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
Weddings for Warriors Project
Review the News
8/28/2009
For detailed information contact Becky Byous at 912-656-6541
Review of events online or download a copy
Press Release Summaries
Operation Homefront distributes thirty-one of forty-two wedding gowns donated by wedding designer, Alfred Angelo. Savannah ABC and Fox affiliate WJCL/Fox28 covered the event and posted reports online.
Fred and Laura Mackey of Savannah's wedding and meeting destination location, The Mackey House, has announced that they will host a "night before" rehearsal gathering for the brides and grooms of the Weddings for Warriors project. "The Mackey House is the perfect location to have our participants gather, rehearse and get to know each other," said James Byous, President of the Savannah Wedding Tourism Council. "Other caterers will be involved to help make the night a success."
Operation Homefront Family Services Director for the GA Chapter, Christina Anthony just notified Weddings For Warriors that they would team with us to provide FREE Alfred Angelo wedding gowns to brides who are participating in the Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2009 event.
The Weddings For Warriors Project has confirmation from Jonathan Claughton at Savannah River Boat Company announced that they will provide a dinner cruise/reception for the military brides and grooms who participate on Nov. 11, 2009. For more information on the cruises go to www.savannahriverboat.com/. More information to come.
Savannah City Leisure Services Department has announce that fees will be waived for use of Forsyth Park, Monterey Square and Madison Square for use by Weddings For Warriors. Weddings will take place in these locations on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2009 starting at 3:00 P.M..
The Savannah Wedding Tourism Council, Inc.
was the sponser of a grassroots project to assist active duty US Military members in a one-day event providing free wedding and vow-renewal ceremonies.
The Weddings for Warriors Project took place on
Veterans Day Wednesday, November 11, 2009.
They Serve Us -- We Serve Them
 | ||||
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 will soon have our page of photos and the stories behind them online.
In the interim, please visit our Volunteers page to view the list of businesses and individuals who helped make the day a success.
