On May 11, 2021, Amanda and Travis gathered on the grounds of the immaculate Duke Mansion to renew their vows and to celebrate a love story that has triumphed over pain and sickness.

For this adorable young couple, who first met while working at the same grocery store after high school, the road back to the altar has been paved with years of fertility issues, two surprising miracle babies and a string of scary, unexplained health issues.

We simply adore this couple and were truly honored to grant their wish for a vow renewal. Our sweet wedding planner, Sarah Duckworth, pulled out all the stops and filled the day with magical memories.

On June 15, 2021, Pam and Josh will stand before their family and friends to pledge their lives to one another in marriage and celebrate a love that has already conquered so much.

Pam and Josh first met through friends in 2017. The two had recently ended relationships and began chatting and getting to get to know each other long distance (Pam was in Oregon, Josh was in Washington). As things progressed, they fell for each other and began dating. As Pam and Josh’s connection deepened, they found healing in their beautiful relationship.

In 2019, Pam started having some unexplained extreme fatigue that was interfering greatly with her job. After consulting with her doctor, she was misdiagnosed with narcolepsy. Soon after she discovered a lump in her breast. While her doctor initially thought it was just breast sensitivity, an ultrasound later revealed a massive tumor. Pam immediately underwent an emergency biopsy and sadly received a heartbreaking diagnosis, triple negative invasive ductile carcinoma.

We’re thrilled to have met Pam and Josh and are looking forward to making their dream of a wedding come true. We’ve brought on an amazing planner in Natalie of Carpe Diem Events and are blown away by the incredible team of wish granters she has recruited.

Kate and Shane first met in 2013. Shane had recently returned from an Army tour in Iraq and Kate, also a veteran, was working on a PHD in public health. The two kept running into each other at veteran events and decided to go out. In Kate’s words, “each time we went out, I was continually surprised by him.” The two became seriously almost immediately and were engaged within a year. Shortly after, Kate landed an interview for a professorship in Charleston and the two stopped at a courthouse on the way there and eloped!

In 2018, at the behest of her doctor, Kate had a routine mammogram. Sadly, Kate’s mammogram revealed the worst. She had three tumors in her breast and lymph nodes. Kate was diagnosed with an aggressive form of heterogenous stage IV breast cancer.

Kate is fighting with all of her might for her sweet little family. We were so touched by her and Shane’s story and cannot wait to help them renew their vows. We brought on board Rebecca Hicks, an old friend of ours, to help and are thrilled with the team that she has brought on board. A veteran herself, Rebecca and Kate have hit it off and we’re looking forward to the amazing celebration tomorrow.

Joe and Kristina first met years ago at one of Joe’s gigs. Joe’s played in a band with Kristina’s cousin so that two would run into each other at the shows. At the time, Joe was happily married to his wife of 20 years but lost her to a sudden illness in 2010. Four years later, Joe and Kristina reconnected online. They started dating immediately and ended up eloping in Las Vegas a year later.

Just two years into their wedding bliss, Joe was diagnosed with Stage four lung cancer and has been fighting hard for the past two years. We fell in love with this amazing couple and are honored to grant their wish for a vow renewal.

Amanda and Travis first met in high school but didn’t get to know one another until they were seated next to each other at a friend’s engagement party years later. Their connection was immediate and quickly fell in love and embarked upon a life together.

In the past 13 years since they were married, Amanda and Travis have experienced a lifetime of dramatic highs and lows, including infertility, brain surgery, heart surgery and two strokes. Throughout it all, their love has not wavered. We have loved getting to know this couple and simply cannot wait to grant their wish for a vow renewal.

On March 12, 2021, Ben and Heather gathered with their loved ones to once again, recommit their lives to one another. From start to finish, the celebration was filled with love and light and our wonderful couple enjoyed a brief escape from the daily reality of cancer.

Ben and Heather met in February of 2011. They were working on a project together for Ben’s company and found themselves trapped in a break room all day waiting out a snowstorm. As the hours passed and they chatted and got to know each other, they knew they had found something special. They two began dating immediately and were married four months later.

We are thrilled to be granting this wish for Ben and Heather. We’ve joined forces with our new friend, Morgan Floyd of Hooch and Honey and have been so touched by the incredible effort she has put into making this wish so special. Morgan lined up an amazing team of wish granters and we’re so excited to see it all unfold.

Less than a year ago, Ben began experiencing a variety of cold and allergy symptoms that wouldn’t go away. As the symptoms began to worsen, he found himself coughing up blood. He made an appointment with his doctor and after undergoing a series of tests, was sadly diagnosed with lung cancer.

Stephanie and Ronnie first met in 2007 at a mutual friend’s house. As the two describe it, it was love at first site. They fell for each other immediately and moved in together the following week. Three years later, they had a baby boy. While they had their ups and downs, like all couples, Stephanie and Ronnie’s love continued to grow and flurish throughout the years.

In 2014, Ronnie’s life took a drastic turn when he inexplicably collapsed on the floor of his apartment. Unbeknownst to him, he was suffering from a softball sized tumor on the left side of his brain. Ronnie immediately underwent a complicated brain surgery. While the surgeon was able to remove 98% of the tumor, the tests were devastating. He was diagnosed with brain cancer.

In February of 2020, however, he suffered a grand mal seizure while commuting on a bus home from work. He had to be resuscitated and spent the next week in a coma. Ronnie’s tests revealed the worst. His cancer had returned and his tumor had multiplied. Although he fought with all he had, Ronnie lost his battle with cancer just four days after our wish. Our hearts go out to Stephanie and Rj as they face life without him.

Emil and Halie’s have somewhat of a storybook love story. They first saw each other two years ago from across the room at their local cancer hospital. Emil has been struggling with sickle cell anemia since birth and was at the hospital to receive treatment, while Halie was experiencing some health issues of her own and was there to meet with a doctor. While Emil had planned to introduce himself to her after his appointment, he was disappointed to discover that she had already left. As fate would have it, the two matched on a dating app that very night!

Sadly, sickle cell is an uncurable disease and one that causes tremendous pain, fatigue, frequent hospitalizations, routine blood infusions and often, surgery. In Emil’s case, the disease has advanced considerably over the years, causing complications that will require a him to have a hip and shoulder replacement. Despite putting on a brave face and never complaining, Emil fights constant exhaustion and pain and has spent several weeks in the hospital already this year.

We were honored to grant Emil and Halie’s wish for a wedding and loved getting to know them throughout the process. From start to finish, the day was filled with love, laughter and beauty.

Tomorrow, on January 12, 2021, Stephanie and Ronnie will gather before their loved ones to commit their lives to one another. While we had hoped to have this wish later this week at the Great Lakes Culinary Center, Ronnie’s as suffered some significant health setbacks in his battle with brain cancer in the past weeks, forcing us to move the wish to Ronnie and Stephanie’s home.

We have been so moved by this beautiful couple and are honored to grant their wish for a wedding. Our amazing planner has secured an incredible crew of wish granters, and while they all will not be able to attend due to our last minute change of plans and Ronnie’s health, we wanted to publicly thank and celebrate them.