Rachael Ray Whips Up One Miracle Wedding for 33 Couples in Houston

You may turn to Rachael Ray for great cooking tips and tricks, but this celebrity chef recently skipped the baking and warmed up her heart instead. She used her resources to help 33 couples from Harris County Texas plan a giant wedding earlier this month.

After popular Houston wedding venue Bella Terraza and the Tuscany unexpectedly closed these couples were left without a place to host their weddings. Some couples had put as much as a $20,000 deposit on the venue when the parent company Titus Inc. filed bankruptcy in early October.

Ray, along with generous contributions from local businesses including the Houston Astros, David's Bridal, Kay's Jewelers and Men's Wearhouse planned the wedding of the year at Minute Maid Park in Houston including wedding gowns and tuxedos, cake, flowers, decorations, professional photography, and a live musical performance from Luther Vandross. Ray also personally created a menu for the reception and each couple received a custom-made cake.

Gretta Monahan, the Rachael Ray show's fashion and style guru, worked with lifestyle contributor Colby Donaldson, to help the brides and grooms choose their wedding attire. Kristan Cunningham, the show's DIY expert, transformed Minute Maid Park into a magical venue for the wedding and reception. Family and friends sat at tables decorated with white roses and lilies and danced on a makeshift dance floor in the outfield.

“I had a pretty great wedding,” Ray told the Houston Chronicle. “But that wedding (in Houston) was the best one I’ve ever been to. It was really overwhelming. It was kind of beyond words.”

Vandross' Here and Now played from the speakers as brides and grooms walked down the aisle and had their names individually announced. With 500 friends and family members watching, the couples simultaneously recited vows and placed rings on each others' fingers.

"If there is a fairy godmother, it is Rachael Ray," said groom Victor Cabungcal. "This is an absolute miracle."

For more photos and show infor, check out rachelrayshow.com

photo: courtesy of Rachel Ray Show