“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr
Thank you for your leadership and courage Dr. King.
In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Category Archives: Community Outreach
A Look Back at 2011
Gallery
This gallery contains 129 photos.
I am excited to welcome 2012. I can already tell it is going to be a fantastic year! It is always good to welcome a new year by reflecting on the previous one … So here are some of our … Continue reading
Wedding Industry Food Drive!
We are so excited to announce that we have teamed up with the ladies from SQN Events and Engaging Events by Ali to have a Wedding Industry Food Drive for the Greater Chicago Food Depository. As you have likely heard, food banks all over the country are under extreme pressure this year as the economy has slowed donations and driven up the numbers of families looking for help. The need in Chicago is greater than ever and it’s time to help raise awareness and collect food for those in need.
As an industry, wedding professionals bring joy to so many people’s lives all year around. We are asking everyone to continue the joy by participating in our Wedding Industry Food Drive December 15th through December 18th. You can bring your non perishable food items to one of the following locations (hours and addresses listed below) Bella Bianca, Bleeding Heart Bakery, Fleur, The Left Bank Jewelry & Shoes, Magnificent Milestones and Smitten Boutique. Each store is offering a discount for any one who brings in five or more non perishable food items (amount differs at each location but expect 10% – 15% off). We are so grateful to each of our drop off locations for opening their doors and our hearts to this extremely worthy cause. Beth, Ali and I will be collecting the food on Monday the 19th and taking it directly to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
I’d also like to give a special thanks to Peggy from Erickson Designs for putting together this beautiful poster in a flash!
The eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway, featured on TV and in Newspaper
We are so proud of the work we have done with the eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway. The event is extremely near and dear to our hearts since we created it in 2010. This year’s exceptional event took place yesterday at The Chicago History Museum and was featured on the ABC 7 News 6:00 pm broadcast and in the Chicago Sun Times.
Working with the winners, Amy and Howard, was a truly exceptional experience. They are the kind of people you just want to be around all of the time, infectious, generous, gracious, funny, kind (I could go on and on). It was such a pleasure to introduce them to each of the sponsors and work with them throughout the planning process.
It is important to note that none of this would be possible without the constant support from the vendors in our community. We are so blessed to work with these amazing people who give of their time, talents and resources so willingly and with such grace. We are truly humbled by the experience and thank you simply does not seem to be “big enough” but we hope it will do.
Keep an eye out for some sneak peak pictures from Amanda Hein Photography.
The eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway for 2012 will be announced sometime in February so please check back often and send in those applications, as you can see, dream weddings really can come true!
You can find all of our sponsors listed below. We thank them all, from the bottom of our hearts.
All images are from the Chicago Sun Times Article.
Honoring Nick and Bahar
It is with fond memories and a sad heart that we remember the one year anniversary of Nick and Bahar. One year ago today their Wish Upon a Wedding was granted. Being part of this extraordinary celebration was one of my life’s greatest treasures.
Nick, we miss you very much. Bahar we love you very much (and miss you as well).
Thank you to Amanda Hein Photography for the above image.
eleven eleven WEDDING Live Reveal Party Video
We are so excited to see the eleven eleven WEDDING Live Reveal Party up on their site! We are honored to be part of this amazing wedding and completely love working with Amy and Howard!
Thanks again to ZED451, Poetic Productions, Amanda Hein Photography and BKO for helping to make the live reveal party so amazing!
Under a New Moon
We are so thrilled to be participating Under a New Moon, what a historic event! I was so honored that Anita Vaughan from Anita Weds invited us to participate and we know it will be an exceptional evening!
Under a New Moon is a celebration of same-sex civil unions in Illinois! Be one of the first couples to have a civil union ceremony in Chicago!
Six lucky couples will win a midnight ceremony and “mini-wedding” at Catalyst Ranch, One of Chicago’s most unique event spaces! The party will begin at 10:30 on June 1st, with guests arriving and enjoying appetizers and cocktails.
A group ceremony will begin at midnight, followed by a reception that will include dessert – and dancing!
This momentous occasion will include:
- Pampering for the couples before the ceremony, including hair and make-up services provided by Nika Vaughan
- A group civil union ceremony – conducted by Anita Vaughan! This will include individual vows for each couple
- A reception for couples and their guests following the ceremony, with fabulous deejay,Toast and Jam
But wait, there’s more!
