By Paul Pannone

An innocuous story tipped off by several wedding industry sources watching the charity Wish Upon a Wedding that talked about the organization’s website being down for a month woke up a flurry of new allegations and raises questions of how the charity operates. eWedNewz digs deeper into years of questions raised that were reportedly squashed by  a conglomerate of wedding professionals who support the organization.

Cancer survivor, Lisa Barr from Brooklyn, is the first to publicly stand behind her statements and allow eWedNewz to quote her about experiences with the charity organization Wish upon a Wedding.

Corroborating stories say any questioning, insubordinate statements made against the organization, its founding members or suggestions to help resulted in dismissal, forced resignation or members of the organization turning their backs on those asking the questions. Many of the stories were dismissed over the years sounding too much like schoolyard antics rather than a professionally run organization to provide worthy causes for those less fortunate. But years later a story about the organization’s  down website has once again opened the door for critics.

According to Lisa Barr;

“This is why I, along with the original founding members of NYC were ‘removed’ and then it took about 18 months to get a new ‘leadership’. We found that you simply don’t ask questions.  You sat back watched while an organization that asked it’s board members to pay $100 for that ‘honor and demand they find locations in NYC to give space, food etc for free. But they wouldn’t give the team ANY START-UP FUNDING FOR ANYTHING…that’s not how it’s (supposed to) work.  They were getting money in long before their fundraising certificate was established and long before they would produce certification to us.

The thing is, you hope and pray that they are doing well. You want to believe that they are helping lots of couples….but in all the years they have been ‘open for business’, it’s only been about 50 or so couples they’ve given wishes to So if you look at all the various chapters, their board, plus paying for it…yes, where IS all the money going?  Perhaps the various commissions will look into it what they are doing and if they are truly helping couples or themselves,” she told eWedNewz.

Because the concept is of merit and a worthy cause Barr said she did not want to do anything to undermined an organization that she believed in; that’s why she joined. But through her  experience with them she told eWedNewz she became disillusioned and “it changed”.

Barr added:

“This was my experience with Wish Upon a Wedding. I really do hope that they are doing what they say they are, but you have to wonder, have there really been only 50 terminal couples and what are they doing to help the chapters?  Perhaps they have a new President and she IS helping local chapters with funding – I don’t know. I’m no longer a part of the group.

I do know that as someone who had Cancer – I had 7 surgeries to put my body back together – I offered to contact Memorial Sloan Kettering (My hospital) and see if there is something they can do. I AM A CANCER SURVIVOR and am passionate about helping people because I LIVED IT! I know what it’s like to have cancer, and live with it. I offered to use my contacts and that was shut down.

As I said, I don’t know what they are doing now, I do know that the point is to provide a wedding/dream wedding for a terminal couple.  They have done that – but as everyone is questioning…where is the money going?  It can’t be all administrative costs especially when everyone is ‘volunteering/donating’…so who is getting paid?”

The organization has been very successful in raising awareness and money in the wedding industry and is supported my many wedding professionals who are willing to give their time and support to the organization.

According to Elisa Delgardio of A Flair for Affairs

“I believe in the work that WUW does, and trust in the integrity of the organization and BOD. Since WUW certainly has operating expenses, I don’t feel the $100 contribution is that big of an issue – many charitable organizations request the same (or more).”

Over the years eWedNewz has had limited discussion with the organization as we probed further including an exchange with their legal counsel who “warned” us and became very defensive when we reached out to some of their founding members, including Sasha Souza. Diligently we told their lawyers to back off (I’m being very kind) from scurrilous threats. But now emerging statements could force the organization to face some of the tough questions we posed several years ago.

What do you think?

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