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Couple Renews Their Vows After Claiming Wedding Planner Ran Off With All Their Money

MALIBU (CBSLA.com) — A runaway bride is not uncommon.

But a couple renewed their vows in Malibu Sunday after they said the wedding planner was the one who ran -- ran away with all their money.

CBS2's Laurie Perez said the long-awaited ceremony went off as planned because of the kindness of friends, strangers and many vendors.

The couple Luis and Speshelle Garcia were renewing their vows after ten years of marriage.

Six days ago, they got an email from their wedding planner saying she had to cancel.

The couple said they paid the wedding planner, Rose Cooper, $5,000.

She wrote an email to the couple, saying in part, "Due to an ongoing health issue unfortunately, I will not be able to move forward with your wedding on Sunday, Sept. 28th."

Cooper said she would refund their money.

"I was nervous, I was angry," says Speshelle Garcia, "I was sad. It just was so much I couldn't even say anything. I just stood there, I was like stoic."

The Garcia's haven't seen their refund yet, but the vendors -- caterers, staging company, photographer -- all decided to go ahead in good faith.

The vendors offered to work for huge discounts in the name of love.

"We were scrambling to make all this happen for her," said the caterer.

"She called me in a panic," said the staging company. Of her offer to help out, she said, "It's all good karma and we all need that."

"You have a situation where everything is falling apart," said the photographer.

Garcia could have folded up her tent, literally, and just said yes to the dress but not to the drama.

"We would have celebrated anyway," says Speshelle, "at the end of the day, it's about me and my husband celebrating our lives together, so, that's all that mattered. But this is still pretty nice, too."

Perez tried to reach Cooper of Shore Beach Weddings for a comment and has not heard back.

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Couple Says Local Wedding Planner Took Money, Bailed Days Before Ceremony

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