Erin's Wedding Pink Journey

The following was written by Erin, the bride of The Wedding Pink 2013. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Erin over the last 10 months and she is a true inspiration to all of us!

 

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer at age 27 I made a vow to myself: I was not going to let cancer take anything away from me, I was going to take everything I could from it.


At that time, all I could think about was how I would deal with the impending treatments.  What would chemo be like? What would I look with a bald head? How would it feel to have surgery? Would I ever feel normal again? Could I ever be happy and carefree again? Would Ben decide that I was too much trouble and walk away? All of a sudden, my life turned upside-down and I was faced with questions and dilemmas that I never planned for.   For the next 6 months my whole world revolved around breast cancer treatment and once it was completed, I’m happy to report that I emerged, revitalized.  I had braved something harrowing.  I had survived.  Armed with my renewed sense of purpose, I set out to fulfill my vow: take everything I could from cancer.  This would not be a wasted opportunity.


Even given my mission, I could never have dreamed what the next 2 years would hold.  From the incredible friendships I would form to the amazing opportunities and organizations that I connected with, I truly felt like I was reaping the benefits of the time I put in during those initial 6 months.  And when I came across a forwarded email from a friend advertising The Wedding Pink, I looked at it with great interest.  Ben and I had been talking about getting married “one day” for a while, but after everything that we had been through, it didn’t seem as important as it once did.  We’d been together for 7 years and had weathered some pretty significant life events, so a wedding wasn’t something we needed to spend money on, especially when there were medical bills to pay off.  Needless to say, when I heard about The Wedding Pink, it all just seemed to make sense. 

Everything about the proposed wedding looked perfect.  It was in Colorado: we’d never been there, but love traveling to new places.  It was at The Wine Country Inn: we love wine!  It included a wedding planner: I was sold.  So (after I cleared it with Ben), I applied, and as I’m sure you can guess by now, we were selected! 

As I look back on the last 11 months, it all seems like a blur.  I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that we are actually married and that we had the most incredible wedding I could have imagined.  We went from shock of being selected, to joy of getting engaged (yes, we did things a little backwards), to excitement of planning a dream wedding to the bliss of getting married in just 9 months.  And have now spent the last two settling back into normal life. 


We were truly blessed to be connected to all of the wonderful and amazing people that worked to make our wedding happen.  Not only did they donate their time,  talents and services, but each and every one of them went above and beyond in every way possible.  Instead of feeling like we were getting a “free” wedding, we were treated like royalty.  Our experience with everyone connected to The Wedding Pink 2013 was truly remarkable.  We thank each and everyone one of our vendors that made our day so special and gave our guests (and us) so much joy.  We will never forget their generosity and are truly grateful for everything we’ve been given. 

And to Cheryl Ungar, there are no words that can adequately express our gratitude for everything you did to give us our dream wedding.  The words, “thank you” don’t seem to be enough, but Ben and I will be saying “thank you” for years to come.

 

breast-cancer-wedding-pinkErin, bride of The Wedding Pink 2013

 

The 4th Annual Wedding Pink Will Be Held...

at Crooked Willow Farms on Thursday, May 15, 2014. We are in the process of assembling an amazing team of vendors including Cloud 9 WeddingsVan Buren Photography, Anna Be Bridal Boutique and A Design Resource Florals. Additional vendor information will be posted as it becomes available so be sure to stay tuned to our blog and facebook page.

 

Crooked Willow Farms, Larkspur, CO - Host of The Wedding Pink 2014

 

Two Year Update From Melissa and Jeff

We just recently celebrated our 2nd anniversary and have to admit that we love married life. We are great complements to each other and make a great team. The love we share for each other grows every day. It feels like we can conquer anything together and it’s exciting to think about what the future holds for us. 

The most exciting prospect for us right now is the birth of our first child.  We are expecting a baby boy in August. It’s hard to describe our state of mind right now with a baby on the way.  It’s a mix of joy, excitement, uncertainty, humility, a little fear of the unknown, but it’s all good.  We’re both looking forward to raising this little guy.  Melissa can’t wait to have a new little man in the house and Jeff’s looking forward to teaching him how to play ball. 

We are ever grateful to The Wedding Pink by Cheryl Ungar Gives for getting our married lives together started in such a grand way.  Melissa’s bout with cancer was a challenging time, and the Wedding Pink was an uplifting experience during an otherwise disheartening time.  We think back to our wedding day often and have such fond memories of it. 

wedding-pink-recipientsMelissa + Jeff, recipients of The Wedding Pink-2011

 

Mr. and Mrs. in Less Than 3 Weeks!

Wow, it is hard to believe that the 3rd annual Wedding Pink will be taking place in less than 3 weeks. Erin and Ben will be exchanging their vows at the Wine Country Inn in Palisade, Colorado. We are in the process of putting the finishing touches on this splendid affair!

Erin and her Mom were in Palisade a little over a month ago. Pictured below is Erin with TJ Dickerson who will be officiating the wedding.

wedding-pink-2013-palisade-colorado

 

The Wedding Pink 2013 Less Than 6 Weeks Away

Lovely Article in the Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, CO

Reprinted with permission.

 

The Wedding Pink bride plans ‘soft-romantic’ May nuptials

Six empty glasses sat in front of Erin Price as she swirled a lightly-oaked chardonnay at The Wine Country Inn on Thursday.

“Many of our younger guests will appreciate the wine selection,” she told her mother, Linda Price, as she dutifully sipped the possibilities that could be served at her upcoming wedding.

Erin and Linda, both from Virginia, were in Palisade for a three-day whirlwind wedding planning trip.

