Purpose: Establish competition rules + deepen rivalry through professional contrast
Zara's team announces the competition format: Each planner gets one month to plan a "preview wedding" for Zara's assistant Keisha and her fiancé Darnell — real couple, real budget, real stakes. Winner gets the main event.
Vivian's Approach: Classic Charleston — historic plantation, string quartet, heirloom lace, seated dinner, precision timing. She pitches "timeless romance."
Milo's Approach: "Keisha and Darnell's Love Festival" — food trucks, live graffiti artists painting the couple's story, rescue dogs from Darnell's volunteer shelter, sunrise beach ceremony. He pitches "authentic joy."
Zara's Verdict: "Do both. I'll pick." (She loves drama.)
Complication: The couples' venue is a crumbling historic property that requires joint renovation — they're forced to collaborate on repairs while competing on design.
Subplot Seed: Vivian discovers her ballroom's finances are shakier than she admitted; her mother Eleanor pressures her to sell to developers. This wedding is her last chance to prove the Sterling brand still matters.
Banter Highlight: Milo "accidentally" paints over Vivian's detailed floor plan. She "accidentally" schedules construction during his band's sound check. They argue about "authenticity" vs. "excellence" — both revealing they're performing confidence they don't feel.
Ending Beat: Forced truce to fix a burst pipe. Working together, they accidentally create something beautiful — a hidden courtyard they both love. Brief moment of connection. Then immediate retreat to rivalry.