First off let me just start by thanking everyone behind the eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway. Thank you to everyone who voted for us and thank you to the amazing sponsors!
The past month has been intense! We spent the whole voting week glued to our computers, phones, and pounding the pavement. We pestered our friends and family, we contacted every media source we could get our hands on, and utilized social networking websites to promote the contest in every way possible. We were so shocked by the overwhelming response from everyone that voted for us, shared our link, or wrote about our story. Our story and the contest was shared all around the world! We received such wonderful responses from long lost grade school friends to the It Gets Better Project. Regardless of whether we won or lost, we felt like this contest showed us that we are loved, that we are accepted, and that there is so much support for our relationship and for same-sex marriage. We never dreamed of this much support.
When we found out that we were finalists we were even more surprised! All our hard work (17 hour days of tweeting, sending out press releases, going to local businesses and organizations) really paid off. The next step was the interview processes. We were so excited to meet the Greatest Expectations team! Poetic Productions made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera! After the interview we waited a few weeks for the live reveal event at Nellcote. Let me just say that we were sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear who won!
Tuesday night finally came and we were so excited to be able to bring three of our closest friends and Jessica’s mother to Nellcote for the live reveal. The staff at Nellcote was wonderful, the food and drinks were amazing, and the space was stunning! It was a pleasure to finally meet the other finalists and generous sponsors, but as the event went on we grew more and more excited for the big reveal! Luckily having a blast in the Shutterbooth photo booth kept us at ease.
And then.. all of a sudden there we were, watching the interviews with the other couples and ourselves. Everyone had such an amazing story, some of which brought us to tears. It was such an honor to be in this contest with the three other couples. Then finally.. the big moment when last year’s winners Amy and Howard came to announce the 2012 winners and it was (Drum Roll Please!) Connie and Jessica! We were beyond shocked, but as we held each other close and cried, the applause from the crowd and the love from our friends and family affirmed our win.
The sponsors and other couples rushed to congratulate us with hugs and kind words. Our friends and family, who have been so supportive throughout our relationship and this contest cried. It was overwhelming and emotional and we couldn’t have felt more love and acceptance in that moment. We are truly blessed.
We cannot wait to start the planning process with all the wonderful sponsors of the eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway! We look forward to keeping everyone up to date throughout the process! And guess what? We’re getting married… IN NOVEMBER!
Have you have been sitting on the edge of your seat, anxiously awaiting the news? Well, now the wait is over! We are are excited to announce that this year’s eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway will be hosted at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. There are so many things to love about this unique and delightful space. We cannot wait to get our creative partners together with our winners and come up with some spectacular design ideas!
The Nature Museum’s unique, natural beauty will lend an enchanting theme to this year’s eleven eleven WEDDING . Highlights include the Atrium and Courtyard, and South Gallery. Guests will be dazzled by the natural beauty of the outdoor ravine plaza and indoor glass-enclosed lobby. The South Gallery features floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Lake Michigan.
Both the ceremony and reception will be held at the Museum on Sunday, November 11, 2012.
Words cannot describe how amazing Amy & Howard’s wedding was, but it wasn’t just the wedding day, they were such a pleasure to work with from the first moment we met them.
It was such a pleasure for all of the event sponsors to work hand in hand with Amy & Howard to create their dream wedding. We took great care to make sure the event beautifully represented their personalities and their cultures. I can speak for each sponsor involved, this was an extraordinarily fun event to be part of!
As Amy & Howard began the planning process it was clear that they wanted something elegant, sophisticated and slightly modern. The talented women of Greatest Expectations worked tirelessly to ensure that the process was fun and exciting for the couple and also each of the sponsors. Their dedication and hard work spanned months of planning and you should have seen them in action on the big day! This stunning wedding would not have been possible without the onsite assistance of so many extra hands including the entire Greatest Expectations staff, Susan from The Left Bank, Sheshe from Berghoff, Kelly and Caleb from Fleur, Barb from the Chicago History Museum as well as countless others brought in by individual sponsors.
