A couple of months ago while perusing Etsy for unique wedding items, I had a light bulb moment. How can I as a planner showcase Etsy artists and vendors and raise money for a cause I truly believe in? How can I show my clients and potential clients that you don’t have to limit your wedding related purchases to what is offered to you in a typical salon? It hit me…a virtual bridal show! Not just a virtual bridal show, but one that provided readers with an opportunity to make someone’s wedding dreams happen!
Announcing the birth of my bambina, the Etsy Virtual Bridal Show with links for readers to donate to Wish Upon a Wedding. “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.” www.wishuponawedding.org
Now for the legal mumbo jumbo. While I am a volunteer with Wish Upon a Wedding, Parties by Kristen is not affiliated with Wish Upon a Wedding in any other way and is not an official representative of Wish Upon a Wedding. In addition, Parties by Kristen is not affiliated with Etsy or the vendors featured and is not an official representative of Etsy or of each of these vendors. I am simply a fan of these artists and a volunteer with a passion for what I do and for an organization I have chosen to donate my time and finances to. I have sought permission from each and every vendor featured to use their products and their photos. Please do not use these photos for personal gain. These products are the livelihood, passion, and intellectual property of each artist and to copy these items or to use them for person gain is both illegal and unethical.
You are not required to donate in order to view the show, but it would be nice if you are able to. The link provided for you to donate to Wish Upon a Wedding through is the official donation page of Wish Upon a Wedding. I do not receive any funds or credit as a result of this project and ask that should you chose to donate, please donate from your heart and know that a beautiful couple will receive their dream as a result of your generosity.
The actual show portion of this project will feature just about everything you need to have a beautiful wedding full of original items that are sure to be a hit. Items featured run the aesthetic spectrum from traditional to boho to goth. In addition, there are items for the couple on a budget to a couple where budget isn’t an issue.
This project has been a labor of love and I hope that you will not only enjoy the items and vendors presented, but will also feel led to help another couple facing difficult circumstances make their wedding dreams come true.
To donate to Wish Upon a Wedding, go to Wish Upon a Wedding’s secure PayPal link here or go to Wish Upon a Wedding’s home page and click on the donation link.
Given the recent disaster in Japan, I am aware that some viewers might want to donate their funds toward relief efforts. Well, thanks to Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours, the wedding and event world is coming together to support For Japan With Love. “For Japan With Love has a direct link on the website to our fundraising page for ShelterBox. ShelterBox was one of THE first organizations asked by Japan to help and were on hand on the Saturday after the quake. Each large, green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items.” -http://www.utterlyengaged.com/please-help-for-japan-with-love-update/
In addition, I am participating (along with many other bloggers), in the Bloggers Day of Silence on Friday, March 18th where there will be no blog posts for that day to honor the memory of those who perished in the earthquake and subsequent tsunami and those displaced and devastated by the events that occurred in Japan. On that day I will light a candle at sunrise and will pray on the hour every hour until sunset. If you are another blogger reading this, I hope you will participate and spread the word.
No matter where you direct your donation, be it Wish Upon a Wedding or For Japan With Love, you will be making a difference in the lives of those facing life’s most difficult of circumstances. If you are unable to donate monetarily, your thoughts and prayers will truly touch the heart and lives of those affected. I send my thoughts, prayers, and strength to those affected by such life altering circumstances.
Belle Memorie 