Leo Gillick
A wedding venue in North Carolina has gotten some well-earned hate after refusing to refund a bereaved bride when her groom died before the event.
Videos by Rare
When a deposit is put down, it’s placed as a reservation, and it’s typically not refundable. It’s a guarantee for both parties. However, it’s still a contract between two conscientious human parties, so there is always wriggle room.
- In the case of The Cotton Room in North Carolina, they’ve done away with their compassion and refused to refund a $20,000 deposit put down for a wedding after the groom passed away months before. Rather than try to alleviate the grief of his fiancée, they’re taking the greedy route.
Of course, they’re contractually within their right not to return the deposit. The wedding party will have agreed on the conditions, but there should be some allowances. I would understand if they decided they wanted to go somewhere else or called the wedding off. But this is a little different. The groom is dead, and the wedding is not happening anywhere.
Half Assed Compromise: The Cotton Room wedding venue in North Carolina has offered a paltry compromise. They won’t give back the full amount of $20,000, but will return $11,000 if someone else books on the same day.
- At this point, it’s just greed. The couple paid for food, beverages, and venue rental fees. The food and beverages have not been ordered yet. That will not go down as a loss for the wedding venue. Understandably, it may be hard to fill the one-day gap the wedding will have filled, but that’s not the end of the world.
Online Backlash
When the bride publicised her conundrum, the internet went on a witch hunt. The wedding venue, refusing to refund a deposit after the groom died, was unacceptable to most. They had overstepped a line, and the internet was incensed.
- The comments filling Instagram vary, ranging from straight-up hate to constructive criticism. “Dying and canceling an event are completely different circumstances, and your refund policy needs to be reevaluated,” one commenter points out.
Hopefully, the internet backlash helps the wedding venue realise its humanity and refund the grieving bride.
