Couple uses catering deposit from canceled wedding to purchase 200 Thanksgiving dinners

CHICAGO, Ill. (KRDO) -- An Illinois couple turned their canceled wedding into an opportunity to help others in need this Thanksgiving.

According to "Good Morning America", Emily Bugg and Billy Lewis used their $5,000 non-refundable catering deposit to purchase 200 Thanksgiving dinners for Thresholds, a nonprofit mental health provider.

Bugg, who is an outreach worker at Thresholds, told "Good Morning America" they were happy to help after Thresholds' yearly community Thanksgiving dinners were canceled because of COVID-19 restrictions.

"In the grand scheme of things, canceling a big wedding isn't the worst thing that could happen," said Bugg. " We're happy to be married, and we're so happy that we could help Thresholds' clients feel the connection of a Thanksgiving meal as a result of the wedding cancellation."

The meals were provided by their wedding caterer, Big Delicious Planet. The couple also worked with their venue, Salvage One, who agreed to put that deposit toward a future event for the Epilepsy Foundation.

Bug and Lewis married October 1, at City Hall in Chicago.