If you’re needing a pick-me-up (because we sure are), here’s another round of #HOPE Campaign award winners!

We were so lucky to have met Josh and Nikkey and heartbroken that we will not be able to make their wedding wish come true. On May, 13, 2020 Josh lost his battle with cancer, just days before we were set to grant his wish. We are eternally grateful to the generous crew that we assembled for this wish and cannot thank them enough for their creativity, kindness and willingness to go above and beyond – especially during these uncertain times.

One thing we’ve appreciated while reading through our #HOPE Campaign submissions has been the incredible creativity of our applicants. Of course, given the nature of the wedding industry, this makes perfect sense! Wedding professionals are born with the innate skill of making lemonade out of lemons. They work well under pressure and often asked to pivot on a dime.

Here’s a look at a few award winners who are thinking outside the box and truly making a difference:

In the midst of these unprecedented times, it’s easy to get discouraged and bogged down in negativity. What we’ve been trying to focus on instead, is the enormous outpouring of love, kindness and generosity that so many people are spreading to those around them. Since we’re in the business of granting wishes, we thought it would be fun to reward some friends in the wedding industry who are truly going the extra mile right now.

We developed the 2020 Corona Virus #HOPE Campaign to grant awards to vendors who are using their time, talents and resources to help those directly affected by this pandemic. Per usual, we were blown away by all of the good folks out there.

Keith and Laura first met 30 years ago when a mutual friend introduced them. Keith had previously been married and had three young children. They hit it off immediately and began dating. Before long, they fell in love, moved to Florida and decided to get married. Throughout their years in FL, they were blessed with 3 children of their own. After nearly 20 years in FL, the couple headed to Iowa for a new adventure. A roofer by trade, Keith spent his time in Iowa working for the Amish. After four years, they moved back to Destin in 2018. It was around this time that Keith started to experience some concerning health issues. In addition to rapid weight loss, he began to periodically regurgitate his food. He went to his doctor to get checked out and was sadly diagnosed with stage 3 esophageal cancer. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation and an incredibly invasive surgery to have his esophagus removed. This past September, Keith’s cancer returned and metastasized, forcing the couple to moved to Maryland to be closer to Keith’s family and to receive treatment at John Hopkins.

Due to the uncertainty of the Corona Virus, we don’t know yet when we’ll be able to grant Keith and Laura’s wish for a vow renewal. Our outstanding team of wish granters are standing by and are excited to celebrate with our sweet couple as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Vanessa and Chris first met by sheer happenstance. Vanessa’s friend had decided to go meet up with a guy that she had met online and Vanessa decided to tag along for safety and support. Turns out, the man in question had a roommate named Chris – and the rest is history. One year into their relationship, Chris popped the question and the two were married at a courthouse just 16 days later on April 18, 2011. In the fall of 2018, Vanessa began to experience some confusing health problems. She was working as a medical assistant at the time and suddenly began struggling with things like balance, tripping, slurring of speech and loss of dexterity in her fingers. Despite numerous appointments with a neurologist, she wasn’t able to find a good answer. As the months dragged on and her family watched her physical abilities diminish, she was certain that something was very wrong. The answer finally came in June and was more devastating than she or Chris could have ever imagined. Vanessa had been diagnosed with ALS. In spite of her diagnosis, Vanessa and tried her best to find joy and peace in each moment. While She and Chris had dreamed of renewing their vows on their 10thwedding anniversary, they were forced to move the day up. We were incredibly touched by Vanessa and Chris’ story and were thrilled to grant them the vow renewal of their dreams.

Amanda and Sean first met online in the fall of 2017. They had both previously been divorced and were looking to give love a second chance, each with two small children in tow. Two years before meeting, however, Amanda had been diagnosed with a rare and very unpredictable form of cancer known as metastatic neuroendocrine/carcinoid syndrome. She was working at the time and began having some strange health issues, including heart episodes. She ended up going to the hospital during one such episode and underwent a battery of various tests. A biopsy revealed multiple neuroendocrine tumors in her liver. She began radiation to kill the tumors, but they kept popping up in different parts of her body.

Amanda’s cancer diagnosis did not scare Sean. They hit it off on their first date, quickly fell in love and have been together ever since. Throughout the last couple of years, Amanda and Sean’s relationship has weathered a lot of storms. Amanda continues to battle tumors, which develop unexpectedly throughout her body and is currently undergoing chemotherapy injections every 28 days. She has participated in numerous experimental treatment programs in hopes of controlling her eradic tumor patterns, but it all remains a guessing game. In addition to caring for 4 small children, Amanda experiences extreme fatigue and pain on most days.

Wish Upon a Wedding was touched by this young couple’s sweet story and loved granting their wish for a wedding. Amanda and Sean’s wedding marks wish #150 for our organization!

Chuck and Jill first 30 years ago when they were both working at Gabe’s department store. After getting to know each other as friends for about a year and a half, they began dating and were married on Oct 24th, 1998. In 2001, they were blessed with the birth of their daughter. They spent the next 17 years working and building their life as a beautiful family of three. In the spring of 2018, Chuck developed a nagging cough and bone pain that wouldn’t go away. While he initially thought it was just allergies, it continued to worsen and he decided to have it checked out. He underwent a CT scan which revealed a devastating diagnosis – stage 4 prostate cancer that had spread to his lungs, liver and bones. 

Chuck immediately began an aggressive chemotherapy regiment, followed by 6 weeks of radiation. He is currently undergoing hormone therapy in hopes of controlling the painful effects of his cancer while also slowing its progression. We have loved getting to know this couple and were so honored to grant their wish for a vow renewal.

Joann and Will first met in high school when Will was a senior and Joann was a junior. She had borrowed a book of his and took off on a weeklong trip. When she returned, she sought her out to reclaim his overdue book and promptly asked her out. The two started dating immediately and became very serious. On Joann’s 18thbirthday, the couple ran off to Lake Tahoe and got married without telling any of their family or friends. That was 40 years ago this past April.

Over the years, Joann has battled a variety of health issues. In 2012, her first colonoscopy revealed a small cancerous tumor. She had the tumor removed but did not receive any treatment. Unfortunately, they didn’t get it all and the tumor continued to grow, eventually metastasizing to her lymph nodes. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy. In 2018 the cancer spread again, this time to her lungs. She is currently undergoing more chemotherapy and is battling a tremendous amount of side effects and fatigue. We fell for this couple from the minute we met them and were thrilled to help them renew their vows with their family and friends.

Rosemarie and Happy first met when she was 17 and he was 24. They were working at the same warehouse and were immediately attracted to each other. Although their family and friends were skeptical, the two started dating and soon fell in love. They became engaged after Rosemarie graduated college and were married just one month later. The couple went on to have three daughters and to enjoy many wonderful years together.

Things took a drastic turn in 2015 when Rosemarie discovered a lump in her breast. She had it checked out and was sadly diagnosed with breast cancer that had spread to her lymph nodes. She underwent treatment and was doing well until the cancer spread to her brain, lungs and bones this past January. Wish Upon a Wedding was thrilled to be able to grant them their wish for a vow renewal with their family and friends. We enlisted the help of some amazing Sacramento vendors and are so grateful for their incredibly generosity. 

On January 13th, Rosemarie lost her battle with cancer. Our hearts go out to their sweet family during this time.