When making a donation to such charities in lieu of favors, some will provide you with cards or bookmarks that you can provide your guests to inform them that a donation has been made on their behalf. If one is not provided, then simply create one on your own or purchase the charity bracelets. Your guests will truly be touched by the gesture.

Here are some of my favorite charities that I personally donate to and would hope that you would consider them worthy of a donation in lieu of favors:

• Wish Upon a Wedding (www.wishuponawedding.org): Wish Upon a Wedding is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization that provides weddings and vow renewals to couples facing terminal illness or other serious life-altering circumstances, regardless of sexual orientation. Often, couples facing such situations do not have the energy, time, money, or resources needed to plan their wedding. Our organization takes care of all the details, offering couples a chance to relax and enjoy a very special day while surrounded by the love of their closest family and friends.
• American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org): As a leader in cancer control since 1913, the American Cancer Society is committed to saving lives from cancer and reducing the global threat of the disease. We combine our relentless passion with the wisdom of experience to make this vision a reality by focusing on countries with the most need and where measurable results can be achieved.
• Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (www.mcsf.org): Since 1775, Marines have selflessly served America, and for nearly 50 years the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation has honored this service by educating their children. The privately-funded, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization provides scholarships for post-high school education to deserving sons and daughters of Marines with particular attention given to children whose parent has been killed or wounded in action.
• American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.org): The American Diabetes Association’s mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. They lead the fight against the deadly consequences of diabetes and fight for those affected—by diabetes.

The Jubilance of Giving Back.

Wish Upon a Wedding is the world’s first nonprofit wish granting organization that provides weddings and vow renewals for couples facing terminal illness or other serious life-altering circumstances. Less than one year old, the organization has 16 active chapters, and will have granted 12 wishes by the end of 2010.

During the month of November, they are hosting several fund raising galas and auctions throughout the country, and would like to invite you to participate.

Whether you are a bride or groom to be, a wedding industry professional, or you simply love the concept behind their mission… YOU can help make Wedding Wishes come true, while raising crucial funding needed to sustain this wonderful, new nonprofit organization.

Here’s How:

Attend The Blissful Wishes Ball

A Gala Celebration to Benefit Wish Upon a Wedding

Chicago November 1

LA November 4

San Francisco November 10

Houston November 11

Charlotte November 12

Orlando November 14

St. Louis November 14

Baltimore November 17

Portland November 18

Atlanta November  21

The Blissful Wishes Ball is a festive way to support Wish Upon a Wedding.  Enjoy a nice night out on the town with an elegant dinner, entertainment, music, dancing, and incredible auction items.

Buy your tickets today!

Six-month old nonprofit organization Wish Upon a Wedding announced today that it will broaden its scope of services, in order to assist more couples in need. Although its primary focus continues to provide weddings for terminally ill individuals regardless of sexual orientation, the organization will soon help those faced with other personal burdens, such as serious emotional, physical or other debilitating issues.

Due to a significant number of requests, Wish Upon a Wedding will now provide a limited number of weddings to inspirational couples that have experienced these catastrophic life-altering circumstances. 

Beginning July 22, 2010, the nonprofit will grant these wishes on a case-by-case basis. Applicants will undergo a detailed screening process, and will be required to provide medical proof of their situation.  Because the organization is new and still in growth mode, Wish Upon a Wedding will only be able to grant a limited number of wishes per year, at chapter discretion, and only the most compelling cases as determined by chapter boards will be considered. 

“By partnering with Wish Upon a Wedding, Get Married’s goal is to help connect talented, local wedding professionals in order to offer couples in their communities with a dream wedding and turn tragedy into triumph,” said Stacie Francombe, national public relations chair and founder of Get Married Media.  “By opening up new doors to more deserving couples with a variety of life-changing challenges, the wedding industry is sharing their commitment to their profession, to these individuals and to the idea that dreams do come true for any couple in love.”

Until now, the 501(c) 3 nonprofit has provided weddings for individuals diagnosed with less than three years’ prognosis. That stipulation has been adjusted to a five year diagnosis.  The organizationwill also allow couples seeking vow renewal celebrations to apply for wishes.

Wish Upon a Wedding is looking forward to this change and believes this will have a positive impact on hundreds of lives, by providing the opportunity for a celebration of life and love with those most important to them.

Wish Upon a Wedding is now accepting applications from:

• Couples where at least one individual has terminal diagnosis of less than FIVE years to live
• Couples faced with situations that have caused serious emotional, physical or financial stress (approved on case by case basis)
• Married couples seeking vow renewals, who have faced serious life-altering circumstances including but not limited to terminal illness (approved on a case by case basis)
• All applicants must be over the age of 18 and legal U.S. Citizens

Mission Statement:
Wish Upon a Wedding is the world’s first nonprofit wish granting organization, providing weddings and vow renewals for couples facing terminal illness and life altering circumstances, regardless of sexual orientation.

