blizzard or something. As soon as I saw the sign of the facility (Bondurant Racing School) I knew what we were up to, and I couldn’t have been more stoked to get out there and get in a car. Suddenly the recommended attire of “levis, close-toed shoes” started to make sense.

Here in Utah one of my favorite things to do is to take my car out the Miller Motorsports Park road course for a day on the track. However, I haven’t been able to go out for the last 2 years because my track car has been in pieces. This was an awesome opportunity to get some seat time, and see if Ashley really can put up with my passion for cars and racing (I swear I’m not as 1-dimensional as it seems ha.) Out on the autocross course she not only put up with my enthusiasm, she got a little over-enthusiastic herself, knocking over more than a few cones and powersliding through the corners! There’s something to be said about a girl that can drive, and drive well (and even prefers a manual); definitely an attractive attribute. After our own escapades on the autocross course, they took us out for a hot-lap on the big road course in a track prepped Corvette with a professional driver. I saw my life flash before my eyes, as I’m more comfortable in the driver’s seat, but that truly was an incredible experience. I’m always game for an adrenaline pulsing adventure, and the crew at the Bondurant Racing School were impressive and such great hosts.

Still reeling from the driving school, we headed out to what Ashley self-proclaims as “the best sushi place ever.” Conversation on the date was flowing naturally, and it seemed like now that we were past some of the ‘first date formalities’ that we had some familiarity to go on. The specialty sushi rolls (that some of Ashley’s friends actually helped the owner name) were indeed incredible, and this really was the best sushi I had ever had (in my limited sushi house-ing experience)! The date ended well, with a nice hug and a positive vibe all around. Good eats, good people, and sharing a unique experience with someone who appreciates it; you can’t ask for much more.

Friday, September 2, 2011

{ Second Date: ASHLEY & ERIK }


A HUGE thanks to Mark at SkyDive Phoenix for sponsoring Ashley and Erik's second date.  If you want some free falling adventure please visit them at www.skydivephoenix.com


In Erik's Words:

After my first date with Ashley I wasn't really sure how I was feeling about her even though I had a ton of fun and really respected this girl. So when I got her call asking me for a second date I was up for it because I knew we would have fun but I wasn't necessarily feeling it. The height thing bothered me a bit too but I think Ashley is really cute and that wasn't necessarily a deal breaker. So I decided to give it a shot and come back out to AZ for Round 2.

Skydiving was AMAZING! I was really impressed that this girl had thought of a date that not only fit my personality but helped us get to know each other even better by taking some risks. I am kind of an adrenaline junkie so I had a blast.

After the date I realized how comfortable I felt around Ashley. She is a girl that I really admire and have a lot of fun with, although I didn't feel enough to see things working out in the end. I hope that we can continue to build a strong friendship and that she finds the man of her dreams through The Mormon Bachelorette. I was hopeful I would find love through this journey with Ashley but I don't think it was meant to be.

{ DownEast Basics Giveaway Winner! }

Congratulations Kathryn Gourley Robinson!  You have won our DownEast Basics giveaway!  You will look beautiful in your new dress!  Visit DownEast Basics to check out the latest modest trends for this Fall.


Tune in again tonight for Ashley's 3rd Second date.  Who is still in the running to capture our Bachelorette's heart?  Only time will tell...