Today's real wedding feature is particularly special, as it is LLG Events' second annual pro-bono wedding that was gifted to breast cancer survivor Jillian and her fiancé, Max. “Every couple deserves the wedding of their dreams and our pro-bono wedding gives us a chance to find couples who have experienced life challenges way too soon and have put a community or cause above themselves. Our pro-bono wedding is a chance for everyone to gather in one place, share one love, and celebrate life in a momentous occasion with a stellar team of vendors,” says founder Lauren Grech.
Jillian and Max were their deserving couple this year, and they had met the bride-to-be through LLG's charitable Breasties brunch for young women and their best friends, donating to the The Breasties nonprofit organization, which offers support to young women affected by breast and reproductive cancers. “Instead of worrying about herself, Jillian has been spending her time helping other women and building a network of breast cancer survivors who need love and support during their time of need through The Breasties,” says Lauren. “What stood out to us as Jillian told her story of survival was not only the strength she had to battle this disease, but the rock she had to lean on – her fiancé Max.”
And on Jillian's last day of chemo, Max proposed. “When I was diagnosed, I gave him an ‘out.’ But he told me that he would never leave my side, and he never has,” says Jillian. “He took care of me everyday and reminded me how beautiful I was. Even as my hair thinned, and my skin turned as white as ghost,” wrote Jillian in a personal essay.
For their wedding day, a team of creatives stepped up, offering their services for free so that Jillian and Max could have their wedding of their dreams, from the designer dress, to the venue, videography and photography services.
“It's been such a long and painful road, and there have been so many people there for us,” Hanson explained. “[This wedding] is celebrating everything — marriage, life, love, everything.”
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