Syd Jones, WalletHub Credit Card Analyst
@syd.jones
It’s very difficult to get wedding grants. Two companies that advertise them are Wish Upon a Wedding and SwanLuv. The former is for people who have serious health issues. And it’s unclear whether the latter is even accepting applicants anymore. Its terms also have a big catch: You have to pay the money back if you divorce. Two other ways to get grants for a wedding are by entering contests and receiving a sponsorship. There are no government grants for weddings.
Wish Upon a Wedding is a nonprofit organization that helps couples experiencing life-threatening or life-altering health problems afford to get married. Their website says they have “granted 141 wishes” since 2010. Each wish package includes a venue, photography and videography, cake, flowers, music, officiation, stationary, DJ/music, catering for up to 50 guests and more. This organization works with couples in all 50 states. You can see if you are eligible for a grant, and learn more about what expenses are included, on Wish Upon a Wedding’s website.
Another company that reportedly gives wedding grants is SwanLuv. This company says it will provide up to $10,000 to couples who are planning to be married in the next two years. This money is a free grant that you don’t have to pay back – if you stay together. If you get divorced, you’ll have to pay back the $10,000 plus interest. The interest rate is set by the company after you apply (they don’t disclose an overall range). However, there doesn’t actually appear to be a place to apply on SwanLuv’s website at the moment. And news reports from 2016, along with statements on the company’s Facebook page, suggest they were planning to rebrand into a crowdfunding website. The current website still shows all the original information, though.
Unfortunately, there don’t appear to be any government grants for a wedding. The government does have something called the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) initiative. But that gives grants to organizations that help promote “healthy marriage and relationship education, responsible fatherhood, and reentry services for currently or formerly incarcerated fathers.” It isn’t something people can apply for individually, and it doesn’t help finance weddings.
You may be able to get a grant of sorts from a wedding contest/giveaway. Certain companies and organizations offer sweepstakes with the chance to win free honeymoons, wedding dresses and more. For example, the magazine Bridal Guide has a few sweepstakes going on that feature honeymoons and bridal gowns.
Lastly, you could get a grant through a sponsorship with a wedding company. In this arrangement, a couple gets certain aspects of their wedding (like catering, venue rental, or flowers) for free or at a reduced cost in return for advertising the provider through the invitations, programs, signs and/or other ways. This option is really only available to couples with a strong social media following, as the thought is that you will influence your audience to purchase from the company.
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