Image of the Week: Dream Wedding for Homeless Couple

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-05-08 16:45:00 UTC
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Milestone celebrations aren't reserved for just those with a place to call home. Thanks to the parishioners of a Virginia church last week, a homeless couple from DC celebrated their nuptials with a wedding they never thought possible. 

The groom has been homeless on the streets of DC for half of his life (14 years), after he was kicked out of his parent's house at age 14. The bride struggled with drug and alcohol addictions which cost her everything, leaving her homeless. They met through church, have been dating for nine years, and - well, you know the rest. Here are the details from the AP:

The two frequented a Bible study and meal program run by Grace Episcopal Church on Saturdays. It was there, a few months ago, that White, 28, revealed to a parishioner how much he wished he could afford to marry the woman who had brought light into his life on the streets

"Everyone at the church feels strongly that you don't need to have money to get married," said Margaret Davis.

"In good Grace church congregation fashion, everyone got behind the idea: one person managed flowers, I helped with the wedding rings, one woman made the cake, someone helped with the tux and someone else with the bride's gown," she said.

Another churchgoer paid for a two-night honeymoon stay at the Key Bridge Marriott Hotel across the Potomac River in Virginia.

For Pastor John Graham, marrying White and Chestnut was a first, but in many other ways, it was just like marrying any other couple.

"It's the same occasion for joy, the bride and groom are extremely nervous, and so am I," he told AFP.

"The difference is, they're homeless."

Today, the parishioners who helped plan the couple's big day are now helping to plan a big move... into housing. One volunteer said it best: "Love will get them through so much. But at the end of the day, they really do need housing."

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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