(Hinesville, GA)- You don’t have to travel far to find a military couple in this part of the country. And the newly-formed Savannah Wedding Tourism Council wants to give back to the military community in an important way.Through “Weddings for Warriors,” the S.W.T.C. will give more than 40 military couples the wedding or vow renewal ceremony of their dreams. Very helpful to the couples is that the services and everything tied to the special day will be of no charge to them. The ceremonies will take place in one of downtown Savannah's beautiful squares or along the coastline of Tybee Island’s beach. Monday brought one of the first of many steps to make the dreams of women come true: dress selection.All of the women filed in and out of a tiny room in Hinesville’s Country Inn Suites, the women were fitted for designer Alfred Angelo gowns.
Kathy Marshall was one of those women. She was actually married 13 years ago, but it was far from special.
“I had to work in the morning," said Marshall. "He (her husband) had to work in the afternoon, so we got married at the court house during lunchtime,” she continued with tears in her eyes.
“I’m just so happy we finally get to do it.”
This time around, Marshall will share the perfect moment with her children and grandchildren.
SSG Lakeshia Moore’s wedding also sat on the back burner. She and her Army fiancé have been engaged for two years.
“He got deployed, then I went on assignment to Augusta," said Moore who is back in the Coastal Empire. "We've been pushing it back until we got time," she said.
Moore found her dress and now she is that much closer to fulfilling her wedding dreams.
“He’s gonna love it," she beamed. "He’s just going to be so happy we’re getting married, finally.”
“I’ve been watching all day," said Becky Byous of the S.W.T.C.
"When they go to the mirror, they see the dress and you see it in their face," she continued. "They know.”
Each dress costs upwards of $1,000. Each bride-type found a gown Monday and not a single one paid a dime for it.
"Weddings for Warriors" takes place on Veterans Day this year, which is Wednesday, November 11. WJCL, Fox28, and TheCoastalSource.com are the proud media partner to the event. Catch segments on "Weddings for Warriors" to air in the weeks leading up to Veterans Day.
If you are an officiant, florist, make-up artist, hair stylist, or professional who could lend your assistance to "Weddings for Warriors," contact the
Savannah Wedding Tourism Council by
email or by phone at (912) 656-6539.
About the Savannah Wedding Tourism Council:
The Savannah Wedding Tourism Council is a forming non-profit 501(c)(6) organization dedicated to area businesses involved in the wedding, event, tourism and hospitality industries in and around Savannah, Georgia USA.
Mission
1.To promote Savannah world wide as a destination wedding location.
2.To stimulate commerce for the Savannah area throughout the wedding, hospitality and tourism industry.
3.To educate the community and region on the benefits of expanded wedding tourism to compete in the worldwide wedding tourism industry.
4.To provide insight and direction by promoting guidelines on wedding practices that promote the integral historical aspects of the area.
5.To promote member businesses through various internet and print advertising and publishing by pooling resources and collectively soliciting grants and other sources.
6.To research and disseminate statistics and information for use by the wedding, hospitality and tourism industry in Savannah.
7.To train and promote practices and techniques in wedding tourism.
8.To encourage intra-council promotion of member businesses.
9.To provide a collective means for businesses to "give back" to Savannah and the local community through projects that serve our neighbors.