The bridal party started the day at Hotel 71 where the ladies had hair and make up done by Mario Tricoci Salons and were then transported to the ceremony in style by Chicago Trolley.
All of the little details, which we all know are not so little, were attended to by Magnificent Milestones and Rosemary Hall Calligraphy with the most beautiful menu cards, programs and hand done signage.
Because this was a brunch wedding, Berghoff Catering offered an amazing pancake bar, savory station and beverage bar featuring speciality champagne cocktails. It was really so much fun! Amy Beck Cake Design seriously blew our minds with the most spectacular cake ever and the guests were treated to delicious custom created favors by Truffle Truffle.
I am not sure what you were doing at 1:00 p.m. on 11.11.11, but I can tell you that all of the guests at Amy & Howard’s wedding were dancing their butts off! The Larry King Orchestra gets a party started like no other band! They are so amazingly good that it’s impossible to stay in your seats. It was extra fun because the guests were really into music. Seriously one of the best afternoons ever.
When people were not dancing, they were having a blast with the photo booth from ShutterBooth Chicago.
A special thank you is due to Bev Albert from Ceremonies for your Life for creating a truly meaningful and beautiful wedding ceremony and Rappatone Boutique Training for helping the bride and groom get fit and healthy for their big day (and the rest of their lives).
Thank you for following along with us as we took this journey! Much love to Amy & Howard! We are very much looking forward to what 2012 has in store! Stay tuned for more details over the next couple of months!
It is with great pleasure that we announce that ZED451 is once again our sponsor for the live winner reveal party and the rehearsal dinner. The entire staff at ZED451 went above and beyond to create two amazing events for last year’s eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway. We know that this year’s event will be just as extraordinary!
Let go of everything you used to think about dining and enter a warm, stylish world of artful design and relaxing, indulging abundance. For one price, chefs serve their specially prepared dishes tableside while a bounty of seasonal soups, composed salads, fresh vegetables, cheeses, and breads await you at the Harvest Tables. Here, guests are catered to by an engaging staff in an environment that evokes a warm landscape of natural elements with a highly stylized edge. ZED451 is dining, refined.
Here are some of Amanda Hein’s amazing images from last year’s live reveal party … This could be the event where you discover you have won your very own free wedding!! Check out more images from last year’s live reveal party here and see the fantastic video produced by Poetic Productions.
It is with great excitement that we announce that the Chicago History Museum will be hosting this year’s eleven eleven WEDDING! The Chicago History Museum is one of Chicago’s most adored and unique wedding venues and we know that our lucky couple for 11.11.11 will be thrilled and honored to get married at such a special location.
I cannot even believe it but here we are … 11.11! When we first decided to hold the eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway it all seemed so abstract. We completely worked backwards, getting the venue and all of the vendors on board before having a Bride and Groom. I’m not sure if it was luck or fate that led Amanda and Mike to us, but they have been the perfect couple to win this wedding.
Everyone at Greatest Expectations has loved working with Amanda and Mike throughout this entire process. They are so in love and so thankful to be going through this experience. I’d say we are all winners!
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all of the extraordinary vendors who came together to make this happen. Each and everyone of them took a leap of faith with me on this experience. I asked them to give of their time, talents and products for a couple they did not even know … And boy did they all come through! What an amazing group we have assembled. Not a single aspect of this would have been possible with out each of them and I am, quite honestly, humbled and honored to be in their company.
We all sincerely hope you have enjoyed watching the process from “behind the scenes.” I cannot thank the staff from Poetic Productions enough! They have worked so hard and given so much of their personal time to allow each of you to be a part of this experience with Amanda and Mike. Honestly, words fail me.
