Okla. Bride and Groom Swap Pre-Wedding Party for Community Service Event with Their Guests: ‘Part of Something Bigger’

Rather than kicking off their wedding weekend with a party or a night out, an Oklahoma couple chose a different path: inviting their guests to join them in giving back to the community.

Soon-to-be-married Maria Carmona and Kent Sands shared that they wanted to revisit a meaningful activity from the early days of their relationship — volunteering to support Tulsa’s unhoused community, according to KTUL.

“For us, it was definitely one of the three things we planned out. We got a venue, and then the church, and then this was the next thing. We were like, we have to do it,” Carmona told the outlet.

The couple dedicated their time — along with $1,000 in sponsorship donations — to Tulsa’s City Lights Foundation. The organization runs a program called Night Light Tulsa, a weekly outreach initiative providing food and essential services to the unhoused community under a bridge near Maybelle Avenue and Reconciliation Way.

“Every time we’ve just had a lot of fun,” Sands said, reflecting on their volunteer work. “We leave kind of fulfilled, making a small difference, just being part of something bigger, and it’s just a good thing that we’ve enjoyed doing.”

The couple first signed up to volunteer on their fourth date back in 2021 and have since become regular participants.

“We showed up under the bridge not knowing what to expect—but left feeling deeply moved,” they said. “We prayed with others, heard powerful stories, and quickly realized this was something we wanted to keep doing together. Over the years, we’ve returned many times, bundled up on freezing nights, mixing hot cocoa and coffee, and sharing small moments of connection.”

Night Light crews gather every Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and on Aug. 28, Carmona, Sands, and the volunteers served over 300 people, according to the City Lights Foundation.

Carmona said this is the first time an engaged couple has chosen to volunteer during the program — and she hopes it won’t be the last.

“I was really shocked that this is the first time a couple has done this,” Carmona told KTUL. “So we just, you know, encouraged other couples to do it.”

“Maybe not the week of your wedding,” she added with a laugh, “but leading up to it.”

“This is a first for us, to host a wedding party at Night Light,” City Lights Foundation founder and executive director Sarah Grounds told PEOPLE. “We are incredibly inspired by the generosity of Kent and Maria. At a time when they could focus inward, they chose to celebrate their wedding by serving alongside their wedding party at Night Light Tulsa. In doing so, they honored our friends experiencing homelessness and reminded them they are seen and valued. We’re grateful to be part of their story and wish them a lifetime of happiness.”