XOXO NEW YORK, July 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Knot, the #1 digital wedding brand, today announced The Knot 2018 Wedding of the Year couple: Atlanta-based Jacqueline Daly and Jonathan Summerton. As a wedding is the ultimate personal statement of a couple's love story, The Knot has helped Jacqueline and Jonathan define their unique wedding vision and will bring it to life with the help of top wedding professionals across the country on November 30, 2018. The Knot and Dallas-based wedding planner and designer Emily Clarke Events will create an awe-inspiring celebration of love for this deserving couple, incorporating their story, interests and personalities into a one-of-a-kind wedding.
Jacqueline and Jonathan never thought a wedding was in the cards for them. After Jacqueline's two-year battle with stage 2 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the chemo left her infertile, and instead of having a wedding, Jacqueline and Jonathan wanted to spend their savings toward IVF and a new home to begin their future. Through The Knot Registry, Jacqueline and Jonathan have created a wish list that truly reflects the life they want to build together—featuring cash registries for IVF and home renovations for the new house they recently purchased, plus a charity registry for The Teal Recovery Project to help others battling cancer. They've also registered with traditional retailers for items to fill their new home.
About Jacqueline and Jonathan
While they come from opposite ends of the East Coast, Jacqueline and Jonathan's love story began in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2013, they both moved to Atlanta for job opportunities—Jacqueline worked in marketing and Jonathan worked full-time in business while pursuing a successful career in competitive race car driving. The pair met and sparks flew immediately. They began dating and shortly thereafter, Jonathan was offered a new job in San Francisco. The couple was only six months into beginning a new life together on the West Coast when Jacqueline was diagnosed with stage 2 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Treatment for this aggressive blood cancer required six rounds of intense chemotherapy with each round lasting 24-hours for five days. Her treatment occurred every two-and-a-half weeks. As Jacqueline fought for her life, Jonathan did all he could to support her. He administered her shots, made sure she ate, and even painted her toenails when it was too painful for Jacqueline to do it herself. The cancer not only tested Jacqueline's own strength and perseverance, but also truly tested this new relationship. There were many times when they both questioned if they were strong enough to survive as a couple.
After two tumultuous years, Jacqueline beat her battle with cancer in August 2015. However, the damage to her body was still felt; she was left infertile from multiple rounds of chemo. Following a six-month break for much needed self-care for both Jacqueline and Jonathan, the couple reunited in Atlanta. Jonathan asked Jacqueline to be his wife on New Year's Eve 2017 and Jacqueline couldn't say "yes!" fast enough.
Jacqueline and Jonathan never imagined having a wedding of their own—much less a wedding thrown by the nation's #1 wedding brand crafting a truly personalized and elaborate celebration that will set the stage for wedding trends for years to come. Instead, the previous five years taught them to reign in their expectations. They always thought a small city hall wedding was the only option; they wanted to save money for fertility treatments to start a family and buy a new home together. In November 2018, The Knot will bring their wedding dreams to life, and their beloved guests will help them complete their dream family and home through The Knot Registry. In an effort to give back, Jacqueline and Jonathan have also chosen The Teal Recovery Project as their charity registry. Through The Knot Gifts Back, each time a gift is purchased off of one of their retail registries on The Knot, The Knot will donate to this organization started by Jacqueline's friend that focuses on fundraising, educating, and empowering women battling cervical cancer.
"I'm still pinching myself that we were chosen as The Knot Wedding of the Year couple," said Jacqueline Daly. "After everything we've been through, it means the world to Jonathan and I to get married in front of all our closest family and friends, when we never thought that was possible. This wedding gives us the opportunity to focus on our love and celebrate our journey as a couple. We're excited to start this new chapter together, and with The Knot Registry, we're able to start the process of having a baby and renovating the house we just bought to help us start off on the right foot."
"When we heard Jacqueline and Jonathan's story, we were moved by their show of commitment and the deep care and love they'd already demonstrated to one another. We were instantly inspired to give them the wedding celebration they never thought was possible," said Kristen Maxwell Cooper, editor in chief of The Knot. "This couple has already shown their devotion in the face of 'in sickness and in health,' and we're thrilled to work with our network of wedding industry pros to create a celebration that reflects their love story, journey and unique personalities in a way that's never been done before."
To plan this wedding, The Knot is working with headline sponsor Allure Bridals, who will provide Jacqueline's dress and bridesmaid dresses, plus top wedding professionals from the approximately 300,000 listed in The Knot wedding marketplace. Some of the most respected wedding professionals have offered their services to create The Knot Wedding of the Year, including Emily Clarke Events, The Fairmont, DJ Jacob Co, Nüage Designs, Méldeen, Dennis Dean A Catering Company, Hart to Heart Media, Willett Photography, Charleston Virtuosi, among others.
The Knot will capture all the exciting moments that come with planning Jacqueline and Jonathan's wedding on TheKnot.com/JacquelineAndJonathan. Please follow @TheKnot and #TheKnotWeddingoftheYear on social media for real-time updates.
About The Knot
The Knot is the nation's leading multiplatform wedding resource offering a seamless, all-in-one planning experience—from finding inspiration and local vendors to creating and managing all guest experiences, wedding registries and more. The trusted brand reaches a majority of engaged couples in the US through the #1 wedding planning website TheKnot.com and #1 iOS and Android mobile app The Knot Wedding Planner, The Knot national and local wedding magazines, and The Knot book series. Since its inception, The Knot has inspired approximately 25 million couples to plan a wedding that's uniquely them. The Knot is the flagship brand of XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO), which helps couples navigate and enjoy life's biggest moments—from getting married to moving in together and having a baby. Visit The Knot online at TheKnot.com and follow on social media: Facebook.com/TheKnot and @TheKnot on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Forward-Looking Statements
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SOURCE The Knot
