In October, a special couple celebrated their happily ever after with a Colorado dream wedding thanks to The Wedding Pink.

The Wedding Pink is an annual Colorado wedding giveaway that is gifted to a deserving couple whose lives have been affected by breast cancer. Cheryl Ungar, the founder of The Wedding Pink, is a 27-year breast cancer survivor as well as a photographer. Each year she puts together an incredible team including some of the top wedding vendors in Colorado. These vendors generously agree to donate their services and products to ensure The Wedding Pink is nothing short of a dream wedding for the couple.

When Lynn, owner of The Bridal Collection, was approached about donating a wedding dress, she immediately said yes. Lynn has a passion for empowering women and loves that her job gives her the opportunity to make dreams come true. It has been an honor to participate in The Wedding Pink for the second year in a row. (Check out our blog from Jessie & Laurie’s 2017 wedding!)

About Liz & Lee

At age 30, Liz received some shocking news — she had breast cancer. At the time, she lived and taught in a small college town. She decided to move closer to major hospitals and her family. After a long and difficult year of active treatment, Liz was ready to move on with her life. However, she wasn’t prepared for the long-lasting impact that cancer has, and the challenges returning to “normal life” would bring.

Thankfully, life had some magical plans for Liz. Lee caught her attention on a dating app, sending her the following pun as an opening line: Q: Have you heard about the corduroy pillows? A: They’re making headlines. She knew he had to be something special.When they had a chance to meet for a first date, they went to dinner at a local wine bar. Liz knew she liked him before the waiter had a chance to stop and ask if they wanted another drink. A second date came a few weeks later, only delayed because of work trips and conflicting scheduled, but they made it work. And the rest is history.

Liz says “For me, the road to this relationship was marked by my cancer experience, as I was recently single before my diagnosis. I tried to date during and shortly after cancer, but I found that many dates were unwilling or unable to handle the realities of cancer at such a young age. As Lee and I got to know each other, I realized that he could truly see ME– scars and all. What we have is precious, and we want to share our love and commitment with our friends and family.”

Dress Shopping

Last year we had the honor of dressing Jessie & Laurie for their special day, so we were SO excited for the opportunity to help Liz find her dream wedding dress. Our master stylist, Jordan, was up for the task of finding “the one” in just one appointment while Liz was in town from the East Coast. The Wedding Pink is a Denver-based non-profit, however they accept submissions from all over the country! So when Liz was in town for wedding planning meetings with Ann from Cloud 9 Weddings, The Bridal Collection was an essential stop.

After trying on a handful of different wedding dress styles, Liz came out in a Madison James A-line wedding dress with tears in her eyes. Everyone in the room knew it was the perfect dress. From the layers of soft tulle to the unique lace pattern on the illusion bodice, it represented everything Liz wanted to be as a bride.

“After all, what does a wedding dress represent? It signifies love, commitment, and unity. But for our brides, who are also breast cancer survivors, the wedding dress is a reminder to us that we fought through something horrific and we came out on the other side, survivors. We live to see another day and we get to experience a wedding with the love of our lives. For a brief second, we forget what we went through, and bask in the realization that our wedding day is approaching. As we wear this wedding dress down the aisle, everyone’s eyes are on us, yet our eyes are firmly fixed on the one person in our lives who has been in the trenches with us; our support system who loves us for who we are – scars and all. The wedding dress makes us feel like a princess. In the mirror, we don’t see a cancer patient. We see a bride ready to start our lives with our one true love.”

Melissa, The Wedding Pink

Liz after saying “Yes!” to the dress in March (dress hidden so it would be a surprise!) Courtesy of The Wedding Pink https://www.cherylungargives.com/blog/2018/3/15/dress-shopping-at-the-bridal-collection

About the Organization

The Wedding Pink is a heartfelt, wedding giveaway awarded to a couple whose lives have recently been touched by breast cancer. It is held annually in Colorado; however, as long as you meet the submission criteria you may live anywhere in the country and submit your story. This is an opportunity for one deserving couple to be awarded a dream wedding nearly cost free and valued at over $40,000.

Cheryl Ungar, the founder of The Wedding Pink, is a 27-year breast cancer survivor and a professional photographer. Each year she puts together an extraordinary team of some of Colorado’s top wedding vendors — all of whom generously agree to donate their services and products to ensure The Wedding Pink is a spectacular event for one very special couple.