Canadian couple cancel lavish wedding to help Syrian refugees

London, Nov 24: A couple in Canada decided to cancel their lavish wedding to donate money to help Syrian refugees, media reported.

Devastated by the photo of lifeless body of Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi, Canadians Samantha Jackson and Farzin Yousef, who got engaged in the 2014, decided to cancel their lavish wedding and held a small reception at Toronto's City Hall last month.

"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," said Jackson, reported The Independent.

"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 cancelled the wedding and redirected the funds."

The couple volunteer for Ryerson University Lifeline Syria Challenge have so far newlyweds have raised $17,500 for Syrian refugees.

Mrs Jackson added: "Our family and friends were absolutely thrilled and supportive... and rather than giving the traditional gift, they made donations to help fund our sponsorship of a Syrian refugee family."

"Our wedding was perfect...and it was definitely the perfect way to start our marriage."

OneIndia News