A Philadelphia couple will receive an all-expenses-paid wedding this month thanks to Finley Catering. The family-owned catering and events company selected Megan Barbieri and John Pearce as recipients for its 50th-anniversary celebration. Barbieri and Pearce were introduced by mutual friends a t a birthday party at South Bowl in Philadelphia in August 2022. Barbieri had been hesitant to go out that night but was persuaded by friends, who kept “talking about a single guy named John who would be there.” That night they hit it off and were inseparable. Later that evening, Barbieri called a friend and said, “I think I just met my husband.” In April 2024, at just 26 years old, Barbieri was working as a medical intensive care unit nurse when she began experiencing concerning symptoms. She was later diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and had to begin chemotherapy immediately. Throughout her treatment, Pearce remained by her side. While she was in the hospital, he told her, “Vows are in sickness and in health, and since I plan on taking them, why wouldn’t we start now?” Just a few months later, while Barbieri was asleep on the couch after a day of treatment, Pearce woke her up and proposed with his mother’s wedding ring. In July 2026, Barbieri received her final dose of chemotherapy. “Through it all, she and her fiancé John have shown what unwavering love looks like! Their resilience and devotion remind us why we do what we do, to celebrate love in all its forms,” Finley Catering wrote in a social media post. Now, Barbieri and Pearce will have their dream wedding on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, at Union Trust, one of Finley Catering’s upscale venues. Finley Catering said it looks forward to celebrating the couple’s love story while marking 50 years in business with an emotional evening and a dramatic transformation of the venue. For more information about Finley Catering, visit Finleycatering.com. ...read more read less