Suburban Street Becomes Street of Dreams as Neighbors Pitch in With Wedding Celebration

Where would you want your dream wedding to take place? In a fairytale castle? On a desert island? Everyone has a very different vision of the perfect place to tie the knot.

Some people want to go to a place they’ve never been before. Others want to take advantage of a world-renowned landmark to deliver an unforgettable backdrop. Some, want a Vegas style quick-fix with a celebrity (or at least an Elvis impersonator) on hand to make the day special.

Susie Osei, on the other hand, wanted to marry somewhere different – she felt that the best wedding would be one where her parents could enjoy the day and for that to happen; it needed to be on the street where she spent her childhood.

To make the day as happy as possible; her neighbours including her friends and family decide to throw their support behind Susie and deliver the most incredible party and wedding ceremony. What they put together was fantastic, as we’re sure you will agree.

Susie grew up in Mount Prospect, Illinois. She had been dating her husband, Miles since they were at high school together and she says that they’d known they were going to get married for a long time and didn’t feel the need to have a high-pressure wedding.

There was another reason for the low-key approach; Susie’s mother has Alzheimer’s disease. They wanted to make sure that not only could her mum attend the wedding but that she could enjoy it and not become distressed by an unfamiliar environment.

Then there’s the fact that the happy couple is in grad school and have both limited resources and limited amounts of time to spend on wedding planning.

Luckily Susie and her family live in a supportive and loving community which she says has always been very close-knit and that everyone knew and cared for everyone else. So when Susie’s dad explained their decision to have a community wedding; they already understood the reasons why she’d want to do that.

She told Yahoo news; “My dad above anyone else is to credit for the entire thing. He was the brains behind the entire operation. Especially without having my mom present throughout this whole thing, my dad stepped in and helped out with decorating and making the centerpieces for all the tables, he built us the welcome doors which we walked through for the ceremony, my uncle built the arbor. My dad literally was the brains behind everything.”

The results speak for themselves. The DJ donated his time, as he’d grown up in the neighbourhood and gone on to Chicago to be a professional DJ. Susie’s brother, who is ordained, acted as an officiant. John Ward agreed to do the videography for free. The neighbours used traditional lighting for other block events to make things bright. Neighbouring houses hosted Porta Potties for guests.  The wedding ring was a gift from her mum. Other people rallied round to create party favors and provide flowers.

Susie said of her happy day; “My mom was dancing and laughing and having the best day. That makes it all worth it.”