On Wednesday, October 20, 2021, Jackie and David will gather with close family and friends to renew their vows and to celebrate a love that has lasted since high school.

Jackie and David first met in the 10th grade. They were both in the band and ended up sitting next to each other on a bus trip to band camp. At the end of the trip, Jackie kissed David on the cheek and he’s “been chasing her ever since”. The two started dating immediately. They dated for four years and then got married. That was 33 years ago.

When Jackie was 35, she started experiencing some movement issues. At first, they didn’t think much of it, but as time went on and more symptoms emerged, Jackie and David started seeking out answers. Eventually, Jackie received a heartbreaking diagnosis. Jackie had Huntington’s disease – a condition that is like a combination of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. While there is still so much to learn about Huntington’s Disease, Jackie has been able to go on some new medications that have helped with her cognitive functions and her tense muscles. As she and David have watched her disease progress, it became more and more important for them to renew their vows with their parents, children and grandchildren.

On October 12, 2021, Ashley and Billy will stand before family and friends to unite their lives in marriage and open a new chapter in a story that has been dominated by struggle and sickness.

Ashley has struggled with health issues for her entire life. She was born with Cystic Fibrosis and has battled its many complications for years. In addition to the CF, Ashley has battled Hemachromatosis, a condition that causes the body to absorb too much iron. In her early 20’s, Ashley’s lung quality had diminished to the point where she needed to be on constant oxygen. In 2015, she underwent a complete double lung transplant. She spent a month in the hospital, on and off of a ventilator – and often, clinging to life. While the surgery was successful, Ashley’s Hemachromatosis’s continued to advance, placing her on yet another donor transplant list, this time for a partial liver.

We were thrilled to meet Ashely and Billy at this point in their journey and are so excited to help make this wish for a wedding come true. We wanted to be able to grant this wish for them before the liver transplant so that they can focus on preparing for both of their surgeries and making plans for the recovery that will follow.

On July 25th, 2021, Rachel and Jeff stood before their nearest and dearest to renew their vows to and profess their love for one another on the grounds of the breathtaking Estate at Cherokee Dock.

Rachel and Jeff first met while volunteering at an extracurricular activity in high school when they were just 16 years old. They hit it off immediately and dated for the next year and a half. After high school, they broke up and went their separate ways. Several years later, however, after living through the tragic events of 9/11 in New York City, Jeff decided to reach out to Rachel. The two picked up right where they had left off and have been together ever since. They were engaged in 2003 and were married a year later.

Two years into their marriage, Rachel began experiencing some perplexing health issues. She had come down with a virus that would not go away and was enduring extreme fatigue and heart issues. After several months, she decided to see an autonomic doctor at Vanderbilt. While it took nearly a year and a half to get a diagnosis, the news that she received was heartbreaking. She was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, an incredibly rare condition that breaks down the connective tissue in your body.

We were honored to help Rachel and Jeff with their vow renewal and were thrilled to work with our sweet friend Laurie D’Anne again. Despite the lingering challenges of the Covid pandemic, Laurie was able to secure a wonderful team to pull off this special wish.

On September 21, 2021, Nina and Martin will stand before their family and friends to unite their lives in marriage.

Nina and Martin first met on a dating app three years ago. They took their time in getting to know one another and found themselves opening up about the personal details of their lives.

As a young child, Nina was plagued with health issues. After consulting multiple doctors, she was finally diagnosed with Lupus at age 13. She started seeing a specialist and while it was a long and often difficult road, she was able to learn to control her disease and was feeling hopeful for a healthy future. In May of 2010, however, she had a significant lupus flare up and had to be hospitalized for a short time. It was at home, while she was recovering from her recent bout, that her life changed forever. She had awoken the morning of May 6, 2010 with a significant headache. She was going about her day, trying to work when she suffered a massive stroke and collapsed in the bathroom.

We were very touched by Nina and Martin’s story and are thrilled to be able to grant their wish for a wedding. We teamed up with Melissa of Events by Missy and Company and are SO grateful for the incredible team that she has assembled. We can’t wait to see it all unfold.

On September 12, 2021, Kelly and Larry will stand before family and friends to renew their vows after 14 years of marriage. For this beautiful couple, the road back to the alter has been paved with sickness, perseverance, and most of all – love.

