The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation:
How it all began
In September 2010, just six days after the birth of her miracle baby boy, Devon, Naomi Thomas received the heartbreaking news that she had incurable cancer. Originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, Naomi had undergone months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, only to face yet more treatment and hospital appointments – all while caring for a newborn baby.
At the time of this devastating new diagnosis Naomi had been engaged to her soul mate, Graham, for a little over a year, and now faced a future in which they would never be able to say, “I do”, thanks to the financial – not to mention emotional – implications of living with a terminal or life-limiting illness.
“The thought of never marrying Graham absolutely broke my heart,” Naomi explains. “We had already been through so much during our whirlwind romance, and it seemed so unfair that, after everything we’d endured, we would now be denied the one thing that so many couples take for granted. We wanted Devon to know how much we’d truly loved each other, and to cement our feelings in front of family and friends. We’d already had to postpone our wedding indefinitely, due to my original diagnosis, and it felt as though my cancer would now render our dream wedding just that; a dream.”
Luckily for Naomi and Graham help was on handin the form of ‘guardian angel’ wedding planner Sam Williams, who offered to organise the couple’s nuptials for them. Thanks to her relentless hard work and determination, as well as the unending generosity of the local suppliers she contacted, Sam soon had Naomi and Graham’s dream day underway; the couple finally exchanged their vows in an emotional ceremony in June, 2012, watched by the friends and family who had supported them on their journey.
“I don’t think words will ever express what that day meant to us. It was so much more than a party to us – Graham and I had written our own vows and just being able to say them to each other, in front of everyone that we loved, was the most special thing. It was the perfect day; the very best way to affirm everything that we’d been through.” Naomi remembers.
“So many brides come back to earth with a bump following their wedding days, but not me!” She continues. “I was so eager to find a project that I could really sink my teeth into, and felt like I needed to give a little something back in return for all the kindness we’d been shown. Setting up my own charity seemed like such a natural idea; I had plenty of planning experience, having worked as a wedding planner for 6 years prior to my diagnosis, and wanted to be able to help brides and grooms similarly effected by terminal and life-limiting illnesses. Imagine if I could help them to experience their dream wedding day before it was too late, just as Sam had done for us; The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation was born.”
A special mission
“It is my firm belief that every couple, regardless of their circumstance, deserves to experience the utter joy of a wedding day; why should illness prevent anyone from saying, “I do”? A wedding is the perfect way for couples to celebrate their love before it’s too late, and gives them the opportunity to smile with their friends and family in what can be very dark times. It may be the first time – or, very sadly, even the last time – that everyone can relax and enjoy each other’s company. What we can offer couples is that chance to forget everything, just for one day. No matter what happens afterwards, no one can take that marriage away from them.”
Since its establishment in 2012, The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation has helped a number of amazing couples to experience the wedding day of their dreams; some weddings have been organised in full by the charity, while others have receive input on a smaller scale.
“It doesn’t matter if we’re organising a cake, sourcing a car, or helping someone out with a photographer, or if we’ve organised the whole day from start to finish – it’s our job to make this day the best it possibly can be. Some of these brides and grooms are still enjoying married life while others, unfortunately, have since passed away. That is one of the hardest parts of the job; it is always a pleasure to be involved in their special days, and to play such a huge role in their lives, but it feels all too brief.” Naomi explains.
Looking ahead
The work of The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation is relentless; when they’re not organising weddings Naomi and her team are busy fundraising and networking with suppliers, ensuring that each year is more successful than the last.
“I volunteer for 80 hours a week, and still there doesn’t seem to be enough of me to go around,” laughs Naomi. “We have a steadily growing database of suppliers, and appreciate every last penny that people so generously donate to us; whether you’d like to send us a regular contribution, hold a fundraising event, or even dedicate your own wedding’s gift list to us, we want you to know that no amount is considered too small. We are also constantly on the lookout for suppliers; if you work in the wedding industry, no matter where in the country you’re based, we want to hear from you – Our weddings can only happen with your input.”
To find out more about Naomi’s emotional journey, as well as the work of The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation, you can do so by reading her autobiography, No Ordinary Wedding Planner, which was released in June of this year. You canpurchase your copy of the e-book for just 99p, or pre-order the paperback, which is due for release on 25th September, from Amazon.co.uk. It has so far received fantastic, five star, reviews and, as a short read, is the perfect holiday companion or evening read; just have the tissues handy!
The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation is currently operating a Wedding Amnesty in collaboration with Johnsons the Cleaners, and recently launched its Wedding Selfie Campaign. Please take a moment to discover more about both; your input really can make all the difference to some very special couples.
If you would like to help The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation – in any capacity – you can contact them via email oninfo@weddingwishingwell.org.uk, or via theirFacebook or Twitter accounts.
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