When a bride-to-be recently called off her wedding at the last minute, she and her fiancé were left footing the bill for the $30,000 event.
But rather than letting all of the food and planning go to waste, Sarah Cummings decided to invite scores of homeless people to the Ritz Charles in Carmel, Indiana, on Saturday, to enjoy an expensive reception dinner, The Indianapolis Star reported.
Cummings, 25, who declined to tell the outlet why she had called off the nuptials with now-ex fiancé Logan Araujo, said that her decision not to hold the wedding was “really devastating.”
“I called everyone, canceled, apologized, cried, called vendors, cried some more,” she said. “And then I started feeling really sick about just throwing away all the food I ordered for the reception.”
So, that’s when she had the idea to call the wedding planner, change the seating arrangements and reach out to homeless shelters to invite poor individuals and families to the revised event. In her own words, Cummings said that she wanted to take the opportunity to let the less fortunate know that they “deserved to be at a place like this just as much as everyone else.”
Cummings even arranged for buses to pick up some homeless families and bring them to the venue, with local businesses so touched by her gesture that they offered clothing for attendees to wear to the fancy shindig.
And Cummings was even at the venue waiting to greet attendees as they arrived on Saturday, according to The Associated Press.
Everyone dressed up, and it was truly inspirational to see people down on their luck treated with such dignity. Watch the incredible event below:
The menu included goat cheese, bourbon-glazed meatballs, chicken breast — and wedding cake, among other delicious foods.
“I will at least have some kind of happy memory to pull from,” she told the Indy Star. “I wanted to make sure it would be the perfect wedding.”
Araujo, who reportedly footed most of the bill for the event, agreed to the change in plans, praising his ex for being able to make such a “selfless and very thoughtful decision in such a hard time.”
The event reportedly went off without a hitch, with goodwill pouring in from all over the city. Cummings’ generous act has inspired people locally, nationally and beyond.