August 13, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
On the occasion of their first wedding anniversary this year, Dana Goodyear and Billy Lehman took a trip to Malawi. But the trip wasn’t just about celebrating their marriage. It was also about due diligence.
When Ms. Goodyear and Mr. Lehman got married in May 2007, they asked their guests to help Save the Children, the Westport, Conn., aid organization, build a school. In lieu of presents, the guests contributed nearly half the cost of the Malawi school, about $23,000. Ms. Goodyear and Mr. Lehman contributed the rest. (Click here to see their wedding page with an explanation of the gift).
This summer the couple visited the school. They helped with construction. They also took photographs and videos that they plan to post on their Web site, to update their wedding guests on the school’s progress.
And the couple’s turn as fund raisers doesn’t end there. They plan to ask their friends for more help, this time to build a library for the Malawi school. The progress of the library, too, will be chronicled through updates on their Web site.
Do you know of other couples who are trying something new with wedding philanthropy? Are there other ways that couples are trying to make their wedding more than just a one-time fund-raising event?
