SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Some brides will have a happy ending after their initial wedding venue abruptly closed.
Noah’s Event Venue went bankrupt, closing all 32 nationwide venues including the one in Lake Mary. The closings left some couples scrambling to find a new venue just days before their wedding. Some of them already paid the Lake Mary venue thousands of dollars.
Local bankruptcy attorney Paul Urich says their best bet is to file a claim with their credit card company or bank to try to recoup some of the money they paid to Noah’s. He said they can also file a 4-10 Bankruptcy Proof of Claim with the clerk of courts, but in this situation, he says they probably won’t get a dime from the venue.
“It depends on if there are any assets for the Chapter 7 Trustee to distribute,” Urich said.
After reviewing the latest bankruptcy court documents from the Utah-based company Noah’s Corporation, there doesn’t seem to be much money left. According to the bankruptcy court documents, the company owes more than $53 million. The company doesn’t own any of the event venue locations and only reported about $210,000 in assets.
Urich says even if there was any money left, the brides would be the last ones to get paid.
“The first class to get paid is priority, so if this company owes the IRS or sales tax or other fines going, they get paid first. The poor consumers, they get whatever’s leftover,” said Urich.
We caught up with 24-year-old Rachel Ohly from Lake Wales who dished out $9,000 only to be told the venue in Lake Mary would close days before she was supposed to marry her fiance, Sean.
"I've got some good news, I secured a venue yesterday. Highland Manor in Apopka," Ohly said. "Ever since then, I'm a lot more relaxed. I'm super happy that the wedding is still happening and the community really pulled together to make sure my day was perfect."
Ohly also offered advice to future bride's so they don't end up losing money to a bankrupt wedding venue.
"I found out there was wedding insurance and I recommend every bride take advantage of that," said Ohly.
Urich says brides who decide to file a 4-10 Bankruptcy Proof of Claim doesn’t need an attorney to file, but it can take up to a year to find out if you’ll be receiving any money. He said, in this case, it may be a waste of time given the company owes substantially more than the assets it has left.
Noah’s website now displays a message to customers about the company’s bankruptcy and closure of all locations. It states that many building owners are willing to host events that are looking for new operators that can honor current contracts. It also states: "If you are interested in still hosting your event at your reserved location, even though Noah’s will not be the management and servicing company please email us at