“I think I’ll just take them all,” Erin said with a light-hearted laugh.

Erin, 30, is the recipient of 2013 The Wedding Pink, an annual wedding giveaway created by 21-year breast cancer survivor and professional photographer Cheryl Ungar of Denver.

Each year, Ungar’s nonprofit organization chooses a young breast cancer survivor to receive a destination wedding in Colorado.

Erin was 27 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She lost her hair while receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and she battled depression. Her cancer treatment was followed by a mastectomy with implant reconstruction.

“My two-year ‘cancer-versary’ is on St. Patrick’s Day this year, and it’s also the day of my wedding shower,” Erin said as she and an entourage of wedding coordinators moved from the Tapestry Lounge to the Vineyard Ballroom to discuss décor.

“I like soft-romantic, vintage and rustic,” she told Sheryl and Rachel Fisher, the mother and daughter-in-law owners of Shimmer, a Grand Junction event design and coordination company.

Using her iPad, Erin showed the Fishers pictures of her favorite shabby chic wedding ideas that she had saved on Pinterest.

April Nichols, director of sales at Wine Country Inn, spread an ivory lace overlay on the table. “Like this?” she asked.

“I love that,” said Linda, as she watched her daughter plan her dream wedding.

“That phone call — that she had cancer — just came out of left field,” Linda said. “We were so worried that she wouldn’t make it. This (wedding) means so much.”

She added that having a celebration to this scale would not have been possible without Ungar’s help.

Between 75 and 100 guests, most from the East Coast, will attend the wedding in Palisade in May.

“Getting married in a place like this is always going to have significance for them,” Linda said of the bride and groom, noting that she finds the beauty of Colorado, especially Glenwood Canyon, startling.

Erin and her fiancé, Ben Schabert, will be married by officiant TJ Dickerson in the outdoor gazebo area at the inn.

The wedding party will wear pale gray, but hints of pink will be found throughout the décor.

Dinner will be a choice of steak, salmon or butternut squash gnocchi prepared by the inn’s Le Cordon Bleu trained chefs.

At the cake testing, Erin and Linda selected devil’s food chocolate and lemon cakes donated by Sweet Treats by Danielle. There also will be a cookie and candy bar.

Most of the wedding, estimated at $30,000, has been donated to the couple by local businesses such as the CandyTime Shoppe, DJ Ryan Griz Entertainment, JR’s Carriage Service, and 3 Leaf Floral Design.

“I’m all for simple and pretty. I just want it to look good,” Erin said.

“We’ll make all that happen,” Nichols assured her.

 

wedding-pink-bride-cake-tastingPhoto by Dean Humphrey. Erin Price, center, and her mom Linda listen to a presentation by Danielle Versluis of Sweat Treats by Danielle about wedding cake.


Think Pink was a Huge Success

We were very honored last night to be selected as the beneficiary of the proceeds from the Think Pink Progressive Bridal Showcase. It was a wonderful evening that was hosted at 3 different locations in the Santa Fe Arts District; Studio Wed, Space Gallery and Artwork Network. Think Pink was sponsored by Party Singers, Paper Moon Weddings, Cloud 9 and Save the Date Events.

There were numerous wedding vendors involved with one of the highlights of the evening being the silent auction of 4 wedding dresses donated by Little White Dress.

Thank you to all of you for making Think Pink a success! Without a doubt our future Wedding Pink couples will appreciate everything. 

 

think-pink-bridal-showcaseRaffle at Space Gallery


breast-cancer-wedding-fundraiser

 

Amazing New Program for Survivors - Pink Time Outs

My colleague Jean over at No Boobs About It has launched a wonderful new
program for breast cancer survivors. 
Here is more information:
The Pink Time Outs Program provides women and men, who have recently
finished active treatment( surgery, chemo, radiation) for breast cancer,
with funded short getaways from all things breast cancer.

The Pink Time Outs© Program is about using short getaways to put closure
on the end of active treatment and facilitate the transition to life as a
survivor. The goals of this program are simple:

•A physical and mental break from all talk, sights and routines that
remind us of breast cancer

•The opportunity to feel refreshed in mind, body and spirit

•To enjoy a much-needed time out to recreate and participate in
normalizing activities

•The freedom to think about something other than breast cancer, to begin
thinking about what comes next as a survivor.

The first funded getaway is April 2, 2013 at the Biltmore Estates in
Ashville, North Carolina. To see the details of the trip, please go to
http://noboobsaboutit.org/pink-time-outs/

The winner and companion will be chosen by lottery drawing.

The Biltmore Estates getaway is the first of many getaways planned in the
months to come across the U.S. and Canada.



Think Pink Progressive Bridal Showcase

We are excited to announce the Think Pink Progressive Bridal Showcase on March 6. If you are engaged and in the Denver area, this is an event that you won't want to miss. There will be the best bands, tantalizing treats, the latest in wedding design and amazing raffle items. Furthermore, all of the proceeds will benefit The Wedding Pink! More information can be found here.

 

think-pink-bridal-showcase

 

A huge thank you to the Party Singers, Paper Moon Weddings, Cloud 9, Save the Date and Studio Wed for putting on this event!

 

 

Happy New Year!

2012 has been a wonderful year and we are proud to announce that we photographed 8 different women as part of our Pink Portraits program and successfully put on our 2nd annual Wedding Pink. Next year's wedding is all set for May and upon the conclusion of that wedding we will have given away 3 weddings all totaling over $100,000. 

We have some exciting things in the works for 2013 and we hope to announce our plans for the 2014 wedding sometime this Spring.