unveiled
DOING GOOD
Wish Upon a Wedding beneficiaries Courtney Maki and Tess Dawson at their wedding
Wishes Granted A national charity with ties to Columbus helps make dreams come true for couples facing serious health issues.
Imagine stepping into a warehouse filled with wall-towall wedding dresses and knowing that you could pick out any dress you want—for free. The dreamlike scenario became a reality in summer 2019 for Courtney Maki and Tess Dawson as recipients of Wish Upon A Wedding, which grants weddings and vow renewals to couples facing serious or life-altering health issues. Dawson and Maki met online six years ago and were pen pals for weeks, “each of us slowly telling our life stories and deepest secrets,” Maki says. As the relationship grew serious, so did Dawson’s health problems, eventually leading to a stage 4 metastatic breast cancer diagnosis. Even so, their love remained steadfast, and they continued to contemplate marriage. “We quickly realized that it would take quite a while to save up enough money, and neither of us knew how much time she had left,” Maki says. Funding a wedding seemed nearly impossible—until a friend told them about Wish Upon A Wedding. “It’s amazing to watch a couple who is consumed with an illness and give them one 22
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day when they don’t have to think about anything and just celebrate their day,” says program director Kasey Conyers, who oversees WUAW’s Columbus-based wedding gown warehouse. Earlier this year, WUAW made its warehouse available to the public. Apparel ranges from wedding and bridesmaid dresses to cocktail attire, mother-of-the-bride ensembles and other formalwear. Dresses are donated by BHLDN and other West Coast wedding boutiques. Proceeds from warehouse dress sales benefit WUAW, which plans and covers the costs of the venue, video and photography, cake, officiant, music, catering, florist and more for up to 50 guests. “Neither of us would have even dreamed that they would give us our wedding dresses,” Maki says. “I was so psyched—like a kid in a candy shop.” Looking toward Dawson, who at the time of the interview has just finished a round of chemotherapy, she adds, “She looked so beautiful.” Dawson’s response: “I just wanted Courtney to be happy.”
PHOTOS: JASON THOMAS CROCKER PHOTOGRAPHY
BY REBECCA WALTERS