To fill out an application, click this link:
http://www.formstack.com/forms/?982045-mrBk8ziGiK

With 12 active chapters and 2,500 Wish Granters, we are ready to grant wishes today!

Contact Information
Liz Guthrie, Founder cwo@wishuponawedding.org
877-305-WISH 

Blissful Wishes Ball: A Celebration Gala Benefiting Wish Upon a Wedding
Nonprofit Announces First Annual Cross Country Galas and Online Auctions  

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, JUNE 30, 2010 – Wish Upon a Wedding, the world’s first wedding wish granting organization that produces weddings for individuals facing  terminal illness, announces today that November has been named the organization’s official Month of Giving.  Several fund raising events—dubbed The Blissful Wishes Ball–are open to the public, and will take place in local cities across the country throughout the month of November. Event proceeds will help cover costs associated with granting wedding wishes. 

In conjunction with these Galas, couples planning to be married will be able to bid for wedding-related auction items online or at any of the live events, all at incredible prices, during October and November. Wedding and event professionals representing more than 20 auction categories are donating the items, which cover many of the details and services needed to plan the perfect wedding. Items will be donated and available to engaged couples in 46 cities, and range from wedding gowns to tuxedos, invitations to cakes, and limousine services to honeymoons. 

A dozen chapters of Wish Upon a Wedding are currently busy preparing for the nonprofit’s nation-wide celebrations, for which tickets will be available beginning August 15, 2010.  The online auctions will run during the months of October and November at https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?auctionId=115386483 

“We are excited to offer couples a way to bid on wishes for their own weddings, while donating to Wish Upon a Wedding.” said Sasha Souza, the organization’s national president.  Souza added, “The Galas that are taking place in November will be a chance for the local communities to learn more about Wish Upon a Wedding, while enjoying great food, entertainment, and exciting auction items from local vendors & suppliers.” 

Launched in January 2010, Wish Upon a Wedding is experiencing tremendous growth, with more than 16 chapters nationwide. Those hosting a Blissful Wishes Ball include: Northern California, Southern California, Chicago, Washington D.C., Houston, The Carolinas, Colorado, Portland, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Orlando.  Additional events may be announced in the future.

Wish Upon a Wedding is looking for premier auction items related to the wedding and event industry, and services required for complete wedding packages. If interested in donating, and receiving great exposure for YOUR business, please visit the website https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?auctionId=115386483 and click on Donate an Item.  Be sure to add your item to the correct category (city), and don’t forget to include your company logo and URL.

If interested in learning more about how to help, or to apply to be a City Team Auction Leader, please visit www.wishuponawedding.org/how-to-help or email Founder Liz Guthrie at cwo@wishuponawedding.org.

About Wish Upon a Wedding
Wish Upon a Wedding is dedicated to granting weddings to couples who are facing terminal illness, regardless of sexual orientation.  The foundation was created to celebrate the courage, determination and spirit of these couples by granting their dream wedding wishes. The hope is that chosen recipients can inspire other couples facing similar situations to find hope and strength.  Wish Upon a Wedding is organized exclusively for charitable purposes, including for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

Who Can Apply for a Wish?
Unmarried couples residing in or wishing to get married within 300 miles of these cities, who are over the age of 18, legal U.S. citizens, and where at least one individual has been diagnosed with having less than three years to live are eligible to apply for weddings. Applications are available by emailing president@wishuponawedding.org. 

CONTACT INFO
Liz Guthrie, Founder
877-305-9474
cwo@wishuponawedding.org

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Hi SJE bloggers! Today’s inspiration comes to us from a very special event that will be held tomorrow to celebrate the launching of the Wish Upon a Wedding organization. We are proud to be a part of this organization, which grants wishes to individuals who have a life threatening illness and allows them to truly enjoy the wedding they’ve always dreamed of. Two of Simply Jubilee’s very own, Heather , Houston’s Chapter President, and Seresa, Volunteer Co-Chair both serve on the board for Wish Upon a Wedding; the world’s first nonprofit wedding granting organization. It is such an honor to work with other vendors and wish granters in order to make these dreams a reality for many, demonstrating that a little inspiration from someone else can really go a long way.

Please visit Wish Upon a Wedding’s website for more information by visiting the following link: http://wishuponawedding.org/

New Program Allows Wedding Vendors to Easily Support Wish Upon a Wedding

Wish Upon a Wedding, the world’s first nonprofit wedding wish granting organization, is asking for the support of wedding vendors and industry professionals. This new organization, dubbed “the Wedding Industry’s Charity”, provides weddings for individuals facing life-threatening illness, at destinations across the United States, regardless of sexual orientation.

