By Bill Parry
An Elmhurst couple, who met while working at the Flushing Post Office and later fell in love, will renew their wedding vows in grand style April 19 in one of the most popular venues in the city. But it’s a secret.
When Gwen and William Redman married, William wanted to give his bride a beautiful wedding, but Gwen didn’t want to wait and the couple eloped. More than 25 years later the couple decided to renew their vows. Gwen has had serious health issues over the years, and she is currently battling breast cancer for the second time. Yet she still dreamed of a ceremony and reception that would make up for the wedding she never had, but chemotherapy treatments and recovery from a mastectomy have made it challenging to plan. The lack of funds as a result of the medical bills and other expenses has also prevented the couple from envisioning how to make their special day a reality.
That’s when Gwen’s childhood friend got involved. Stephanie Richardson, a former high school classmate, used her experience as an event planner to arrange for the couple’s big day.
“Gwen thinks they’re renewing their vows in my cousin’s backyard,” Richardson said. Instead she decided to create a fairy tale wedding for the Redmans, without any cost to the couple, and began sending over 2,000 e-mails over the past year.
“I started with Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Oprah because I figured I had nothing to lose,” she said. “As time went on it became easier to ask, and I would tell Gwen’s story to anyone that would listen.”
Kleinfeld Bridals offered to “gift” a pink gown representing Gwen’s battle with breast cancer, but the search for a space for the wedding was going nowhere. Then Richardson discovered The Foundry, a wedding space located at 42-38 Ninth St. in Long Island City, which in 2013 was named by BuzzFeed as one of the 22 Coolest Places in the United States to get married.
“I sent them an e-mail and I was surprised to hear from them right away,” Richardson recalled. “Julie from the Foundry said everyone there was in tears after reading what I wrote and that they wanted to help.”
The Albra Metal Foundry was part of the industrial boom in Long Island City more than 110 years ago, but it was abandoned and fell into disrepair during the ‘70s. Tim Du Val, an Australian native and landscape designer, acquired the property in 1982 and spent the next two decades transforming the ruins into an event space for wedding and corporate parties.
Several TV commercials and scenes from popular sitcoms have been shot there, shows such as “Sex & The City,” “30 Rock and the HBO hit show Girls. The site fee for the main hall starts at $11,200 for weddings.
Julie Miller, the Production/Event Manager at The Foundry said Richardson’s e-mail could not have been better timed. Two days earlier, Miller had had a “very deep” conversation with The Foundy owner Alison Du Val.
“We had just discussed how we wanted to be more involved in the community and be more pilanthropic and then the e-mail arrived,” Miller said.
The Foundry staff put Richardson in touch with their favorite vendors and in short order she had lined up a caterer, DJ, photographer and celebrant. Others followed for the invitations, cake flowers, rings, shoes, and tuxedos, all from local businesses which were eager to lend a hand.
“We could use a beverage sponsor,” Richardson said. “That’s the final piece of the puzzle.”
She added that she can’t wait to see the expression on her childhood friend’s face in two week’s time.
“Gwen has been literally fighting for her life every day for years ––– just to be able to wake up the next day to live, love and laugh.” Richardson said. “We will be forever grateful to the countless people who helped make her wish come true, and enabled us to give this day to her, to her husband, and to their families.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
