Couple Hosts Wedding at Animal Shelter Surrounded by Pets, Donates Money Saved on Venue
When Carolyn Kirk first started dating Cameron Grischott, she watched with delight over the sweet way he treated her dog. When they were introduced, Grischott spoke softly to Reliable, who had been abandoned in a junkyard before Kirk adopted him.
If Grischott and Kirk’s relationship was going to work out, it was vital that 10-year-old Reliable was on board. And things did work out, as Grischott won the hearts of both Kirk and her beloved rescue pup.
“Cameron put in the effort to be his friend and that is when I knew I had the right person,” Kirk said. The couple tied the knot in a lovely wedding ceremony in an unconventional location in Nevada.
From the get-go, Kirk and Grischott wanted a ceremony that reflected who they were as a couple. They settled on an animal shelter as a venue and were married at the SPCA of Northern Nevada in Reno.
“It came up almost as a joke,” said 28-year-old Kirk. “But I said, let’s run with that.”
Kirk and Grischott both volunteer at the Churchill Animal Protection Society and saw their wedding as an opportunity to help change the world for the better.
The money they would save by ditching an expensive venue could serve a greater purpose — helping animals in need.
“We thought why pay a company for a venue when we can donate to the SPCA,” Grischott said. Friends and family were invited to the May 24 ceremony, which took place at one of the shelter’s play yards near the kennels.
Grischott said nobody was really surprised about the couple’s choice of venue. “They may have been initially shocked about it, but then they said, ‘Nope that’s where you two belong,’” he said.
Angela Rudolph, the spokeswoman for the SPCA of Northern Nevada, was thrilled the couple chose to highlight rescue animals in such an unconventional manner.
She is hopeful the wedding will inspire prospective pet families to adopt.
“This is a very cool way to start a marriage, by saving the lives of homeless pets,” Rudolph said. “They’re bringing attention to pet adoptions at a time when people don’t think about it.”
Kirk and Grischott are busy raising their four rescue dogs and have plans to continue helping pets in need. They plan on fostering senior-aged dogs, giving them a happy home to enjoy retirement.
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