- New Jersey couple Jillian and Max won LLG Events’ annual pro-bono wedding of the year for 2019.
- Jillian was undergoing treatment for breast cancer when the couple got engaged, and both she and Max stopped working while she was sick to ensure she was getting the care she needed. They wouldn’t have been able to afford the wedding they wanted without LLG.
- They got married during Breast Cancer Awareness month. The event had a fall rustic theme and featured sunflowers, gourd decor, and a four-tiered cake.
- Jillian had been out of active treatment for 10 months at the time of the wedding.
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Jillian, 27, and Max, 27, were struggling to pay for the wedding they wanted because Jillian was undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
Max and Jillian met in college, and they began dating in 2014. Jillian was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2017.
“When I was diagnosed, I gave him an ‘out,'” Jillian wrote in a blog post about her relationship, as she worried the disease may become too much for Max.
Jillian wrote that Max told her he would never leave her side, and he proposed when she finished chemotherapy to prove it.
Max proposed to Jillian on her last day of chemotherapy treatment, surprising her at the hospital in front of her family and friends.
“I got the idea by talking with Jillian’s family and friends. We decided that it would really take her by surprise if we did it on a day that was already going to be a celebration,” Max told Insider of the proposal.
"It was a nerve-racking, yet exciting experience because I was proposing in front of so many people and I wanted it to be perfect," he said.
You can watch a video of the full proposal here.
LLG Events approached them with the opportunity for the pro-bono wedding of the year after meeting the couple at a brunch for "The Breasties."
LLG Events, which puts on a pro-bono wedding annually, hosted a brunch for "The Breasties," a nonprofit organization that helps young women with breast cancer, earlier this year. That's where representatives for the company met Jillian and Max, as explained on the LLG website.
Jillian and Max shared with the representatives that they had both stopped working when she was sick, so they were unsure how they were going to afford their wedding.
LLG then offered the couple the pro-bono wedding.
The wedding took place in October 2019. "We began dating and fell in love in October," Jillian said of the timing.
"Also, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and when I started my treatments," she added, which made the wedding date even more significant for them.
The ceremony took place outside at Sterling Ballroom in New Jersey, and an assortment of harvest-inspired decor set the tone for the event.
The wedding's theme was "fall rustic." Flowers, gourds, and lanterns lined the aisle.
Rather than only using flowers, fall gourds decorated the aisle as well to make the event feel personal and on-theme.
House of Blooms provided flowers for the event.
Max bucked tradition by wearing a blue tuxedo.
Rather than wearing traditional black, Max wore a blue tuxedo provided by Tuxedo By Sarno. His suit was a cool pop of color in contrast to the warm tones that were used throughout the wedding decor.
A red flower accent connected his ensemble to the color scheme for the rest of the event.
Jillian's dress was more traditional, featuring a lace bodice and a full, layered skirt. "Putting on this dress made me feel so beautiful, which is something I had not felt in so long," she told Insider.
Jillian told Insider her appearance changed during her cancer treatment. "Having this new body and having my hair growing back, I was not yet confident in my appearance," she explained.
"It meant so much more to me than just a piece of fabric," she said of the gown.
The dress from Kenneth Winston was a surprise gift for the bride, which made it even more special.
Sunflowers featured heavily in Jillian's bouquet, as well as the rest of the wedding decor, both because of their aesthetic appeal and their meaning to her.
"My mother used to sing 'You Are My Sunshine' when I was little and the sun is my most favorite," Jillian said. She even has a sun tattoo.
Speaking of sunflowers, she said, "They just represent so much warmth and life to me."
Other warm-hued flowers surrounded the sunflowers to make the bouquet look full.
The wedding party's ensembles tied the color scheme together.
The bridesmaids' maroon dresses matched the warm colors in Jillian's bouquet, and the rest of the bridal party wore matching maroon ties and yellow boutonnières.
Jillian's mother and father walked her down the aisle.
She shared a final walk with both of her parents before starting her married life.
Jillian said locking eyes with Max when she was walking down the aisle was her favorite part of the day.
"We did not do a "first look," so we had not seen each other since early Thursday morning," she explained. "So finally meeting down the aisle was so special."
Max's excited expression indicates he agrees.
Their ceremony was emotional and personal.
The couple exchanged their own vows, and both of their mothers did a reading during the ceremony.
Jillian's mother made them laugh during her contribution.
The personal touches made the day more special for the couple, as Max's mother's emotional expression indicates.
Their officiant, Christina Turner Ward of Spirithearts Weddings, also weaved Spanish into the ceremony in a nod to Max's family.
"Max's Abeula came all the way from Argentina to be a part of the day," Jillian told Insider, so catering part of the ceremony to her meant a lot to the couple.
"Looking at each other and expressing how we feel was just so wonderful," Jillian said of the ceremony.
Both Jillian and Max cried during the ceremony, but they were smiling by the time they shared their first kiss as husband and wife.
The fall rustic theme continued at the reception.
Gourds, warm flowers, and gold candles served as centerpieces for the ceremony, which took place at 618 Restaurant.
The color of the flowers and the pumpkins complemented one another.
Details like "wishes for the happy couple" jars personalized the event.
The twine ribbon on the mason jars was a nice touch.
The reception featured a four-course dinner, one of which was a pasta course.
The menu was filled with simple comfort foods, and the penne vodka even matched the orange decor.
Jillian and Max offered their guests an assortment of desserts, including miniature cannolis.
Attendees could also enjoy macaroons, s'mores, and wedding cake.
The four-tiered cake included two layers of pink sponge cake in honor of breast cancer awareness.
The other two layers were double chocolate fudge.
The couple had fun eating all of the layers.
Jillian smooshed cake in Max's face, clearly enjoying the wedding tradition.
They shared their first dance to Michael Bublé's "Close Your Eyes."
The lyrics go "You're one of a kind / Thank god your mine."
Jillian had ceremonial dances with both her mother and her father, continuing to honor both of her parents at the event.
She danced with her father to "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion and to "Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban with her mother.
Max also shared a special dance with his mother to "There You'll Be" by Faith Hill.
"It meant everything to us," Jillian said of winning the pro-bono wedding.
"Max and I were just starting to get our lives back on track and trying to figure out life after active cancer treatment," Jillian said of when they got engaged.
"I would not have known how to do any of this planning without them," Jillian said, speaking of LLG Events.
"Every moment was special, just soaking in the love and energy from all of our guests and everyone that made this day possible was so special," she gushed about her wedding day.
Jillian has been out of active treatment for ten months.
You can learn more about LLG Events here.
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