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Here at Weddzilla, our team of bloggers is constantly growing, and today, we’re incredibly excited to announce that fabulous celebrity bride DeAnna Pappas is joining our team to share her own unique wedding planning story with our community every other Friday!

As many of you may already know, DeAnna, 29, became an immediate fan favorite and was the final woman remaining on the finale of The Bachelor in November 2007. She found out she was tapped to star as the next “Bachelorette” on an episode of Ellen that aired in January of 2008. DeAnna demonstrated her assertiveness and independent nature during The Bachelor, setting her apart from the other women.

DeAnna has appeared on such shows as EXTRA, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel, Good Morning America, Hollywood 411, TV Guide Channel, and many more. In 2008, DeAnna was nominated and won the Reality Performer of the Year at the FOX Reality Awards. Most recently, DeAnna was the co-host of the daily television show titled “Get Married” on Lifetime. DeAnna now resides in Los Angeles, where she has found the man of her dreams, is planning a fall wedding this October, and most importantly, is making all her dreams come true.

DeAnna’s first blog post will go live tomorrow, but first, here’s our exclusive interview offering a sneak peek inside her one-of-a-kind story!  

Weddzilla: Describe your wedding vision and your personal style as a bride. For example, do you see yourself as a classic bride, a romantic bride, a non-traditional bride, or a combination of several other elements?

DeAnna Pappas: My wedding vision is very southern but chic. I see it as a rustic but elegant ceremony and reception. My personal style as a bride seems to be very traditional, but with a combination of other elements. I am not giving myself any rules to stick to. If I like something and I believe it fits the theme of our southern wedding, it’s in there!! I definitely want some traditional moments in the wedding though, like the father/daughter dance, my father walking me down the aisle, as well as not seeing Stephen on our wedding day until I walk down the aisle. We are adding our own personal twist by adding some Greek traditions to our ceremony and reception because I am very proud of my Greek heritage.

Weddzilla: Tell us a little bit about your fiancé. How did you two meet, and what was the proposal like?  

DeAnna Pappas: My fiance is one of a kind, that’s for sure! I feel lucky to have him in my life, and as cliche as it sounds, Stephen makes me a better woman. Besides Stephen’s good looks and his sparkling blue eyes, Stephen is hilarious and makes me laugh every day. Stephen is so intelligent, and I admire that so much. Stephen is honest, trustworthy, and so strong in his faith in the Lord. 

Stephen and I met through his brother, Michael Stagliano. Michael and I know each other because we were both on different seasons of the ABC hit show The Bachelorette. Michael is dating my friend Holly Durst. They thought it would be fun if Stephen and I began dating so we could all hang out! I don’t think any of us thought we would hit it off as well as we did!

Stephen planned out my proposal perfectly. My dad was in town visiting Memorial Day weekend in 2010. It was a Sunday…the end of the weekend. I knew we had to take my dad to the airport that evening to head back to the East Coast. Stephen kept insisting that we go to the beach, an hour out of our way I might add, to have dinner with his parents. When we arrived at the beach, everyone was being kind of strange…so, I excused myself to the restroom. When I returned, the only person standing in the room was Stephen’s mother, Lynn. She was holding a bouquet of flowers and she was crying. My first instinct was, “This is it!! He’s proposing!!” But seconds went by for what seems like forever and Stephen’s mom was still crying. Then, my feeling turned to fear as I blurted out, “Mama Bear, you’re scaring me.”

We laugh about it to this day because she cried, which was so special, but I could not prepare myself for the beautiful things she was about to say. Stephen’s mother told me about how she had prayed for a woman like me to come into Stephen’s life, how she is happy to have me as a daughter, and that she loved me so much. Then, she hugged me and walked me about 25 yards down the beach to Stephen’s father, Frank. Frank did the same thing, told me that he already considered me a daughter, he loves me very much, and that he wants me to know that I now have two fathers to trust and confide in. Frank then walked me another 25 yards down the beach to Stephen’s twin brother, and my friend, Michael. Michael and I just cried because we were both so happy! Michael told me he loved me and was happy to call me his sister.

Michael then walked me 25 yards down the beach to my very own father. My dad hugged me and kissed me, told me he loved me, and how proud he was of me. My father then walked me down the beach toward the ocean and in between two sand dunes, standing in the middle of flowers laid around him, my father handed me off to Stephen. Stephen told me how much he loved me, how happy he was that he found me, and that he wanted to love me forever. He then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. This will forever be one of the best days of my life. It was a perfect moment and a perfect proposal…

Weddzilla: Where are you in the process of planning your wedding, and what are the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way so far? Which aspects are you having the most fun with?

DeAnna Pappas: We are pretty far in the wedding planning process. We have a venue, I have my gorgeous Alfred Angelo wedding gown, as well as our Alfred Angelo bridesmaid dresses, we have our unique invites and save-the-dates by Meant To Be Sent, and we have our rehearsal dinner menu planned also. One thing we are definitely struggling with is a photographer and our guest list! Our guest list keeps growing and growing. It’s frustrating.

Weddzilla: Do you have any quick tips for brides who are just getting started and may feel overwhelmed by the entire process?

DeAnna Pappas: My tips for brides who are just beginning the wedding planning process is to just breathe! Your wedding day is supposed to be about two people joining their lives together. No one will remember the ribbon detail on the bouquet, but they will remember how beautiful the bride looked and how in love the newly married couple is. If the wedding planning process is already stressful, I suggest finding a great wedding planner. My wedding planner, Wendy Parker, is totally worth every cent! She does all the dirty work and keeps me sane!!

Want to hear more? Stay tuned for DeAnna’s inaugural blog post, the first of many as she invites the Weddzilla community to share her journey from Miss to Mrs.!