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Vow Renewal Couples
Have your guests sign up now
for the Riverboat Cruise!!!
Also, mark your calendars for
"A Night Before", Nov 10
Rehearsal gathering at the
famous Mackey House!!!
NOTICE!!!
Brides' Grooms' &
Download a PDF Map and Info Sheets
Of Ceremony Locations With Rain Backup
Click Below
The Savannah Wedding Tourism Council, Inc.
will again sponser a grassroots project to assist active duty US Military members in two one-day events providing free wedding and vow-renewal ceremonies. Specific times and locations to be announced.
The Weddings for Warriors Project will take place on
Wednesday November 10, 2010 in Savannah. The reception will be at The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum &
Wednesday December 8, 2010 at Tybee Island at
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The recently formed Savannah Wedding Tourism Council launched the project entitled Weddings for Warriors. The event provided free wedding ceremonies and vow renewals to active US Military personnel on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2009.
Members of the Savannah Wedding Tourism Council joined with other businesses in the wedding, hospitality and tourism industries in the Savannah area to create individual ceremonies for each couple. The SWTC is composed of around thirty-six members from these mentioned industries in the Savannah Area. Warriors are invited from across America to participate in the event. Volunteers from across the Southeast, from northern Virginia to Florida provided goods and services at no cost to the SWTC or to the couples.
“The project was conceived as a way of saying a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to active duty military personnel in Savannah and the Low Country,” says SWTC President and local photographer, James Byous.
“We wanted to offer as many free wedding ceremonies for active duty military personnel as possible,” Byous said. However, a forty couple maximum had been suggested by SWTC members to test the response for the event. With the success of the event the group will now consider making it an annual affair and expanding. The final total was thirty-five couples due primarily to deployments and last minute requirements of military service.
“Because of our unique talents and experience through our industry-related businesses we in the Savannah Wedding Tourism Council wanted to use our knowledge and skills to do something for our military personnel,” he said. “Something special and unique.”
The Greater Savannah Area and the South Carolina Low Country are hosts to a number of bases. “Our communities are blessed with the presence of these amazing warriors and their families, this is a way that we helped,” Byous said.
“Because we are in a time of war, and because these brave individuals are willing to give their all for the protection of our nation and our way of life, we wanted to give something back even if it is in this small way.”
Requirements for couples included that at least one, the bride or the groom, be active duty in the U.S. Military; Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard. Also qualified were members of the National Guard and Reserve. “We wanted to include all members of the National Guard and Reserve units since, although they may not be ‘active,’ they can be called up at any time,” Byous said. “We want to thank them as well.”
“We have an all volunteer military force, so we were hoping that we can have an all volunteer response from the community and we succeeded,” Byous added.
The project had volunteers from other areas. “After hearing about the project on the internet one florist in Anderson, South Carolina volunteered to come to Savannah to participate,” Byous said. “Response from Savannah businesses was more than fantastic as well.”
The event was scheduled to take place in Forsyth Park and in Monterey and Madison Squares on Veterans Day, Wednesday November 11, 2009. However, rain forced the ceremonies inside. "We thought the couples would be disappointed. But, we forgot who we were serving. Military families are well versed in last-minute changes," Byous said. "So, the event went off without a hitch and without a single complaint from any of the couples."
For more information on this or possible future events call SWTC Secretary, Becky Byous at 912-656-6541 or SWTC President, James Byous at 912-656-6539 or email Byous @ WeddingTourismCouncil.org.
What is the Weddings for Warriors Project?
We have our page of photos online of W4W 2009
Thanks to the Volunteers of businesses and individuals in 2009 who helped make the day a success.
2010
They Serve Us -- We Serve Them
During the Slide Show note that all Gowns were donated by desogner Alfred Angelo through Operation Homefront.Georgia.
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It's a go!!!
Great news! We have signed up 56 couples for weddings for warriors 2010. As some of you know we are holding three events to accommodate all including those currently deployed who are scheduled to return at various times in October. For these couples, we are doing a second event that will ensure they have plenty of time to return and attend…even if their return dates are delayed for any reason.
1. Event #1 in Savannah, Georgia will take place Wednesday, November 10, 2010 the day BEFORE Veteran’s Day. The ceremony locations are still to be announced, but they are planned for Savannah’s Downtown Historic District.
Ceremony times will start at 3PM and will end at 5PM, which is the same as with last year’s event. The reception will be held at The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler from 6PM to 10PM
2. Event #2 on Tybee Island, Georgia will be held Wednesday, December 8, 2010. The ceremony locations will be at the beach on Tybee Island and other chapel or church locations still to be announced. The ceremony times start at 3 PM and end at 5 PM. The reception will take place at The Ocean Plaza Resort on Tybee Island.
3. As with last year, ceremony and reception is absolutely free to couples. Dinner fees for guests of the couples are listed below. Numbers of guests at the reception are limited at both receptions do to space constraints so call for details. Dinner fees are:
$25.00 per adult
$12.50 per child ages 4 to 12
No Charge for children 3 and under
4. Wedding gown designer, Alfred Angelo is once again supplying the wedding gowns for our brides through the assistance of Operation Homefront. Fittings dates and times will be announced when arrangements are made.
5. As more services that will be provided are confirmed, we will post them on this site.
6. Event #3 in Colorado Springs, Colorado will take place on Wednesday, November 10th as well. This event is being sponsored by Garden of the Gods Trading Post in Colorado Springs and is headed up by their event coordinator, Marty Gagg. She is working hard to pull this event together so if you know folks in the area who can help her please have them contact her.. We have gladly shared our experiences from last year with Marty and she has worked hard to create a beautiful event there.
If you are a business or an individual with goods or services you’d like to share with our military heroes, please contact us:
In Georgia contact:
Becky Byous, Executive Director W4W
or
912-656-6541
In Colorado contact:
Marty Gagg, Event Coordinator, W4W West
or
800-874-4515 Ext. 5
Two Events in Georgia This Year...
...with other great news!!!
Event #1: Savannah Historic District with a reception at
Event #2: Tybee Island with a reception at
Once again Gown Designer Alfred Angelo is providing free wedding gowns to all of the 54 active duty military brides participating through Operation Homefront.
And a Weddings For Warriors event in Colorado Springs, CO
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