TAMPA, Fla. — What lengths would you go to to help pay for your wedding? One Tampa woman considered potentially selling her beloved guitar, signed by Taylor Swift.
But instead of parting ways with her prized possession, Swifties stepped in, helping spark a larger movement of paying it forward.
The guitar's story starts at Emily Harris's Sweet 16, which started out like most birthday parties.
“I had a bunch of my friends over. We were playing country rock band. I was having a great time," Harris said.
But her parents would soon turn ordinary into extraordinary.
“They walk out with a giant box that looks like a guitar case, kind of, and I open it," Harris said.
My dad was like, "'Keep looking at it!' I was like, wait, is this what I think it is? And then it was just instant tears.” That guitar was signed by Taylor Swift and quickly became the focal point in her bedroom.
Fast forward several years, and Harris was faced with a new challenge, planning a wedding. She quickly found out the task carries quite a price tag.
“My fiance and I, we’ve been trying to budget, cut back on things as best we can, what can we do to eliminate costs," Harris said.
And that’s when a thought crossed her mind, one that would likely break her 16-year-old heart in two.
“I thought about my guitar," Harris said. "And I’m like, well, you know, that’s something that a lot of people would like to have.”
Her dad helped her post on Facebook to see if there was any interest. Hundreds responded, with many suggesting she keep the guitar. They even told her to start a GoFundMe page so they could chip in.
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"I think it shows how unique she is, and how unique the community is and this fan base is," Harris said. "That they would be so willing to say, 'I don’t know you, but I want to help you out.'"
If you follow Swift, you know her favorite number is 13. So it was only fitting that fans donated in $13 increments. Harris said she plans to pay it forward down the road.
“Doing something next year, where maybe once a month we all find a different GoFundMe and donate to it," she said.
As for the guitar, it's not going anywhere.
"After all of this, it’s definitely made me realize I never should let it go," she said. I’m even trying to figure out a way I can have it safely at the wedding because, at this point, it’s such a big part of our wedding story; I feel like it deserves to be there.”
Harris' wedding is on Nov. 2 in Lutz.
