'Wish Upon A Wedding' Helps People In Extreme Circumstances Tie The Knot
By Carissa Hutchinson
@cnhutch1991
During my freshman year of college I joined Delta Zeta. The reason why I picked them was because in my eyes I thought their philanthropies were very important. Delta Zeta supports speech and hearing impaired as well as The Painted Turtle Camp. This camp gives terminally ill children a chance to just be kids and gives them the experience of going to camp.
Now that I'm interning with CW50 I've discovered another wonderful charity, Wish Upon a Wedding. I had the privilege of meeting Laura Davis, Media & PR Chair of Wish Upon a Wedding. This is what she had to say about her organization.
What is Wish Upon a Wedding?
"Wish Upon a Wedding is the world's first nonprofit organization, dedicated to providing weddings for individuals facing a terminal illness, or other serious life-altering circumstances, regardless of sexual orientation. As of the end of 2013, we have 13 chapters available to grant wishes, all across the United States."
Where did the idea for Wish Upon a Wedding come from? How did Wish Upon a Wedding start?
"Our Founder, Liz Guthrie, a wedding planner in San Jose, CA, came up with the idea to grant weddings to terminally ill individuals, while she was producing a nationwide wedding giveaway contest. The San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway was a community project, where over 40 bay area wedding and hospitality vendors came together to donate a high-end wedding to a deserving couple. Liz felt it was sad that only ONE couple would benefit from the generosity of so many businesses in the wedding industry.
Along with the eagerness of the wedding industry to give back, Liz noticed several couples entering the contest had been affected by terminal illness. By starting a nonprofit organization with the wedding industry in mind, she was able to merge these two concepts. The wedding industry wanted to give back, and there were people in need of our help."
Who is eligible for a wish? Who can have a wish granted? How does someone apply?
"Applicants who are at least 18 years or older, legal US Citizens, unmarried, where at least one individual has been diagnosed with less than FIVE years to live are encouraged to apply. Apply online. We also provide a limited number of Wishes throughout the year, where the Wish Recipients' eligibility is determined by serious life-altering circumstances, and not necessarily life-threatening illness. Additionally, we provide a limited number of vow renewals."
How does it work? Please describe the process.
"Each chapter maintains a database of "Wish Granters," based on several different wedding vendor categories. When a Wish is received in that area, the Volunteer Coordinators will call upon their Wish Granters to donate their professional goods and services, enabling us to provide the Wish Recipient's dream weddings. We will provide everything from the venue to the food, and the music to the flowers. The couple does not have to do anything but enjoy the special day surrounded by those who matter most to them."
How can people help?
"If you are in the wedding industry, please visit our Chapter Locations page at www.wishuponawedding.org and fill out a short online form to become a Wish Granter. Those not in the wedding and event industry can also help in many ways. Cash donations are needed to cover the cost of bringing in family members for the event, as well as paying for their hotel accommodations. There are other miscellaneous items we may need funds to cover in cases of an urgent wish, or where we are unable to secure a total donation. For couples who are about to married, Wish Upon a Wedding accepts donations in lieu of gifts or favors. For a complete list of how you can help please visit the HOW TO HELP tab on our website."
What else should we know about Wish Upon a Wedding?
"Everyone should know that these are smaller events, usually less than 50 people and can take place any day of the week. It is best for wish applicants to be flexible with their date. Wish Recipients must agree to one thing: Let Wish Upon a Wedding take care of all the details. They should be ready to relax, enjoy this special day with their family and loved ones, and know that they are in the best of hands. They will be pampered!"
Though out college Delta Zeta became a big part of my life and knowing that the money we raised went to children to bring them happiness during a difficult time made me feel like I made a difference in the world. So make Wish Upon a Wedding your charity so you can feel the same and help change someone's life. For more information on how you can help go to wishuponawedding.org or check out their Michigan Facebook page facebook.com/WUWMichigan.
Carissa Hutchinson is a senior at Ferris State University studying television and digital media production. She's currently on two internships with CBS 62/CW50 Detroit and M-1 Studios in Ferndale. While attending college she was a very active member of Delta Zeta and the Media Communications Association. Take a look at Carissa's work at carissanhutchinson.wordpress.com.
