Susan and Zach’s Love is Essential Engagement Session
We fell in love with Susan and Zach from their application video and Zoom interview and we knew they were our perfect Love is Essential couple. It was so much fun getting to know them at their fall engagement session touring the city together on an adorable tandem bike!
Susan and Zach applied for Love is Essential after hearing about it from a family friend. They didn’t think it was legit at first, and I suppose that makes sense. In what has been a negative and heavy year it does seem unlikely that something like this could be possible. Love is Essential is an act of radical generosity to gift a FREE wedding to a deserving couple, to two essential workers who are serving our community and had to put their plans on hold during the pandemic. We fell in love with Susan and Zach from their application video and Zoom interview and we knew they were our perfect Love is Essential couple. Susan and Zach both serve our community, veterans and the homeless population at James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago. We surprised them with the big news at their sweet new home and then continued the surprise at her sister’s with their closest family for the “engagement party they couldn’t have.” We love this couple and are so excited to share their story with you as we plan their dream wedding!
The last weekend of October we scheduled an engagement session with Susan and Zach. It was THE most fun day, a chance for us to get to know each other better while exploring their favorite spots in the city. Our amazing planner Jenny of JPB Designs arranged for us to use a tandem bike from the cool guys at Bobby’s Bike Hike for a day of adventure and romance. Conrad and I met Susan and Zach at one of their favorite coffee shops, Ipsento 606. It was a beautiful fall day and these two had so much fun learning to ride the tandem bike together, an adorable visual for any relationship.
After some fun at the 606 we quickly stopped on the rooftop at the Robey to take in the amazing city views. From there we headed to the lakefront where Susan and Zach seemed to really hit their stride with the tandem bike, and soon they were talking about wanting to get one for themselves!!
After dark we met back up with Susan and Zach at Metro Chicago, the venue where they got engaged last year at a Kishi Bashi concert. We loved ending their romantic day in the city in front of Metro, reminiscing about that romantic night when they got engaged and dreaming of the day when they will celebrate their wedding in the heart of our beautiful city.
Susan and Zach, we love you and are SO excited for your wedding in 2022! We can’t wait to get to know you better as we continue to plan your dream wedding through Love is Essential!!!
To see all of Susan and Zach’s adorable engagement photos, click here
Love is Essential - Announcing Our Winning Couple!
In the heaviest days of 2020 I longed for something positive to lift my spirits. I sought ways to give back to the amazing essential workers who sacrificed so much for our community. I needed something that would give me hope for my professional future in the wedding industry. Together with my steadfast partner Conrad we dreamed up LOVE IS ESSENTIAL, the gift of a FREE wedding for a deserving couple. A radical gift to encourage, give back, and honor essential workers. A spark of generosity that we hoped would catch fire amongst our peers in the wedding industry.
I called my dear friends Ken of Amp Event Professionals and Jenny of JPB Designs and asked them to come on board. To donate their services and help plan a gorgeous wedding in the heart of downtown Chicago. Over the last 5 months we have met on Zoom every week to plan this amazing wedding. We have welcomed so many amazing vendors already on our journey. We searched the Chicago area for the PERFECT couple to receive this gift. A couple whose love story was greatly impacted by the pandemic. A couple who serves their community in love and put their own love on hold in this time of ongoing crisis.
Susan and Zach applied for Love is Essential after hearing about it from a family friend. They didn’t think it was legit at first, and I suppose that makes sense. In what has been a negative and heavy year it does seem unlikely that something like this could be possible. But we fell in love with Susan and Zach from their application video and Zoom interview and we knew they were our perfect Love is Essential couple. Susan and Zach both serve our community, veterans and the homeless population at James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago. We surprised them with the big news at their sweet new home and then continued the surprise at her sister’s with their closest family for the “engagement party they couldn’t have.” We love this couple and are so excited to share their story with you as we plan their dream wedding!
Congratulations, Susan and Zach, we can’t wait to get to know you better in the coming months! We are so excited to celebrate your dream wedding in 2022!!
Love is Essential - The Old Post Office
When we first assembled our core vendor team for Love is Essential, we started talking about finding the right VENUE. One of the most exciting things about planning a wedding is talking about WHERE your dream day will take place. As a team, we wanted to find the PERFECT location to host this amazing wedding - a wedding to celebrate essential workers gifted entirely by the best wedding vendors in Chicago.
As our conversations about the perfect venue evolved we talked more and more about The Old Post Office. The Chicago main post office was once the busiest in the United States thanks to Chicago’s massive volume of mail from retailers driven by the Montgomery Ward and Sears catalogs. The impressive Art Deco building spans across the Eisenhower Expressway and welcomes travelers to the city as you drive directly underneath the building. After sitting vacant for years, the Old Post Office has undergone a major transformation over the last few years and is now home to several corporate offices and an absolutely breathtaking wedding venue known as Post 433 Events.
