Sea Watch Helps Provide Dream Wedding For Military Couple

 

Kara Silvey and Kris Machauf are planning their wedding.

She’s trying on dresses, they’re looking over their wedding program, and they are designing their wedding rings. But they aren’t doing any of this alone.

Kara Silvey and Kris Machauf were chosen as the winners of Operation Happily Ever After, a non-profit organization working to help put together a dream wedding for a military couple each year, while raising money for wounded and injured service members and their families.

Sea Watch Resort, a Vacation Myrtle Beach resort, is one of the sponsors that help make their biggest day possible. This is the resort’s second year hosting the ceremony and reception for the winners of Operation Happily Ever After (OHEA).

Couples entered into the contest received votes from family members, friends and strangers. Votes were $1 each and the money raised from the votes went towards the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Operation Happily Ever After was pioneered by Angie and Wayne Eggleston who are retired air force. They own a local photography business, Wayne’s View Photography. Angie and Wayne decided to start OHEA as a way to thank the military community, active-duty, and retired men and women. They have joined together with other businesses who are providing wedding services, free of charge to the couple, including Sea Watch Resort, which will be providing the couple with the wedding rehearsal, reception, wedding and resort accommodations for the wedding party. Additional vendors are also providing pretty much anything and everything the couple needs for the perfect wedding (except for transportation to and from Myrtle Beach) which totals about $53,000.

Meet the winners: Kara is a wounded veteran. She was injured in 2009 when she received a traumatic brain injury while in Special Forces Training for the Army at Ft. Bragg, NC. Kris is a construction worker who fell in love with Kara after meeting her through a mutual friend. They currently live in Overland Park, Kansas and have been dating since August 2011.

On Saturday, September 8, 2012, Kara and Kris will tie the knot at the resort. Their wedding planning can be followed on Operation Happily Ever After’s Facebook Page.

Operation Happily Ever After is launching their competition this September for their next wedding giveaway. The next OHEA wedding will take place in September 2013.