Local veteran, wife-to-be vie for dream wedding on float in Rose Parade

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - An Independence couple has the chance to have their dream wedding on a float at the Rose Parade on New Year's morning.

Joe Martinez and Ashley Hoerl are among four finalists in Farmers Insurance Dream Wedding Contest.

"It would be pretty magical,” Ashley said. “I'm very excited, hoping we'll win. So you got to vote.”

The winner will be determined by voting on Facebook . On the site, they're described as high school sweethearts "separated by Joe's tour in Afghanistan."

You can watch their submission video by scrolling down to below the text of this story. Mobile users can copy and paste this link: http://youtu.be/gwE6uU1g5AM

"We both had some kids at that point but we started talking and started dating,” Joe said. “I just knew she was the one.”

The site goes on to say that now that "they've found each other again" and they're "never letting each other slip away."

Martinez platoon sergeant signed him up for Farmers Insurance and encouraged him to go for the "Dream Wedding" Contest.

The other remaining couples include two from California and one from Virginia.

Voting runs through Nov. 13 on the Farmers Insurance Facebook page or on Farmers.com/LoveFloat . The winner will be announced in the next two weeks.

The 124th Rose Parade will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. The winning couple will get married in front of over 52 million television viewers and another 900,000 people lining the parade route.