Microsoft Australia is out to prove that they are in fact Softies at heart, offering $25,000 to one Aussie couple to make their wedding dreams come true.
Dubbed ''Marry Me Microsoft'' the premise behind the competition reads like a reality TV show - one couple will pick up $20,000 towards their wedding, plus $5000 towards their honeymoon. But there's a catch - only the groom is allowed to plan and organise the wedding, and he'll be allowed just five days to get it all together, using only a Windows 7 PC and a copy of Office 2010. The bride, meanwhile, will be treated to a beachside holiday.
To complicate matters further, Microsoft will be locking the winning groom in a so-called 'bachelor bubble', located somewhere in the city of Sydney, for the duration of the five days. Members of the public will be able to visit the bachelor in person, or track his progress on the event's Facebook page.
Melissa Ashley, whose sister Megs is one half of one of the final three couples vying for the prize, told Neowin her sister's story was a true tale of modern romance.
She said after years of school together, Megs and her partner Dave had a chance encounter at a local pub and immediately hit it off around a year ago.
''[But] work commitments saw Megs return to London and so Dave bought a webcam and the two spent 5 months getting to know each other better via Skype. Finally Dave took the plunge and headed overseas to bring Megs home,'' she said.
Six months later the pair were engaged. Since applying for Microsoft's social experiment, the couple have appeared on Australian TV and while Dave is apparently not entirely looking forward to being a one-man wedding planning team, Ms Ashley said the pair are keen to walk away with the prize.
One can only hope Dave's wedding planning skills are better than his acting.
The public are able to vote on which couple should win, and voting closes on Sunday 28th at 5PM Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time (10PM Saturday 27th PST, 1AM Sunday 28th EST).
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