Moose Jaw couple wants corporate sponsors to pay for wedding

Jason Mielke and Rebecca Hansen are not unlike many couples who fall in love, get engaged then plan their dream wedding.

What makes the Moose Jaw couple unique is how they plan to pay for their big day on Nov. 25. For one, they don’t plan to pay for it. They’re looking for corporate sponsors.

“It was sparked by a loss of career in the oil and gas industry about a year ago,” explained bride-to-be Hansen to the CJME Morning Show.

Hansen said Mielke is great at creating new ideas and that this one was born out of their love of community.

“We value community, we see community as family,” Hansen said. “We just said, ‘Why don’t we do this? Why don’t we have our wedding sponsored and bring the community on board like our family?’”

The couple is asking for everything you’d need for a wedding – and more – from the bride’s wedding dress to her eyelashes to cigars for the groom and a gluten-free wedding cake. The lavish list has resulted in criticism.

“What would be so wrong with asking for beauty when a wedding ceremony is a very beautiful aspect of somebody’s life?” Hansen said in the couple’s defence. “I think we need to invite beauty into our special day and having a limousine is kind of a beautiful thing to have. It’s kind of fun and it’s enjoyable.”

The couple is looking for corporate sponsors to fill the void not only left by Mielke’s job loss, but by the couple’s family, who are struggling with health issues.

“Our family involvement is a little bit narrow right now because of the struggle that they’re going through,” Hansen said.

She said they hope this is a trend that catches on with couples.

“I think it is such a fundamental aspect in our lives to know that help is okay. It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” she said.

According to Hansen, the couple has received 10 major sponsors as of Sunday night, but that’s growing, with sponsors from as far from Florida and the United Kingdom.

Jason Mielke is the brother of Hillberg and Berk founder Rachel Mielke.

He also appeared in an episode of CBC’s Dragon’s Den, pitching a $1 million reality television show, and was rejected by all of the business tycoons.