Every couple's wedding story is as unique as the couples themselves and for Chicago couple Amy Ferguson and Holly Gitlin that involves the lodging rental company Airbnb.
Ferguson and Gitlin were planning on getting married on Memorial Day weekend in 2013, however, they were running out of funds for their dream wedding and were considering taking second jobs to pay for their wedding. They already had their every day bills and student loan payments to contend with as well as paying for the wedding and according to Ferguson they didn't have a dime to spare.
Ferguson was working as a writer and editor in educational publishing, which she has done for eight years, while at the time Gitlin was going through a career transition and wasn't sure what her next steps would be so she took on odd jobs and temporary work to contribute to the household. It was at one of Gitlin's side jobs that she met Drew Noble who was then the regional director of Airbnb. Gitlin now works as an Operations Manager for an HR consulting firm.
"We invited Drew over and she talked us through Airbnb. Both Amy and I were intrigued," said Gitlin. "First, we love hosting and entertaining in our home so we knew we'd make good Airbnb hosts. Second, we needed extra cash and neither of us wanted to take on a second job. Having Airbnb in our home seemed much more manageable and it gave us the opportunity to save for our wedding and plan a really exceptional event.
"For us, the wedding was always about bringing our tremendous communities together in one place and celebrating them in our journey. Airbnb was the perfect fit for our wedding and made it entirely possible. In fact, we met the amazing interior designer, Dave Hopkins, through Airbnb and he came up with the concept for our entire reception which was featured in the first edition of the lesbian version of The Knot."
Following their meeting with Noble, the couple listed their apartment on Airbnb.com and not only were they able to pay for their wedding with the money they made from the listing they had money to spare. Since then they've made this endeavor a way of life and now they oversee two Airbnb listings, having rented out another apartment in their building.
"We both love being hosts of others and noticed at one point that we'd kind of come to be known for that among our friends," said Ferguson. "It's something we've always shared and have always loved that we share, and it's brought a lot of richness into our lives at the same time. I guess Airbnb was a natural extension of this and that's why it's worked so well for us."
It's really changed so many things for us on so many levels. While it's definitely work, it's work that we enjoy," said Gitlin. "Being an Airbnb host gives us so much more access and we're a part of this community of people who really think differently about the world around them and how they participate in the world. We've become more open to strangers and feel a greater sense of ownership and pride in sharing our piece of Chicago with others. So often tourism is about seeing the major sites, however, I've found from my own personal travels that my favorite memories were conversations with strangers and unexpected but authentic discoveries off the beaten path."
The couple has been together for 10 years, having met in St. Louis, Missouri. while Ferguson was waiting tables at Boogaloo, a popular restaurant at the time that has swings instead of bar stools, while still attending college.
"I waited on her and a woman she was clearly dating at the time," said Ferguson. "I remember thinking she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, but oh well, she was obviously taken. I ran into her at a bar several weeks later. I had the liquid courage in me so I thought, what the hell, and made my move."
"We were both dating others then but neither of our relationships were very serious so we started messaging each other via MySpace—which totally dates me but it lead to us hanging out and eventually dating," said Gitlin.
Ferguson, who has a BA in English from Webster University in St. Louis, was born in Ft. Worth, Texas, but spent her formative years in St. Louis; Gitlin grew up everywhere before landing in St. Louis when she was in middle school. Gitlin received her BA in theater and English from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, and completed her MFA coursework in arts management and leadership at Webster University at the same time that Ferguson was finishing her undergraduate degree there.
Gitlin has worked at a variety of jobs over the years including as an LGBT advisor in Colombia, Missouri, and as an executive assistant for two Broadway producers—one of whom just won a Tony Award for Fun Home. She also volunteers for the Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival.
Food is what unites them as far as hobbies are concerned. Ferguson enjoys baking and is always working on the perfect cup of coffee or cocktail while Gitlin's loves to grill and cook in her spare time. One of Ferguson's friends once said to her that she is the house garde manger and she agrees with that statement. They are also planning on traveling to Montreal and Paris later this year.
Ferguson's one bit of advice to everyone is you only live once so live life to the fullest.
"When we got married we weren't sure how much the world would change but we loved each other and wanted to celebrate that," said Gitlin. "Within a short amount of time so much has moved forward. So love is worth the risk and now that marriage is legal in all 50 states, take our advice, Airbnb is an excellent way to fund your dream ceremony."
