Canton Couple Gets Dream Wedding

After 20 years together, a Canton couple is finally tying the knot, thanks to the Michigan Chapter of the nonprofit organization, Wish Upon a Wedding. 

David Gorden and Maureen Cahalan said their vows on Friday in a private commitment ceremony surrounded by family and friends. 

The entire wedding was completely donated by Detroit-area wedding vendors through Wish Upon a Wedding, which is dedicated to providing weddings and vow renewals for individuals facing a life-threatening illness and other serious life-altering circumstances.

Gorden and Cahalan both suffer from cerebral palsy. Their unwavering commitment to each other has seen them through the toughest times, including the heartbreaking decision to give their daughter up for adoption 17 years ago. 

Even having a wedding is a challenge. Having a legal wedding means Calahan loses her survivor benefits

Gorden applied on Wish Upon a Wedding's website shortly after he saw media coverage from the first wedding the Michigan Chapter granted this past September. 

In his application he wrote, “Maureen has been dreaming of a wedding and I want to give her that wish if I can. She means everything to me and I want to be at her side until death do us part.”

"What is really neat about David, is that he didn't tell Maureen he was doing this -this was a surprise to her," Laura Davis, Wish Granter Chair of the Michigan Chapter, said. "We thought it was just so romantic that he wanted to be able to surprise her with this dream wedding day. It's something she's always wanted, but it's just something that has been out of reach for them. She first found out when it was time to go to her doctors for an appointment to release her medical records to us. She was pretty shocked, but very excited. I think most women would love to have a man do a romantic gesture like that."

According to Davis, Gorden and Calahan are a very humble couple, merely thanking Wish Upon a Wedding for the chance to interview and saying they knew there were more deserving couples out there.

"The way we feel is that they are exactly the type of couple that Wish Upon a Wedding was formed to help," Davis said. "They've faced so many obstacles in their life and they've never given up. And it's really something special to just sit with the two of them - you can just feel the love in the room. I'm a wedding planner by trade, so I work with a lot of couples, and you don't always feel that or sense that. Dave and Maureen are just a very special couple. They've been through so much, had to make heartbreaking decisions over the years, and they've come through it together. They are an inspiration to all of us." 

To learn more about Wish Upon a Wedding, visit them at wishuponawedding.org  or like the Michigan Chapter of Facebook.