This Woman Cancelled Her Wedding And Used 30k For The Most Amazing Thing Instead
This Woman Cancelled Her Wedding And Used 30k For The Most Amazing Thing Instead
Only a few weeks out from her big day, Sarah Cummins and her fiancee split, leaving her with a non-refundable $30,000 reception and nothing to celebrate. But instead of feeling sorry for herself, she chose to throw a party anyway and invite people who needed it even more than she did. Find out more here!
Only a few weeks out from her big day, Sarah Cummins and her fiancee split, leaving her with a non-refundable $30,000 reception and nothing to celebrate. But instead of feeling sorry for herself, she chose to throw a party anyway and invite people who needed it even more than she did. Find out more here!
Meet Sarah Cummins.
A 25-year-old Purdue University pharmacy student from Indianapolis, Sarah Cummins was only a few weeks away from the dream wedding she had been planning for two years when she and her fiance, Logan Araujo, suddenly split. She called the guests, then the vendors, to let them know the wedding was cancelled, but ultimately, she was still left with the even bigger problem of a $30,000 non-refundable wedding reception and no one to share all of food with and nowhere to put the centerpieces she and her mother had made.
Then she had an idea.
Sick at the idea of throwing away 170 guests' food, Sarah came up with an idea to invite different guests to the celebration and worked with her wedding planner, Maddie LaDow, to take away the head table and gift table and reorganize the reception into a party for about 150 homeless people taking refuge in local shelters. Sarah even decided to assemble the centerpieces she and her mother had designed themselves for the homeless to enjoy, Eiffel Tower replicas made of roses.
One of the homeless shelter directors couldn't believe the generosity.
Cummins contacted several Indiana homeless shelters seeking out guests for her reception, one of which was Dayspring Center, whose director, Cheryl Herzog, spoke about the incredible act of kindness, saying, "I was so touched that Sarah had taken a painful experience and turned it into a joyful one for families in need. It is truly a very kind gesture on her part. I suspect having the chance to experience a delicious meal with your family in a beautiful space like the Ritz Charles will be very special for them.
Neither could the wedding planner.
Cummins' wedding planner, Maddie LaDow, also spoke about the reception, which took place at the Ritz Charles in Carmel, Indiana and served a menu of bourbon-glazed meatballs, goat cheese and roasted garlic bruschetta, chicken breast with artichokes and Chardonnay cream sauce and even the bride's wedding cake, which she also couldn't get refunded. According to LaDow, cancelled weddings aren't uncommon but this kind of generosity is. "
Neither could the bride herself.
According to Cummins, she didn't feel particularly charitable, even as she transformed her dream reception into a reception for homeless families. "I will at least have some kind of happy memory to pull from," she said. "I've worked so many weekends and so much overtime to pay for this, I wanted to make sure it would be the perfect wedding." Cummins also says that focusing on planning the party for the homeless helped her to take her mind off of her own troubles during this time of tremendous grief.
But this isn't the end for Sarah Cummins.
Next up on Cummins' path to healing is something just a little more selfish but certainly well-deserved. She'll be going on her dream honeymoon to the Dominican Republic alone and enjoying some quality alone time before returning to classes at Purdue. "I'm going by myself. I'm nervous, but I feel like it will be really good strength-building for me. I want that time alone." We have a feeling that with all the strength she's showing already, she'll be better than ever in no time at all.
Would you do the same if your wedding got cancelled? Talk to us about it in the comments below, and share with your friends to see what they think!