Newlyweds' heartwarming message after serving their catered wedding meal to kids in need

One Ohio couple whose big day was blundered by COVID-19 switched up their catering plans and served their would-be wedding food to their local community in need.

When Tyler and Melanie Tapajna swapped out a large lodge venue for their vows with a quaint backyard ceremony due to restrictions amid the pandemic, the couple decided to donate the dining resources for their intended 150-guest reception to The City Mission, a crisis center for women and children in Cleveland.

"I was that bride when I was planning it," newly married Melanie Tapajna told ABC News of her meticulous details for the original mid-August ceremony. "And then once we had the shutdown in Cleveland I was just like, you know the stress isn't worth it and there are so many people suffering right now and we've been so blessed during this time that I was like we should do something, we should give back. It was just the perfect opportunity."

About an hour after they said "I do" at Melanie's grandparents house, the couple said they arrived at Laura's Home -- the crisis center where they had arranged for the catering team to prepare a community meal -- dressed in their suit and wedding gown to start serving food to over 130 hungry kids.

"When I knew we were actually canceling everything I contacted our catering company -- once I found Laura's Home they got in contact directly and scheduled how they could prep the food -- they really planned everything," Melanie said.

The couple catered to a different demographic of diners, "I said these are kids let them pick what they want to eat," Melanie said of the menu change.

"They picked fried chicken, mac and cheese, green beans and other kind of picnic food," she said. "That was not how it was supposed to be for the planned wedding meal -- so they were actually able to feed them for a couple days after -- you don't realize one day to feed your family can feed people who don't know where their next meal is coming from for a couple days."

The City Mission made the couple's post-nuptial experience feel "as if it was still a big event -- they even decorated for us like it was our wedding reception so they really made it feel special."

"We didn't expect this to become such a big thing," she said. "We were really excited to be able to be there and we have never worked with The City Mission -- they were very welcoming -- they were clapping for us and saying 'welcome to your reception.' It was really cute."

Tyler Tapajna said "the happiness that we received walking in was awesome, but as far as working in the kitchen and seeing all the smiling, appreciative faces, that was fantastic."

"It's one thing to donate, but it's another to give back your time and see everything," he added. "So I absolutely enjoyed that."

The couple said they hope their experience inspires other couples to keep in mind what's most important and focus on that.

"Reminding what your wedding is really about. It's not about the fanciness with these fancy meals, it's really about the two of you," Melanie said. "Not getting lost in the wedding industry," her husband added.

"Whether you donate your time, the food or have a small ceremony, you still get to marry the person you love," she added.