JOY ALL ROUND Natasha and Oscar Adkins married on F February 2019, in To Gloustershire. Natas skin cancer
LEE HAWLEY PHOTOGRAPHY
MICHAEL RILEY PHOTOGRAPHY
THE BIG DAY Emma Robertson, who has breast cancer, and Michael Sidell said “I do” on 10 April 2018 in Devon
Making A Difference Imagine what it would be like to have to plan a wedding when you only a short time left to live, and not a penny in the bank. Couples face this dilemma every day when they are given the devastating news that one of them is terminally ill. But you can help a UK charity to ensure couples in this situation get the chance to say “I Do”.
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or the past ten years, Cheshire-based, non-profit charity, Gift of a Wed, has been donating wedding services to couples in the UK who have neither the time, nor the money, to arrange a wedding, because one partner has a life-limiting illness. “We believe that there should be no barriers to the terminally ill having the wedding day of their dreams,” says Patricia Harrison, a wedding
planner who was approached to organise the wedding of a 27-yearold man, from Greater Manchester, who had no money and 14 months to live. He had brain cancer, and was expected to begin losing his ability to walk and talk. With no budget, she approached wedding suppliers from all over the North West of England, and secured £18,000 worth of free goods and services for the wedding. Patricia quickly realised that the
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young man she had helped was not unique, and she also discovered that, if asked, thousands of wedding suppliers around the UK were happy get involved. On 14 February 2012, Gift of a Wedding was born, and Patricia has since made fulfilling wedding dreams her main mission. Together with her team of dedicated volunteers, Gift of a Wedding has grown from strength to strength. Patricia says: “I could never have imagined ten years ago that I would have set up a charity, and that volunteering would be my life and mean so much to me. It is has been an honour and a pleasure to create this unbelievably special charity for some extremely deserving people.” Gift of a Wedding is all about bringing joy, love and happiness to those with a terminal illness, regardless of age, gender, race or religion. Professionals from across the wedding, medical and charity sectors have come together to help create a distinct non-profit organisation make a real difference. Making it easy The criteria for those applying for assistance is straightforward and simple, so approval can be granted quickly. Those requiring help can be nominated, or nominate themselves.
