Posts in Charity
Alternative Wedding Favours • Wonderful Wedding Wednesday

I adore the little details at weddings. For me, it's all those little things that the bride ends up worrying will go unnoticed, that makes a great wedding. 

We have been to more weddings than I can count on both hands now and everyone has had their own personal touches, which made it memorable. 

Every one had different favour ideas. Cupcakes, feathered napkin rings, individual letters from the happy couple, chocolates and the traditional almonds. 

There are so many wonderful ideas and inspiration on the internet and these were some of my favourites. 

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From top, left to right: Candy pebbles, matches, love rocks, fortune cookies, perfect pairs, sunglasses, berry baskets, beer coolers and jam jars

And for a blow the budget, super succulent idea. These. Just wow. 

But. As much as I love all these, I think there is something nicer to give. A gift for charity.  

The wonderfully brave bride I featured here, will be giving scratch cards to all their guests. Any winnings will be donated to The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation

What a fab and generous idea. And given that the Foundation are helping them organise and fund their wedding, I am sure their guests will be more than happy to donate their prizes. 

If any couple, who are getting married soon are reading this, The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation also have another neat idea. If you are lucky enough to have all the usual house ware and home accessories and have already booked your honeymoon, so aren't looking for contributions, then consider slipping one of these cards into your invitations.

Or, if like a lot of people you can't wait to hit one of the big department stores, armed with a scanner and go on a supermarket style sweep (and who could blame you - it's fab), then consider asking your guests to donate just £1 out of their present budget for you.

£1 from every guest, couple or family attending your wedding makes a huge difference and can help someone else, not so lucky with their health, have happiness just like you.

If you are not getting married but fancy doing a good deed, you can donate your £1 here

If you have missed any of my Wonderful Wedding Wednesday posts then use the search facility at the top of my sidebar or use #WonderfulWeddingWednesday on Twitter.

Wonderful Wedding Wednesday - Meet the Bride

I have been supporting The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation for a while now through my Wonderful Wedding Wednesday posts.

I am also helping them with some photography (not of weddings) and I will share more about that soon! 

I am so happy to share an interview with one of their brides with you today. 

I wanted you all to hear from someone who is being helped in the most wonderful way.

I am so honoured that the Bristol Bride (as she will be known on this blog) has answered a few questions to give us all an insight into just how much the work of The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation means. 

In her words: 

I heard about The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation when I was looking on line for help to get married if you are ill. We had planned on getting married in 2015 or 2016, as we couldn't afford to do it any sooner, as I had to give up work.

With the groom being the only one bringing in money and 3 kids and bills, it was impossible to do it any sooner. The thought of waiting that long to get married really scared me, because of the possibility of not being able to walk down the aisle without help or say my vows without my speech being slurred and people looking at me with pity.

I have problems with speech, balance and memory now, so who knows what I will be like in 2 years.

I want to get married because the groom is the only one that would have me (only joking)! We love each other and we want to spend what time we have left as man and wife. To all be joined as a proper family, so my children have a parent there to help them when I am gone, to make decisions about my care so they don't have to.

To be honest, I felt a bit sad when I sent the application in, as I thought I'd never get picked, I nearly didn't post it but I'm glad I did! It wasn't that long before we heard, it was about 2 weeks. We found out while we were away in Blackpool with family and I received a text and email from the Foundation. We were in the entertainment bar and I couldn't stop jumping up and down I was so excited. Everyone was looking at me like I was mad, but I didn't care, I was really happy and I cant remember the last time I felt like that.

What I would like most from my wedding is the most amazing fun day ever, not just for me but for my family and friends and to see my children dressed up, as I might not be here to see their big days.

The groom and I are doing fun raising for the Foundation. So far we have done a car boot, an abseil and a charity football match. We want to help as many other people to have their special day. Our children are involved in the work we do so when I'm no longer around, they can carry on helping the Foundation on my behalf.

I have tried a few wedding dresses on and I loved it, but I've not found the one yet!

I've never asked my kids before what they are most looking forward to about the wedding until just now. My 12 year old said "You to being happy" bless her. My 13 year old son said "If you have a chocolate fountain and candy floss" that's what he would like the most!

