In 2009 The 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. This season's the event will take place on January 18, 2012. Morris Multimedia, Inc. has generously agreed to host the event at the Morris Center at Trustees Garden, 10 East Broad Street, Savannah, GA.
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 members from the wedding, tourism and hospitality industries in the Savannah Area. Warriors are invited from across America to participate in the event. In the past, 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,” said Becky Byous, Executive Director for the Project.
“We wanted to offer as many free wedding ceremonies for active duty military personnel as possible,” Byous said. The totals for this year's event has not been set, but in the past as many as forty couples were selected to represent their branches of the military. With the success of the event the group has decided to make W4W an annual affair.
“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,” she 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.
In the past the project had volunteers from from across the Eastern Seaboard. “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.”
For more information on this or possible future events call Becky Byous at 912-656-6541 or SWTC President, James Byous at 912-656-6539 or email Byous @ WeddingTourismCouncil.org.