LAKE MARY, Fla. – A Florida woman says the operator of a wedding venue is enforcing a non-refundable contract and refusing to return thousands of dollars after her fiancé died unexpectedly months before they were to be married.
Tye Hinson and William Coney were planning to wed in May at the Crystal Ballroom of Lake Mary, an all-inclusive event space large enough to host the couple’s growing guest list.
But shortly before Thanksgiving, Coney suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 42.
“I called (the venue) two days after he passed away to make them aware,” said Hinson. “This wasn’t like a cancellation. This was a person dying.”
Instead of voiding the non-refundable contract and returning $7,600 she had paid for the wedding venue, Hinson claims an unidentified ballroom employee offered to host an alternative event.
“Her suggestion was, ‘Maybe you can do a memorial here on your wedding day,’” Hinson told News 6.
The wedding venue’s owner has expressed sympathy for Hinson’s loss but indicated the company communicates its non-refund policy to clients while encouraging the purchase of cancellation insurance from third-party providers.
“Offering compassion and offering refunds are not the same thing, and both must exist within a framework that is fair, transparent, and consistent for all clients,” Crystal Ballroom owner Lukasz Rogowski told News 6.
Hinson said she met Coney more than 20 years ago at Orlando’s Fashion Square Mall while she was working at a store there and he was a student at Full Sail University.
Although the couple later moved away from the area, Hinson said they wanted to be married in Central Florida.
The bride-to-be signed a contract with Crystal Ballroom of Lake Mary in August and paid a $2,000 non-refundable administrative fee. Hinson later paid the company an additional $5,609.
“The last payment that I gave them was literally two days before he died,” said Hinson.
A copy of the contract provided to News 6 by Hinson states that all payments made to the Crystal Ballroom are non-refundable.
“I understand contracts. I have them,” said Hinson, who works as a cosmetologist and has provided makeup for weddings and other events. “I have issued a refund to someone when a hurricane destroyed their home before their wedding. My compassion as a human being carries over into my business.”
After her fiancé’s death, Hinson said all her other wedding vendors refunded payments and voided contracts, even if those agreements were non-refundable.
“It is not accurate to compare different vendors as though they operate under the same legal, financial, or operational structures,” said Rogowski, the ballroom owner. “A full-service venue coordinates space, staffing, inventory, and third-party services months in advance and incurs costs on a different timeline than individual vendors.”
Rogowski said Crystal Ballroom has operated for more than 16 years and has served thousands of couples and families.
“While the overwhelming majority of those experiences are joyful and positive, we have, over time, encountered a small number of complex and unfortunate situations involving illness, accidents, deaths, military deployment, and other life events,” said Rogowski. “Those experiences shaped our policies and procedures — not to avoid responsibility, but to protect clients, vendors, and the venue in a fair, transparent, and legally sound way.”
Rogowski said the company’s policies are disclosed in writing prior to contract signing and reviewed with clients during their initial meeting.
“This allows expectations to be understood in advance and avoids emotional or inconsistent decision-making later,” he said.
Rogowski said his team proactively recommends and facilitates access to licensed third-party wedding cancellation, postponement, and liability insurance so clients can protect their investment in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
“This recommendation is made before contracts are signed and again during the planning process,” said Rogowski. “We cannot compel anyone to purchase insurance or adopt specific risk-mitigation measures, and our policies exist precisely because events of this nature are complex, emotionally difficult, and often financially significant.”
When situations involving serious illness, loss, or emergencies arise, Rogowski said his team will make reasonable efforts to accommodate clients under the terms of the contract and company policies.
“In some circumstances, that may include discussing alternative uses of the space, postponement options, or other non-financial accommodations that might be meaningful to a family – not because we are obligated to, but because we recognize how difficult these moments can be.”
Without discussing Hinson by name, Rogowski told News 6 that his company has been communicating with her wedding planner and not with the client directly.
That wedding planner, Patricia Aro, describes the situation as “extremely challenging and increasingly saddening.”
“We are concerned to note that the owner of Crystal Ballroom Lake Mary was able to respond promptly to (News 6) yet has still not provided any written or verbal response directly to Tye’s cancellation notice or our team,” said Aro.
To help support Hinson, Aro created a GoFundMe campaign that has raised $3,500 at the time of this publication.
“While we understand contracts and policies exist, we believe compassion and care should always lead the way, especially after such a tragic loss,” the GoFundMe page states.
News 6 discovered Rogowski’s name among the list of GoFundMe donors who contributed to Hinson.
The ballroom owner did not publicize his $525 donation and only confirmed his contribution after being contacted by a News 6 reporter.
Rogowski, who requested that his donation not be mentioned in this report, indicated he made it in his personal capacity and not on behalf of Crystal Ballroom or as part of any business action or decision.