The main way my illness has effected us as a family is financially, as I had to give up work. With less money, we have had to cut back on doing things such as days out holidays etc. I'm always tired so I sleep a lot that's something everyone gets annoyed at! They have to put up with my mood swings and my depression and the house being untidy, when I can't get motivated. My balance and coordination can be bad some days and if I trip they help me up. When I was 14 I got hit by car was injured really badly and had to learn to walk, write, hold knife and fork all over again. I'm telling you this because I am in the early stage of the disease and that for now, I say to kids my symptons are due to my car accident.

Huntington's disease is an inherited disease of the brain that kills some of nerve cells in the brain causing deterioration and gradual loss of function of these areas of the brain. This can affect movement, perception, awareness, thinking and behaviour. Eventually, I will die from heart failure or pneumonia or another infection. 

The reason I want to stay anonymous is because I have 3 children that don't know about my illness as they have 50% chance of having it. I want them to enjoy life as children and not to worry about all this and not have to grow up too fast. I'm trying to protect them from this horrible illness as long as possible. Please read up about it you will see why I want to hide it from them. I feel so bad for having it and I feel so guilty knowing I might of past this on to them.

You can learn more about Huntington's disease here.  

I am in awe of this couple and I want everyone who reads this married, thinking about getting married or who would like to get married one day, to think about what was, or would be, going through your mind on that day. 

Was it that you were blissfully happy, was it, like me, that you were worrying about the weather?  

These honest and incredible words from the Bristol Bride really puts my silly fears on my own wedding day into perspective. I am damn lucky that the rain was all I had to worry about.

If you haven't donated to The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation before, then I defy anyone not to after reading this post. And if you have, thank you and instead share this post with someone so they can learn about the incredible work the Foundation does and how it actually changes lives. 

One couple the charity were helping, to give them a wedding abroad later this year will not get their happy day as the bride passed away last week. 

This charity does so much more than one days work. They tirelessly work for months and the effects of that one day will be felt for years and years. 

You can donate HERE

Wonderful Wedding Wednesday • Share to show you care •

Last week I was overwhelmed with the feedback from my post about The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation.  

You can read it here

It detailed my visit to meet the founder of the charity and highlighted her own battle with cancer. Some of you may not have realised she is fighting this horrible disease and definitely may not have realised that Naomi will not be able to beat her cancer.

I was blown away by all the lovely comments and lots of lovely readers donating their £1 to help. And then something extraordinary happened. 

I had mentioned in the post that I will be following the Foundation's next wedding, which will take place in Bristol, as a behind the scenes, series of posts. And a message popped up from the bride!

Initially, I had imagined the posts would cover the wedding from the Foundation's point of view, how they decide from the many applications who they help, how they find a venue, how they coordinate all the suppliers, to give a couple the wedding of their dreams. But I am so thrilled to say you will be able to follow the journey from both sides!

The bride is going to share some thoughts on my blog which I hope will be a wonderful reminder for them in the future. 

I have sent her some questions which I hope to share next Wednesday, so for today, that is the theme, sharing. 

I can't expect my loyal readers to donate each and every week, so what I would like to ask today is that you share this post. However you like. Share it on Facebook, share it on Twitter, share it on Pinterest, email or tell a friend to go on the internet and read it. And ask your friends and followers to learn a little more about the work of The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation

Maybe they will feel compelled to donate £1

In the meantime, an old school friend, Damien, who was at St George's College sixth form with Richard and I, is happy to share a few of his beautiful wedding photographs, to his even more beautiful bride Irena. 

After getting engaged in Marrakech, they married in Prague and currently live in Guildford with their sweet daughter Eleanor. Damien is a pilot for British Airways so we always look out for him when we fly!  

It is so wonderful when someone you haven't seen since you were 17 is happy to share their wedding photographs to support a charity. The magic of sharing a story. 

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I love that I can spot a good few of the boys we went to school with in this photo!  

Do your good deed of the day and show you care, go forth and share! 

ps. how cute is their little one?! 

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