“My wife, Summer, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2024. This year, I decided to apply to Wish Upon a Wedding in hopes of giving Summer the day she always hoped for. Wish Upon a Wedding is a nonprofit organization that gifts weddings and vow renewals to couples facing terminal or life-changing illnesses. When they came into our lives, Summer and I were in a season where joy felt complicated and hope looked very different than we imagined.
Through Wish Upon a Wedding, we were paired with our wedding planner, Married by Mariella. Mariella donated her time, talent, and heart completely free of charge. What’s important to say is that Mariella didn’t just coordinate our vow renewal. She planned it from the ground up, picking every single vendor and executing the day completely. She took Summer’s vision and brought it to life with care, intention, and deep respect for what this moment meant to us.
Every detail reflected the image Summer and I had hoped for, and Mariella carried that responsibility with such grace. She led with compassion and patience, making the process feel calm and supported rather than overwhelming. There was never pressure, never rushing, and never an expectation for us to pretend things were easy.
Because of Wish Upon a Wedding and Mariella’s selfless generosity, Summer and I were able to stand together, renew our vows, and experience joy without guilt in the middle of a very heavy season. Mariella and Rachael made this the best day of our lives.
We will always be grateful, not just for a beautiful day, but for a memory we will carry for the rest of our lives. We could never thank her enough!”