Paying It Forward: Bride Performs An Act Of Kindness, Gets Sweet Surprise (VIDEO)

WATCH: A Community's Heartwarming Gesture For A Bride

When she realized she could no longer afford her dream wedding, Megan Erickson didn't waste time feeling sorry for herself. She decided to do something nice for another bride instead, setting in motion a chain of generosity that landed her a free wedding.

Des Moines local news station WHO-TV reported Sunday that Erickson and her fiancé, Jarrod Vancannon, decided to call off their wedding when money became tight after Vancannon was injured on the job. Erickson had put $100 down on a wedding dress at local salon Pure Bridal, but when she realized she couldn't afford it, she asked the store to give that $100 to the next bride to buy a dress.

Inspired by Erickson's act of kindness, Pure Bridal owner Rita Gartin gathered 24 donations from local wedding vendors so that Erickson and Vancannon could have the wedding of their dreams -- for free. Everything from the venue to the food to the invitations was paid for.

"We knew how much that $100 meant to her and we were so inspired by her act of kindness that we decided to purchase her wedding gown for her without her knowing," Pure Bridal wrote on their Facebook page Sunday. "After talking about it more, we had the idea to see if any of our favorite vendors would be willing to help out in some way, and it was amazing how many local businesses were overjoyed to donate something towards their wedding!"

Erickson was presented with the donations while she was modeling dresses at a Des Moines bridal show.

"I don't know what to say," Erickson told loca news station KCCI. "They got me. I'm pranked, punked."

Watch the video above for more on this bride's acts of kindness.

Another bride "paid it forward" last year when she donated her wedding dress to a deserving bride, who then promised to donate the dress after she wears it.

Check out eight more "pay it forward" acts in the slideshow below.

Feel-Good Day At Court

8 Touching 'Pay It Forward' Acts

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