real life

A bride's family held a $35K dinner for the homeless after groom cancelled wedding.

Twenty-seven-year-old Quinn Duane had planned her wedding down to a tee.

The location was organised and paid for by her parents. The caterers were booked and had started preparing the carefully selected menu. The dress had been picked up and was ready for it’s first — and only — wear.

But on the Monday before Quinn’s Saturday wedding, her fiance Landon Borup called it off.

Landon got cold feet and decided that he couldn’t go through with it.

Quinn and Landon. Image via Facebook.

These things happen from time to time. People freak out. They get cold feet. And sometimes, not always, it’s better to discover the truth before the papers are signed and the bank accounts have been joined.

But the thing is, when someone does change their mind at the last minute, there is a financial cost that’s not often talked about.

And when Landon called off the wedding, Quinn’s parents were facing the prospect of losing the $35,000 they had already paid for the reception venue.

But when your parents have already paid the $35,000 for the wedding reception, it’s less than ideal.

And that’s why Quinn’s mum decided not to have the money go to waste.

Instead of cancelling the venue and losing thousands of dollars, Kari Duane and her husband decided to keep the booking and invite the city’s homeless for a banquet.

Kari, via KRCA.

“When I found out on Monday that the wedding would not be taking place, it just seemed like, of course, this would be something that we would do to give back,” Kari Duane told local news station KRCA.

Something which was very much appreciated by the people who attended.

“To lose out on something so important to yourself and then give it to someone else is really giving, really kind,” one of the guests told KRCA.

The banquet.

And while her daughter was too distraught to attend, Kari said, “I feel a lot of heartache and heartbreak for her, but I will take away something good from this.”

One thing is for sure: the Duane family really did make the best out of a horrible situation.