Jilted bride's family give reception meals to homeless

When a groom got cold feet and called off a wedding, the bride's family decided to go ahead with the reception and invite the city's homeless for a four-star meal.

The Duane family from Sacramento, USA, were expecting to host a wedding reception for 120 guests for their daughter when it was suddenly cancelled by the would-be groom earlier in the week.

But rather than cancel the $35,000 (£22,670) wedding arrangements they decided to turn a night that was supposed to be about their family to one that looked after others, NBC News reports.

"When I found out on Monday that the wedding would not be taking place, it just seemed like of course this is something that we would do to give back," said Kari Duane, the mother of the would-be bride, Quinn.

Scores of families and elderly people arrived to eat at the banquet hall at Sacramento's Citizen Hotel helping themselves to four-star food from The Grange restaurant including roast salmon, grilled steak, gnocchi and salads.

Erika Craycraft, a homeless Sacramento resident, said: “to lose out on something so important to yourself and then give it to someone else is really giving, really kind.”

Although happy to do a good turn, Mrs Duane said the evening was still painful for the family. Her 27-year-old daughter chose to stay home.

Part of the wedding package included a non-refundable honeymoon so Mrs Duane and her daughter are to set off for Belize together on Monday.

"I feel a lot of heartache and heartbreak for her, but I will take away something good from this, I will," she said.