HUDSONVILLE, Mich. – Amber and Benjamin Vansledright said “I Do,” on August 11, 2018.
The problem? Their caterer thought the wedding was scheduled for the following week.
“All the details were planned and we had just finished with the photographs but we were waiting for the caterer,” Benjamin’s mother recalled. Just before the ceremony, the couple got the news that there would be no food at their wedding.
So as the guests arrived, family made a last minute request to the restaurant next door to the venue to see if they could help them feed their guests. Sonder Eatery owner Nick Ruesticus told WXMI that when the couple came over in tears, there was no way he would say no.
In just 90 minutes, Sonder’s staff put together a cocktail hour and more than 150 meals.
“It was organized chaos,” Ruesticus said. “It was kind of viewed for myself and the team as kind of a challenge.”
They even made sure everyone had their choice of chicken or beef, as well as vegetarian and vegan options.
The bride and groom said without Nick’s help, they don’t know what their wedding would have looked like.
The family did end up getting their money back from the original caterer, who they asked WXMI not to name. The happy couple, while enjoying their honeymoon in Costa Rica, said via video chat that they couldn’t be happier with how things turned out.
“I hope they know what they did really saved our wedding,” Amber VanSledright said.
“We can’t thank them enough, it made our day that much more special, that much more memorable,” husband Benjamin said.