Kelly and Larry first met in 2004 when Kelly decided to meet up with a friend late one night after work. Her friend, as it turns out, wanted her to meet her friend, Larry. The two started dating two weeks later and very quickly fell in love. They dated for the next two years and were married in 2007. As Kelly describes it, life was good. Within a few years, the couple began having children. In 2014, their life was turned upside down when their oldest son was diagnosed with Leukemia at just 3 and a half years old. Thankfully, Noah has been cancer free for the past three years.

In the summer of 2019, Kelly began experiencing some concerning medical issues of her own. She had started having some female pains and went in for an ultrasound. The testing revealed a large tumor on her ovary, which he was told was likely not something to be too concerned about. A biopsy then sadly revealed the worst. She was diagnosed with colon cancer that had spread to her ovaries. Throughout the next two years, Kelly underwent numerous painful and invasive surgeries and treatments, including a full hysterectomy and a rigorous chemotherapy regiment. Kelly is currently undergoing more treatment and is continuing to fight hard for her sweet family, with Larry by her side.

On August 29th, 2021, Belinda and Mike will gather with their loved ones to renew their vows after 50 beautiful years of marriage.

In 2014 Belinda was sadly diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive condition similar to Alzheimer’s disease that results in horrendous hallucinations, loss of short-term memory and a decline in movement. For the past few years, Mike has faithfully cared for Belinda as her condition as continued to advance. As he sees it, it’s his time to carry her through.

We fell in love with Mike and Belinda from the first moment we spoke to them, and we simply cannot wait to make their dream of a 50th vow renewal come true.

On May 26th, 2021, Joe and Kristina gathered with their loved ones at the elegant Crystal Plaza, in Livingston, NJ, to renew their vows and to celebrate their beautiful marriage.

Joe and Kristina first met years ago at one of Joe’s gigs. Joe played in a band with Kristina’s cousin, and the 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 and hit it off immediately. They eloped in Las Vegas just one year later.

Two years into their marriage, Joe was sadly diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. He underwent an intense and very difficult chemotherapy program, which temporarily worked, but in 2020, the cancer spread to his brain. He underwent two brain surgeries and spent much of the spring at an in-patient rehab center. Thankfully, the facility agreed to release him for the day so that we could help them renew their vows.

On June 15, 2021, Pam and Josh gathered with their nearest and dearest on the grounds of the gorgeous Postlewait’s wedding and event venue to unite their lives in marriage.

We simply loved meeting this beautiful couple and were so honored to grant their wedding wish. From start to finish, the day was enveloped in love. Our gorgeous bride spent the morning getting ready, while our incredible wish crew, led by Natalie of Carpe Diem Wedding and Events, decorated the beautiful barn and outdoor ceremony site. From the breathtaking florals and linens to the over-the-top homemade BBQ, beautiful cake and sweet, personalized details, our couple was treated to a day filled with laughter and light.

On July 25th, 2021, Rachel and Jeff will join with family and friends to celebrate their love and to renew their vows after 17 years of marriage.

Rachel and Jeff first met while volunteering at an extracurricular activity in high school when they were just 16 years old. They were engaged in 2003 and were married a year later.

Two years into their marriage, Rachel began experiencing some perplexing health issues. She had come down with a virus that would not go away and was enduring extreme fatigue and heart issues. After several months, she decided to see an autonomic doctor at Vanderbilt. While it took nearly a year and a half to get a diagnosis, the news that she received was heartbreaking. She was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, an incredibly rare condition that breaks down the connective tissue in your body. The past five years have seen many ups and downs for Rachel and Jeff as Rachel’s disease has continued to progress.

We were blessed to have met Rachel and Jeff and are honored to help them renew their vows. We teamed up with dear our friend, Laurie D’Anne Events and cannot wait to see what she has planned for our sweet couple.

On July 15, 2021, Beth and Kiarr will gather with their family and friends to renew their vows and to celebrate a love that has forged through sickness and sorrow.

Beth and Kiarr met during their first year in college. They were married in 2003, during a massive blizzard where sadly, many of their loved ones were unable to attend and all of the photos from the day were lost.

In 2018, Beth started having some concerning breast issues. After undergoing a series of tests, she was diagnosed with an incredibly aggressive form of metastatic breast cancer. She immediately underwent a double mastectomy and hysterectomy, followed by a rigorous chemotherapy and radiation schedule. While her treatments initially worked, her cancer returned this past year and has spread to her lungs, bones and skull.

Sadly, Beth lost her battle with breast cancer just 10 days before our wish was supposed to take place.