The Lovegevity Wedding Planning Institute always encourages its certified wedding and event coordinators to give back to the community whenever they’re able. When we hear of an opportunity tailored to our industry we try to pass it along, and the upcoming Blissful Wishes Ball, coordinated by Wish Upon a Wedding, is just what we keep an eye out for. The ball is actually a set of galas across the country, scheduled for November 12. At the same time, the foundation will be running an online auction, Bid Your Wish for Wedding Bliss. The purpose of both events is to raise money for Wish Upon a Wedding, which is “the world’s first nonprofit wedding wish granting organization, providing weddings for terminally ill individuals, regardless of sexual orientation. The official wedding wish granting organization & partner of the Association of Bridal Consultants.” Directions to take part in the galas and auction follow, directly from the foundation:

“Couples planning to be married can bid for wedding-related auction items online starting in October or at a Blissful Wishes Balls Nationwide in November, with all proceeds benefiting Wish Upon a Wedding.This new organization is the world’s first nonprofit that provides weddings for individuals facing life-threatening illness. Wish Upon a Wedding is currently seeking donated products or services in 46 cities, ranging from wedding gowns to tuxedos, invitations to cakes, and limousine services to honeymoons. It only takes a moment to register and make a difference in someone’s life at https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?auctionId=115386483. Be sure to add your item to the correct category (city), and don’t forget to include your company logo and URL. What a great advertising opportunity ~ and you’ll be making a positive difference in someone’s life who truly deserves it!”

Plus, “By donating an item or service, you’ll be helping to make wedding wishes come true for terminally ill individuals, and you’ll receive great exposure for your business in return. You’ll get a mention on our site that can link back to your own web page, as well as a spot to advertise your logo and photos from your company! It’s a great way to pay it forward, and gain business in return.”

Be sure to visit the websites linked above and see how you can help!

Even in times of financial strain and political uncertainty there is a willingness to help others. We offer our money and time to organizations that help children and victims of natural disasters, and weddings are no different. Everyone loves a happy ending, and it’s even better when we join together to make a fairytale come true. Horace Prescott and Dawn Barrett of the U.K. were recently married, but they weren’t always sure it would happen.

Dawn Barrett and Horace Prescott

They have been a couple for the last 10 years but first met as teenagers in London. Mr. Prescott suffered bowel and bladder cancer three years ago, and sadly it has now returned in his stomach and kidneys. Suffice it to say, medical bills and general stress have put a strain on the couple, who thought they may never become husband and wife. Mr. Prescott’s condition is terminal, and he has been told he has only months to live. After a story in the Evening Telegraph about the couples’ hardship support from the community started pouring in. The use of a vintage Rolls Royce was donated by a fellow resident, and a local Holiday Inn decided to offer a free reception, including a three-course meal, to the couple and their 60 wedding guests. Other local businesses pledged favors, food and decor for the wedding and reception.

Paul Noble, the general manager at the Corby Holiday Inn, said, “When a member of my team brought to my attention to the predicament of Horace and Dawn I felt compelled, as did the team, to help. Their touching story tugged on the heartstrings of all here and I don’t think anyone with a heart couldn’t relate to their plight. I know the team will do everything to make this one of the happiest days of their lives.”

“People are just so warm and it has given us such an lift. It is a lovely thing and they are all so kind. There are no words to express how kind they are being. A lot of kindness is going out of the world and it is great to see that there are people out there who are willing to help us,” Miss Barrett said.

As certified wedding and event planners your schedule is packed, and it’s easy to get caught up in the details and forget what a wedding ceremony is all about. A quick look around your community may reveal opportunities for you to give back. Everyone deserves a beautiful wedding - budget or no budget - and all children deserve wonderful birthday parties given in their honor. Building your business is important, and Lovegevity encourages its graduates to work hard and build their reputations, but it also encourages you to share your talents with your community. It’s a great way to recharge your batteries, so to speak, and lift others’ spirits at the same time!

We’ve probably all heard of the Make A Wish Foundation, a non-profit organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening conditions. It’s a lovely way to help the parents of these children, too, because we all know how sky-high medical bills can rocket in a short amount of time. Plus, taking sick children to Disney World, or the Super Bowl, or some other event can be taxing because of the organization and stress it requires and involves. Make A Wish does an awesome thing, and it’s a great organization to support.

Weddings can be super-expensive, too, and planning a wedding when you or your partner are sick can be almost impossible. That’s where the new Wish Upon a Wedding Foundation comes in. According to the foundation’s Web site, it is “America’s only wedding wish granting organization” and it “produces weddings & civil union ceremonies at destinations across the United States for individuals facing terminal illness. By celebrating the courage & spirit of these couples, it is our hope that others facing similar situations will find hope, strength, and the promise of eternal love.”

With the exception of Make a Wish, have you ever heard of something more lovely?

At this point there are only five chapters open, and they are of course tied to some of the major metropolitan areas in the country: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orlando, New York and Chicago. New chapters are in the works and opening up all the time, however, and you can sign up to receive an email if one opens up near you. The success of organizations like this one depends on the hospitality of the wedding industry and that means you, Lovegevity wedding and event coordinators! We know that by simply signing up at Lovegevity’s Wedding Planning Institute you were born to help people (brides need a lot of help, and you enjoy being the one to do it!) Have you considered using your gift as an organizing super-power to help others less fortunate? Wish Upon a Wedding is a fabulous idea and a wonderful way to help wedding planners bring fairy-tale weddings to reality.