Have A Cup Of Joe: Ambassador Golf Club Wedding Giveaway

Pay It Forward Wedding Giveaway

By Joe McParland

Pictured is our Cup of Joe columnist moonlighting as a wedding officiant, marrying Shawn and Jessica Byrne at the Ambassador Golf Club. Photo courtesy of Jillian Wilhelm Photography.

In my April/May 2020 Cup of Joe column (accessible in the Back Issues section on: BizXmagazine.com) I introduced our readers to Diane Farquhar, Client Service Manager and Daniele Palanca, Executive Chef at the Ambassador Golf Club,whocreated the Pay It Forward Wedding Giveaway, scheduled for Valentine’s Day, Sunday, February 14, 2021 in the Ambassador Golf Club ballroom.

Both Palanca and Farquhar undertook this generous initiative not as a business promotion for Ambassador, but out of a genuine desire by the two of them and their staff to pay it forward to others for their good fortunes. Furthermore, they recognized our community was entering the COVID-19 pandemic era, and there would be rough times ahead for so many.

Couples interested in winning an allexpenses-paid wedding day were asked to write up a story and send it to Farquhar and Palanca describing why they should be selected to have the wedding of their dreams.

Farquhar reports “More than 70 beautiful stories about love, illness, and financial situations poured in from couples before the March 31 deadline. During the next month the submissions were reviewed and pared down to 10, then down to three, and then, finally, the winning couple was selected by late April 2020.”

Palanca and Farquhar reached out to their “preferred vendors” and invited them to participate in the Pay It Forward Wedding Giveaway by offering the winning couple their services for free.

The following are the generous Windsor Essex County vendors offering their services: Ambassador Golf Club (1025 Sprucewood Avenue, Windsor; AmbassadorGolfClub.com) with a free room rental, appetizers, chef’s custom five-course menu and late-night pizza; Designs by Diane (DesignsByDiane.org) to donate and set up décor items for the reception; Coffee & Cream (CoffeeAndCream.ca) to set up an evening crêpe station; Pelee Island Winery (455 Seacliff Drive, Kingsville and Pelee Island, 20 East West Road; PeleeIsland.com) to provide an overnight stay package for the couple; a three-tier wedding cake from Sweet Revenge Bake Shop, (400 Erie Street East, Suite 9, Windsor; SweetRevengeBakeShop.com); a gold DJ package from DJPJ Productions (DjPjProductions.com); an Espresso Bar, Gelato Cart and Cannoli Bar from Sottozero Catering (Sottozero.ca); an in-stock wedding gown valued at up to $1,000 from It’s Your Day Bridal Boutique (1661 Front Road, LaSalle; ItsYourDay.ca); wedding reception décor from Allure Events (Facebook. com/AllureEventsWindsor); the Bride’s bouquet and Groom’s boutonniere, Girard & Co. Flowers & Gifts (1371 Grand Marais Road West, Windsor; GirardFlowers.com); engagement photos from Chalet Studio Photography & Gardens (7540 Howard Avenue, Amherstburg; ChaletStudio.ca); wedding reception photos courtesy of Jillian Wilhelm Photography (985 Baseline Road, Windsor; JillianWilhelmPhotography.com); a necklace, earring and bracelet set for the bride from Crystal Clear Jewelry (Facebook.com/crystalclearjewl); complete wedding officiant services by Creative Marriage Celebrations (CivilMarriages.ca); and wedding welcome sign, guestbook and table numbers from MDC Custom Artistry (Facebook.com/mdccustomartistry).

Drum roll please . . . and the winning couple of the Pay It Forward Wedding Giveaway is Mr. and Mrs. Shawn and Jessica Byrne (nee Bondy)!

Their love story starts back in March 2013 when Shawn was working as a tool and mould maker and Jessica was still in school. They met through Jessica’s best friend — her brother — in a bar.

“I was a trapped woman from the very start,” Jessica laughs.

A surprise 40th birthday party was planned for Shawn by Jessica on July 30, 2016, but he pulled off a surprise-reverse-switch-a-roo and proposed to her instead.

Since then, they have grown as a beautiful, blended family. From earlier relationships, Shawn has two children: Nathaniel (18) and Xavier (13); and Jessica has one child: Callie (11). The two of them together have Leona (2).

In 2017, Shawn was diagnosed with end stage renal failure. He spent much of his time on dialysis with numerous trips and stays at the London Health Sciences Centre (University Hospital). Jessica is an ultrasound technologist at Clear Medical Imaging and between frequent trips back and forth to London, she tirelessly kept their family together. The couple (and family) are a resilient group.

Shawn’s mother’s 10 year battle with cancer ended in 2019 and she passed away.

“When it rains, it pours,” he says.

Not long after, Shawn received a kidney transplant in February 2021 resulting in more post-surgical stays in London. But, more importantly, he had a new lease on life.

Jessica saw the Pay It Forward Wedding Giveaway contest on Facebook and applied for it without telling Shawn about it. It was only when the couple was down to the final

The happy couple enjoy their first dance as husband and wife during their reception held at the Ambassador Golf Club. Photo courtesy of Jillian Wilhelm Photography.

10 contestants that she shared the news with him. When notified of their first-place success, both embraced in disbelief, tears and gratitude.

The original February 14, 2021 date for the wedding was changed to April 16, 2021 as COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time would have significantly limited the numbers of guests from attending.

As their wedding officiant (vendor) I was again notified that the April 16 date had to be changed to November 5, 2021 — this time because Shawn had just received his new kidney!

Asked what they remember most from their wedding experience, Shawn breaks into a big smile: “Seeing my beautiful Jessica coming down the aisle in that gorgeous dress. It reduced me to tears and I was overcome with gratitude that we were so blessed to have this day.”

Jessica recalls her favourite moment was when “The officiant (remember that’s me, the author of this column!) went off ceremony script and called my young nephew ‘Little Jimmy’ — the ring bearer — to come forward and help him in the exchanging of the rings. The moment was priceless and will be forever treasured in my heart.”

And the final words go to Farquhar: “The whole team at Ambassador Golf Club was so proud to be a part of this Pay It Forward campaign to celebrate with Jessica and Shawn on their special day. They have truly shown that their love can overcome all obstacles.”