And now here we are … Yesterday Amanda, Mike and their bridal party were massaged, polished and pampered by the staff at Mario Tricoci, then they checked into their beautiful rooms at the Hotel InterContinental to freshen up for the rehearsal dinner. It was the perfect way to set the tone for the next couple of days.
Before dinner Amanda and Mike rehearsed the ceremony with their Celebrant Toni Hassett and then were treated to an amazing experience at ZED451. It was really exceptional to see everything coming together so beautifully and the staff at ZED451 really outdid themselves to make everything extra special. They even surprised everyone with a champagne toast at the end of the night!
As you read this, Aga and Frankie from Mario Tricoci are getting the bride and her bridesmaids ready for the big day and set up is already underway at West Loop Studio.
Be sure to check back soon to see a sneak peak of the pictures and hear all about tonight. Thank you for being part of our eleven eleven WEDDING journey.
Thank you for your patience with us as we worked hard to create the video from the live reveal party at ZED451! Check out the amazing video by Poetic Productions. You will see a little of each couples finalist interview, highlights from the party and the big announcement.
We posted some amazing photo’s of our winners the day after the party but wanted to share a few more from this magical night! Thanks to Amanda Hein for capturing these special moments.
The rooftop deck of ZED451 was perfect for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and the guests truly enjoyed the beautiful music provided by the Becca Kaufman Orchestra.
Once inside, we watched the finalists interviews and announced the winner. We love these images of the finalists watching their videos. A special thank you to Len from Chicago Lighting Design for the beautiful lighting work and Rich from Still Point Creative for the audio visual equipment!
Please let the video load completely before trying to watch it!
Welcome to the eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway! On Thursday night, the eleventh of November, two thousand and ten, one lucky Chicagoland couple will be in the middle of their own dream-come-true wedding. The eleven eleven WEDDING is the brain child of us here at Greatest Expectations, but it is also a labor of love for each and every sponsor involved. We have gathered a group of Chicago’s premier wedding professionals to create this incredible all-inclusive wedding. The lucky winners will receive a wedding valued at over $60,000!!
From the largest and most obvious details to the smallest and most delicate touches, our sponsors have come together in an effort to do a really amazing thing for a couple who would not otherwise be able to have such a lavish affair. Make no mistake about it, this will not be your ordinary banquet hall wedding … We are talking a top-of-the-line, upscale wedding!
The celebrations begin with a rehearsal dinner on November 10th at ZED451, offering one of Chicago’s most unique dining experiences. The big event will be held at West Loop Studio, for 50-75 of your closest family and friends, featuring the scrumptious tastes of Berghoff Catering and the beautiful sounds of the Becca Kaufman Orchestra. Every single detail of the wedding will be taken care of and the winning couple will be dressed, spoiled and catered to in every way. Be sure to read about all of our sponsors to discover what each of them will be providing (this is one extensive list!).
You may be asking yourself “How can I win this amazing wedding?” Well, it’s pretty simple really; just send back the submission form and a photograph of you and your beloved. To be considered, all entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (CST) on May 1, 2010. After receiving all entries, we will post 10 semi-finalists online and open the polls to the public for a week to vote for their favorite couple. Yes, that means you can have all your friends and family members voting and helping you win. Heck, you can even vote for yourself or someone you have never met!! The three couples with the most votes will be brought in for an interview and the grand prize winner will be announced at our live reveal party on June 1, 2010, hosted by ZED451. Make sure you read the contest rules to learn about all of the little details.
We have so many fantastic sponsors involved. Throughout the submission process we plan to highlight each and every sponsor so you can get to know them a little better but, in the meantime, take a look at this list of pros ready to make your wedding dreams a reality … Oh, it’s important to note we are still adding more sponsors to the list (and you thought it couldn’t get any better!)
Ok all you wonderful couples out there … Buckle your seat belts and join us on the eleven eleven WEDDING Giveaway ride, it promises to be one of the most exceptional nights of your life!! You’ll be hearing a lot from us and the other sponsors so please check back often!