We knew that the Old Post Office would be the perfect location for Love is Essential, and were beyond excited when they quickly said YES to generously hosting this amazing event. And when we met Jamie and Leah of The Old Post Office in person and toured this breathtaking building, we were covered in goosebumps imagining the possibilities for Love is Essential.
Post 433 Events has THE most breathtaking spaces for your wedding. From the gilded Art Deco historic lobby to the cool and comfortable Telegram Lounge to the peaceful Library and Vault spaces there is a little something for everyone inside this stunning venue. When Conrad and I first walked in we gasped at the impressive and sparkling lobby. I could completely envision the most beautiful ceremony in that unforgettable space. And as we toured the Telegram Lounge I pictured playing bocce ball there while enjoying a cocktail and views across the Chicago River. Friends, I just cannot say enough about The Old Post Office. Considering everything that is happening now with the Post Office, we feel especially grateful that we will be hosting Love is Essential at this historic venue that celebrates both essential workers and their rich history of service to Chicago. I wish I could photograph every wedding there, and I am incredibly thankful that we will be able to use this space for Love is Essential.
To see more photos from The Old Post office, click here
To learn more about Love is Essential, click here
LOVE IS ESSENTIAL VENDOR DREAM TEAM
love is essential
Rooted in radical generosity, this is a movement to gift a wedding to essential workers
ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS UNTIL JULY 31st, 2020
Rooted in RADICAL GENEROSITY,
this is a movement to GIFT AN ENTIRE WEDDING to a deserving couple.
This is a movement is to serve and give back to ESSENTIAL WORKERS. To show LOVE triumphs over trial. To support fellow vendors in the wedding industry. We are working together to GIVE BACK in a time of uncertainty by gifting a deserving couple a completely FREE wedding.
Born from a desire to give radically, even in a time of great uncertainty, we have put together an amazing team of wedding vendors willing to donate their talents. Now, we are looking for the perfect couple. Two essential workers in love willing to share their story as we follow their wedding adventure. A couple madly in love who put their wedding plans on hold because of the pandemic. The Love is Essential wedding will take place in 2022 – between now and then we will follow our couple’s love story as they look forward to their dream wedding.
Love is Essential is happening because of the generosity of the best wedding vendors in Chicago. Our team is dedicated to giving back to essential workers to show our gratitude for their service. This outstanding team is comprised of:
LIZ SCHRENK – SOMETHING BLUE PHOTOGRAPHY
Liz developed the concept of Love is Essential when the shelter in place began. Inspired by the Gratitude Movement, Liz wanted to save her own small business and support friends in the wedding industry. Her heart is to serve others and give back to Essential Workers in this challenging and historic time.
JENNY BARTKUS – JPB DESIGNS WEDDING PLANNING
Jenny runs JPB Designs + Co., a renowned boutique wedding and event planning firm. Jenny specializes in creating unforgettable weddings that showcase each couples’ individuality. Philanthropy is at the heart of JPB Designs and Jenny is thankful to be giving back through Love is Essential.
CONRAD WERES – SOMETHING BLUE VIDEOGRAPHY
Conrad is Liz’s business partner and the backbone of Something Blue. Conrad helped Liz dream about the possibility of being radically generous and gifting an entire wedding to a couple serving on the front lines of the Covid-19 battle. Conrad has a background in marketing from Columbia College.
KEN MURPHY – AMP EVENT PROFESSIONALS
At the heart of every wedding beats the party, the joyful celebration of love. No one throws a party like Ken and his team at Amp Event Professionals. Ken is the hardest working DJ in Chicago; his top priority is to create unforgettable memories for his couples and their guests at every event.
JAMIE AND LEAH – POST 433 EVENTS
When we first envisioned Love is Essential we dreamed of finding the perfect Chicago venue to host this incredible event. The Old Post Office is a monumental Chicago landmark whose history naturally honors essential workers. This grand historic building has been reimagined as a magnificent venue space capable of hosting beautiful and unforgettable events. We were thrilled when Jamie and Leah joined our team; we can’t wait to celebrate our couple’s wedding in this amazing venue!
The couple shown in these pictures are Stephanie and Jeremy, two amazing essential workers who were married in January of 2020. Stephanie is a nurse and Jeremy is a firefighter. To help us with this project, they generously volunteered (on their shared day off) to model for us in the heart of Chicago. We loved documenting their connection and getting a glimpse of what life has been like for them as essential workers as they wade through the rough waters of 2020.
We are searching for two essential workers who have put their wedding plans on hold. Two people madly in love but committed to serving our community. If you would like to nominate yourself or a friend, please complete this form.
We have the most beautiful gift to give – now, we need to find the perfect couple.