A Canadian couple who had been planning a huge wedding decided to cancel the event and instead use the funds to help resettle a Syrian refugee family. Samantha Jackson and Farzin Yousefian had their nuptials scheduled for March, complete with a venue and caterer. The Toronto-based couple ended up getting married last month in a city hall ceremony, followed by a small reception with family and friends.
“We were in the midst of wedding planning in September when that devastating photo of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi found on a beach came out,” Jackson told ABC News. “Like so many other people, we became acutely aware of how bad the situation was getting and how important it was to act and do something positive, so we canceled the wedding and redirected the funds.”