British couple Steve and Laura Monks were more focused on saving for a house than for their wedding when they found out Steve had stage three bowel and liver cancer last October.
"We just wanted a little small cottage, something cozy, we didn't want anything grand and big. We just wanted a home to call our own," Laura told The Telegraph. "We wanted to do that before we got married but everything changed when we got Steven's diagnosis."
Laura and Steven wasted no time. He had his bowel removed, began chemotherapy... and they shifted their focus from home buying to wedding-planning.
"As soon as Steven was diagnosed with cancer we knew we wanted to get married straightaway," Laura said. "We all wanted to have the same name and we wanted to be proper family."
Then a nurse told the budget-conscious couple about Gift of a Wedding, a UK charity that provides free weddings to couples dealing with terminal illness.
The charity asks wedding professionals and everyday people to donate traditional wedding items for couples facing a terminal illness.
"It sounded amazing. I called the charity straightaway and filled in an application form, and days later the founder called us to say our wedding had been approved, and we have been busy planning our big day ever since," Laura said.
The result? Their wedding in Manchester last Friday was entirely donated.
The wedding dress, photos, flowers, and music were all provided by vendors near their hometown of Hyde. She chose the pink and white color scheme and bridal party, which included the couple's 3-year-old daughter Lydia as flower girl.
"We couldn't believe how kind strangers were being," Laura said. "We told our friends and family about us finally getting married and no one could believe it. They couldn't get over a charity like this even existing. We are so grateful to them for making this happen."
"Steven is currently on palliative care and we don't know what the future holds, but the kindness of strangers made our day completely unforgettable," Laura said.