By donating just 1% of any sale (or 1% of your profits from one event), you can help Wish Upon a Wedding grant these very special wishes. Participants will be recognized for their generosity with an I support the  Wishing Well badge.

Launched in January of this year, the organization now receives new wedding wish requests on a weekly basis. Currently lacking the funds needed to bring long distance families together, these special celebrations may often be missing something (or someone). One of the organization’s goals is to fly up to four family members or loved ones to the weddings of every Wish Recipient, so they can spend a few days with those who matter most. There are many other expenses that Wish Upon a Wedding would like to cover as well, but they need YOUR help.

Founder Liz Guthrie explains, “Many people facing life threatening illness do not have the money or resources to plan a wedding. At last, the wedding industry has joined forces- and together we are making some incredibly special wedding wishes come true, by providing the celebration of one of life’s biggest milestones.” Guthrie adds, “No matter what the setting, Wish Upon a Wedding wants to provide everything necessary for these individuals, including making sure they are surrounded by their most special family and friends.”It’s really easy! To participate, visit the following link: http://wishuponawedding.org/how-to-help/i-support-the-wishing-well/As a supporter of the Wishing Well, participants will receive a custom-designed badge for their blog or website, that lets their clients and peers know that they support “the Wedding Industry’s Charity”. For information on other ways to help Wish Upon a Wedding, please visit our website at www.wishuponawedding.org/how-to-help

Please feel free to cut and paste this information to use in your Blogs, and help us Spread the Wedding Wish Love!

CONTACT INFO
Founder, Liz Guthrie
cwo@wishuponawedding.org
{877} 305-WISH
www.wishuponawedding.org

I am so excited to be working on lauching the Houston Chapter of Wish Upon a Wedding. Giving back to the community is such a big part of who we are a Simply Jubilee Events and to be able to give back through granting wedding wishes to couples who have a terminal illness.

Wish Upon A Wedding was founded in San Francisco, CA, in January of 2010, by a group of wedding and business entrepreneurs and is America’s FIRST nonprofit wedding wish granting organization, producing weddings and civil union ceremonies at destinations across the United States for individuals facing terminal illness, regardless of sexual orientation. 

Chapters:
We now boast twenty chapters nationwide, headed by some of the industry’s most renowned leaders with plans to expand to over 40 chapters worldwide.

Presidents:
Sasha Souza, National President & SF Bay Area President
Kevin Covey, LA/Orange County
Stella Inserra, New York
Ivy Robinson, The Carolinas
Eliana Baucicault, Atlanta
Mary Alice Sublett, Tennessee
Mark Kingsdorf, Philadelphia
Saundra Hadley, Indianapolis
Heather Hamilton Sims, Houston
Shelby Tuck Horton, DC
Elisa Delgardio, Orlando
Ali Phillips, Chicago
Daniela Isabella Ferdico Fagét, Seattle  

Forming Additional Chapters:
Other chapters opening soon include Boston, Colorado, Arizona, Portland, Miami, St. Louis, Ohio and Nevada.  We are also planning to open to chapters in other areas depending on need including international chapters.  If you wish to start a chapter, please fill out the online form for consideration. 

Who Is Behind Wish Upon A Wedding?
We also have many influential people in the industry who are beginning to endorse Wish Upon A Wedding, you can find those endorsements on our website.  We also have amazing people sitting on our Boards and Advisory Panel throughout the US such as Dana Larue Stiebel “Broke-Ass Bride” {LA Chapter PR Chair}, Leila Khalil {National PR Advisor}, Beth Helmstetter {National Outreach Director} just to name a few of our amazing friends and advisors.  We would love to have you join us as well either as a board member or wish granter!

How We Grant Wishes:
To qualify for Wishes, applicants must be unmarried legal citizens of the United States, over the age of 18, who have been diagnosed with less than three years to live.  Couples can be granted wishes either in the chapter where they live or in a chapter of their choosing as long as they are able to make the trip. 

Couples can simply apply online to request one of three wedding types:
URGENT (Up to 10 guests, in hospital or at bedside);
BOUTIQUE (up to 25 guests, in home town of applicant);
ROMANTIC (Up to 50 guests, at any WUW destination)

How Can You Grant Wishes?
As we are building our organization, Wish Granters are needed in all locations. Please apply online today to start helping us make Wedding Wishes come true. In two weeks, Wish Upon A Wedding will be granting the very first wish.  To read more about that wish and the couple please visit the website.