- Each couple will be able to invite 12 guests
- Photography of the event by amazing photographer, Jeremy Lawson Photography
- Video by I Do Films
- Wedding cake by Bleeding Heart Bakery
- Delicious treats by Luscious Layers Bakery
- Truffle party favors by Katherine Anne Confections
- Flowers by Pollen, a local eco-friendly florist
- Food by Entertaining Company
- Each couple will also receive a one night stay on June 1st at Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro
To be considered, couples must enter via the Under a New Moon Facebook Page. Your entry must be a response to the following:
June 1st is a New Moon, which is considered a harbinger of good fortune and new beginnings. So, we want you to tell us how your relationship is a once-in-a-lifetime connection. How will your union mark a new phase in your lives together?
Share your story with us, in writing or with a short video, submitted to the page. Then, get your friends and family to show their support by liking your entry.
The six winners will be selected by the Under a New Moon committee.
Rules:
- Entries must be submitted via Facebook page, either in written form or in a short video (maximum 5 minutes).
- Entries must include a photo of the couple.
- Couples must submit their own entries. Entries for other people will not be considered.
- Finalists must be available for an in-person interview at Catalyst Ranch to be scheduled on May 1-3.
- Winners must obtain a civil union license at a Cook County Clerk’s office on June 1st. You will not be able to participate in the event without a license!
- Winners will be required to attend a wedding rehearsal at Catalyst Ranch on the evening on May 31st.
- Winners agree to be available for media contact and understand that their likenesses will be used for promotional materials.
- Winners (both partners) will be required to sign a contract, including agreement to obtain civil union license on June 1st, photo release, etc.
- Deadline to enter: April 25, 2011
- Winners will be announced on May 4, 2011
We are thrilled to be part of this years eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway!
Well … Doing the eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway last year was such a blast that we simply could not pass up the opportunity to do it again! We are so excited about the amazing vendors we are collaborating with and hope you will be also!
Starting on March 15th you can submit your entry form on the eleven eleven WEDDING site so be sure to tell all your friends about it. Just ask Amanda and Mike … One lucky couple will get the wedding of their dreams!!
Here’s a fun picture from Amanda and Mike’s 11.11.10 wedding – thank to Amanda Hein Photography for the beautiful image!
Simply Stunning Love Story
It has taken me a long time to post pictures from Nick and Bahar’s amazing wedding. I am sorry for that as I know you are all anxious to see them and learn more about this couple. I’m not going to lie, it has been hard for me to sit down and do this…
As soon as I met Nick and Bahar I fell in love with them, as a couple and as individuals. Their story is one that inspires me to be better, stronger and more passionate about my life and the people I love. I am so grateful to Wish Upon a Wedding for giving me the opportunity to plan this amazing wedding and meet these exceptional people.
As I write this, my heart is heavy at the loss of Nick Schmidt. I ache for Bahar and the life she is trying to put back together. And I ache for the beautiful charismatic man whose life has been cut way too short. At the same time, however, I smile when I think of them together and Nick’s charming sense of humor and Bahar’s eagerness to simply be a “normal” bride. They were in love and they wanted to get married. They hoped for a future together and believed in the possibility of getting just that. They never gave up hope. They were married for 51 days.
As I worked closely with each of the vendors that played a role in Nick and Bahar’s wedding I realized just how blessed I was to be in the company of such selfless people. Each of the vendors gave from deep within their hearts and were thrilled to do so. I consider all of them my friends.
I hope you enjoy these stunning pictures from my friend Amanda Hein. She fully captured the love and emotion of the day. I will never, as long as I live, forget the smile on Nick’s face when he danced with his beautiful new wife for the first time.
Much Love.
Nick and Bahar’s Wedding Featured in Parade Magazine and The Knot!
We are so excited to announce that Nick and Bahar, our amazing Wish Upon a Wedding couple, are featured in this weekends issue of Parade Magazine. The article is also on their website and is the wedding of the week on The Knot. Through the online article you can also see the beautiful videos by Chicago Cinematic Weddings, they are really worth watching!
It was such a pleasure working with everyone at Parade and the knot. We thank them for all of the exposure for Wish Upon a Wedding. Being a wish grantor has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I look forward to doing it again.
In the next week or so I plan to write my own post about this exceptional wedding featuring images from the talented Amanda Hein. I will take that opportunity to mention all of the amazing vendors who donated their time and talents and give you a little insight into the amazing Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt.
Wish Upon a Wedding is the world’s first nonprofit wish granting organization providing weddings and vow renewals for couples facing terminal illness and serious life-altering circumstances, regardless of sexual orientation. Often, couples facing such situations do not have the energy, time, money, or resources needed to plan their wedding. Our organization takes care of all the details, offering couples a chance to relax and enjoy a very special day while surrounded by the love of their closest family and friends.