Amazing Numbers!

As I was working late last night prepping The Auction 4 Aid prize certificates and auction forms for next week's event, I thought it would be interesting to see number values as it related to donated wedding services, and how it could effect local Chicago brides + grooms trying to plan a wedding, and how the success of the event can aid to the global community beyond our small community.

 The Auction 4 Aid — Interesting Cause + Effect Factoids

1. 10 Small Businesses have donated a combined retail value of $12,720.00 in wedding services
2. If an engaged couple were to win all 7 auctions, about 45% of their wedding would've been planned all in 1-night
3. Technically, an engaged couple can bid on all 7 auctions for just $1,055.00 — that's an unbelievable 85% discount, and these are for good, high-end services, too
4. The average wedding cost in the DuPage County, IL area ranges from $20,757 – $34,595 based on 189 to 203 guests
5. 1 Guest could cost you $127 to $155 to the overall wedding costs (food, liquor, favors, flowers, table accessories, etc.)
6. If you're looking to higher professional wedding services and unique products, you can expect to increase your budget by 50% to 100%
7. By attending The Auction 4 Aid wedding event, an engaged couple has the chance of saving almost 45% of their wedding budget
8. With that 45% savings, the couple can upgrade their wedding services and truly make it a fairy tale wedding, or take that dream honeymoon!
9. Imagine if The Auction 4 Aid auctions sold at maximum retail value — that means the American Red Cross would receive 100% of the proceeds! 
10. What could the American Red Cross do with $12,720.00 for disaster relief?
• $25 Buys five blankets
• $35 Replaces a prescription medication for a disaster victim
• $65 Feeds and shelters a person for a day and one night in a local motel
• $115 Buys groceries for a displaced family for one week
• $350 Feeds and shelters 50 disaster victims for one night
• $500 Helps pay medical expenses for an injured senior
• $1,000 Buys 50 home clean-up kits for use after a fire or flood
• $1,500 Provides disaster relief for one family
• $2,500 Supports an Emergency Response Vehicle to feed and care for people in a disaster
• $5,000 Trains 50 volunteers to assist thousands during a disaster 
• and there's still $1,630 left over to apply to other necessities

*Statistics were sourced from CostofWedding.com, ChicagoRedCross.org and my own math calculations based on vendor's donated retail services.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So what can we learn from all these numbers? Engaged and soon-to-be engaged couples in the greater area of Chicago that attend The Auction 4 Aid wedding event on Thursday, June 2nd can feel really good about planning their wedding day by bidding on any of the 7 silent auctions. 100% of the money raised from the silent auctions goes to the American Red Cross of Chicago to disaster relief victims.

We are nearing the end, and there is only 7 DAYS left to RSVP to the The Auction 4 Aid — A Wedding Event for a Good Cause! Share this event with everyone you know that can benefit from these services + give back to the community.

Insider Tip: You don’t have to be engaged to bid. All these auctions are transferable and would be the “Perfect Gift” for an engaged couple. Family members and friends can bid on behalf of a loved one.