GRADUATE STUDENTS USE EMAIL TO COLLECT WEDDING FUNDS

In an effort that can only be called a sign of the times, a young couple in Culver City, California, is attempting to raise funds for their wedding using this generation's most ubiquitous grassroots tool – email.

Karen Romine, a freelance web developer and student of counseling psychology, built a web page (http://www.karenromine.com/wedding.htm) explaining the difficulties she and her fiancé, chiropractic student Matthew Hertert, were having raising funds for their August wedding.

"We aren't trying to have an extravagant wedding," Romine said. "Our budget is $2,000, a pretty good sum, but even to have a potluck picnic at a nearby park, it isn't enough. Permit fees are over $1,000, and it requires liability insurance, another $200. It's so discouraging."

Not wanting the wedding to be a hardship to themselves or others, they decided to ask strangers for $1 donations through an email forwarded through people they know.

"'Ask and ye shall receive' is one of the spiritual teachings, so we are asking. We're no more or less deserving than any other couple, but we can step forward and be available to receive. From a single email to most of our friends, we're hoping to create something from nothing, and give people a chance to participate. I don't usually like it when people forward emails, but this one is genuine, and I think people like to have an opportunity to give back, especially when just $1 can make a difference."

So far, almost $100 has been collected, mostly from people unknown to the couple. Donations have come from as far away as Colorado and Ohio. Matthew and Karen say that every dollar sent is a sacred gift and will only be spent for wedding and honeymoon expenses.

"Even though the economy is down and the prospect of war is casting a shadow over everything, people in this country want to trust and be optimistic again. Our story is very simple and straightforward, and it seems to give people hope, reminding them that even small acts of kindness can make a difference."




This article courtesy of http://www.officialweddingsource.com.
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