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Woman faces non-refundable venue deposit after fiancé dies
After a woman's fiancé died, their wedding venue chose to honor it's contract over a refund. The woman, who is also in the wedding industry as a makeup artist, said she understands running a business, but other companies have issued her refunds after her fiancé's death. The company said the $7,500 deposit went toward date reservation and staffing allocation.
Months before she was to be married, her husband-to-be died unexpectedly. The two had booked the venue, reserved the date, and put a deposit down of more than $7,500.
When she asked the venue if it was possible to get the deposit returned, the venue declined, holding firm to the contract and the non-refundable fees.
It's a tragic story that highlights the importance of private insurance for big events such as a wedding.
The love story
Tye and William were planning to be married on March 29, 2026. On Nov. 19, William died of cardiac arrest. He was 42.
The couple booked a wedding venue in Lake Mary because the two met in Orlando and both have family in Central Florida.
Tye and William has been friends for more than 20 years.
"He was a sweet kind person," Tye said. "He was so happy to get married."
The contract
In a statement to FOX 35, the venue said it empathizes with Tye's and William's families – and sends its condolences. But, it stood firm that it would abide by the contract, which reportedly stated that the deposit was non-refundable.
"As outlined in our Client Services Agreement, the initial reservation payment is expressly designated as a non-refundable administrative fee, earned at the time of booking," the venue said in a statement to FOX 35 News.
"This fee compensates for services rendered well in advance of the event date, including but not limited to date reservation, staffing allocations, design planning, administrative work, and the loss of opportunity to book the date for another client. All payments made under the agreement are also contractually designated as non-refundable in the event of cancellation, regardless of cause."
The venue told FOX 35 that it recommends people purchase third-party cancellation insurance to cover funds lost during an event for unexpected reasons, such as death, illness, or other emergencies that would require an event to be canceled or postponed.
There are several websites out there that offer wedding insurance. Some policies seem to cover vendor issues, property damage, illness or injury, or weather issues. It's important to read the fine-print for each policy to understand what it covers, what it doesn't cover, and how much the policy or deductible is.
Did Tye and William have insurance?
Tye said while they did not have insurance, they did plan to purchase it closer to the wedding date.
"Insurance was definitely going to be purchased," Tye said. "We were told that most people purchase insurance for damages and other circumstances just before the wedding."
Tye said other vendors booked for their wedding returned their deposits, referring to it as "compassion over contracts."
"I also am a professional service provider, and I also work in the bridal industry, and I also have contracts as a makeup artist," Tye said. "I just couldn't imagine choosing that paper over the person behind it."
Tye's wedding planner, Patricia Aro, has since organized a GoFundMe to help cover the lost expenses.
The Source: FOX 35's Manny Martinez talked with Tye, the bride-to-be, her wedding planner, and received a written statement from the wedding venue. FOX 35 is not naming the venue because, legally, it's not suspected of wrongdoing.