By stufflovely
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Wedding events last a few hours. Marriages are meant to last a lifetime. In the wake of COVID-19, while disappointed in the need for their big days to be significantly shortened, some special couples have been able to embrace the bigger picture with open hearts.
Such was the case with Chicago residents Emily Bugg and Billy Lewis. Originally, the couple had planned rather lavish nuptials, but as the pandemic progressed, instead of waiting to get married, they finally decided to trade their fancy plans for a small ceremony at City Hall.
Love may have won the day, but it left the newlyweds with a riddle. What to do with your non-refundable deposits and wedding-related purchases?
Some things, like the dress and the DJ, were canceled. However, Bugg and Lewis decided that being healthy and together more than made up for those things.
And it wasn’t all a loss: the reception venue agreed to let them put their deposit on hold for use at a future charity event, and the wedding photographer switched gears to shoot the couple’s small but heartfelt City Hall ceremony for the posterity.
That left the $ 5,000 deposit for catering, but instead of investing the money in an event to be named, Bugg and Lewis decided instead to share their joy with others less fortunate.
RELATED: The bride and groom not only donated wedding food to the homeless, they served it on their big day
Bugg, a social worker at Thresholds, a nonprofit organization geared toward helping those with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other psychiatric illnesses, knew exactly where it wanted the money to go.
With the enthusiasm of caterer Heidi Moorman Coudal, owner of Big Delicious Planet, and the blessing of Thresholds CEO Mark Ishaug, the designated fee from the original 150-person guest list was transformed into 200 Thanksgiving dinners. Thank you to the residents of Windy City! day to day with serious mental health problems.
Charitable giving has made a huge impact as a result of the financial impact of the Coronavirus, which is why Ishaug was especially grateful for the couple’s inspiring gift to the Threshold community. He was also greatly encouraged by the “copycat effect” that the generous gesture seems to have generated.
“Other people are starting to wonder, ‘What can I do for others on Thanksgiving?’ There has been so much anger and fear in the past year … and then we have something like this from Emily and Billy, which is just about humanity and kindness, “he said. the washington post.
In addition to getting married, Bugg and Lewis recently adopted a rescue dog they named June, adding a little more love to the family. While she may be saddened by not having the opportunity to wear her wedding dress, Bugg believes that while hers was not the traditional beginning of a marriage, it was beautiful.
It’s clear that Lewis shares the sentiment and couldn’t be more proud of his girlfriend. “I am fortunate to have a wife who is smart and thoughtful enough to turn a not-so-good situation into something positive for a lot of people,” he said.
And we think Chicago is lucky to count both among its citizens.
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