http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=152647&provider=rss

What would you do? I can totally understand why the catering company would keep most of that money - with 2 days to go that money has been spent!

That's such a sad story....and there's nothing worse than fighting over money when someone passes away. Personally if it was my wedding I would be so devestated and wouldn't even care about the money. It's already spent so any refunds would be a bonus.

If it was me doing the catering I'd refund any profit but deduct my costs, had it been a big job it could be enough to put a small business in trouble.

Lyndsey xx

We had to deal with the sudden illness of my nephew 2 weeks before his wedding - he was diagnosed with a brain tumor - and since the wedding was in Illinois (they live in Florida), they had to cancel everything. The vendors were wonderful and all refunded the money except for the costs they had already incurred. Fortunately, at the 2 week point, there weren't too many expenses.

I have in my contract that if the wedding is cancelled less than 14 days before the wedding - for any reason, then the only monies I will refund are the delivery, cutting service and rental fees, plus anything left from costs already incurred by me.

In this case, that wouldn't be much, at 48 hours prior to a wedding I am really underway with the cake and everything would have been bought and made. I would offer to give them the cake (obviously not decorated as a wedding cake) to use at the wake though if they wanted it.

It's a tragic, tragic situation, but as a small business, I just couldn't take that sort of financial loss, as cold-hearted as that may seem.

A sad situation for the families concerned.

However, when looking at the wider picture of reality a Wedding has been cancelled, so i can fully understand the Venues stance on the matter.
Why the wedding has been cancelled is not the Vendors fault nor cause.

Sounds harsh but - being in business is just that - a business

I feel the Mother of the Bride was wrong to go public and condem the catering company.


Bluehue.

I only got thru about 3 pages of comments, but the bride is writing on the comments pages answering people. That's crazy.

Very Sad situation but like everyone has pointed out....A small business or even a large one at that cannot be responsible left holding all the costs incurred already so....as much as I feel for this family...the money is gone!

Leah - I was on the way out the door to take my daughter to school - never even occurred to me to read the comments! I cannot BELIEVE the bride (in mourning) is spending her time replying to the comments! SERIOUSLY!

And I also think the MOB was wrong to go to the press - and I would be so devistated by the loss (if I were the bride) that I would never even think about getting money back!

This is a really sad sad story, but as mentioned - venues, caterers and cake peeps can't afford to take that kind of hit financially - especially right now.

Maybe the catering vender should or could have offered the services for the repast or wake of the groom. But no other than that, 2 days before, the money is already spent.

I skimmed the comments. There's more to this than is being reported (as is usual in this kind of story). What a mess.

They were already married and the bride claims they didn't have a contract with the catering place but yet she had already given them $1600- without a contract I won't give away one penny.

Heart breaking. I would refund what I could. Say I had 50%...I would deduct what I had already spent on the cake for fondant, etc, and refund what I hadn't spent yet.

How sad, though. Really terrible.

very sad, I would too give back any money not already spent on supplies......generally 25% of the cost of my wedding cakes is actual supplies, so they would most likely get at least a 75% refund from me!

obviously this is tragic but the vendor is responsible to its own management, owners, staff, suppliers and govt taxes before it can start to consider being generous with money. i feel for the bride, i really do but the vendor has done nothing wrong, has had 6 meetings so far and now to have their name publicily slandered like this is not a good thing

They disabled the comments on the article, but the bride and her family were going off and are taking the caterer to court.

OH man......earlier today I read the first 5 or so pages of comments and had to go. Went to get back on and read the rest and the comments are gone. My sympathies to the family and all....but great reading! Just as disappointing as following some CC threads and they disappear. I just get so curious as to what made it get shut down. Like watching a miniseries and missing the final episode. Bummer.

Well - If this thing gets REALLY ugly - I'm sure it will be back on the news and I will give an update!

I really want to know what is happening too!

I, too, feel for the family but at 2 days out I would have already baked the cake and made any flowers/bows needed, etc...the cake would be well underway. Only charges I would refund would be delivery/stand rental fees, etc. However I love the idea of offering the cakes, not as wedding cakes, for the wake/funeral. And at that point I would offer the delivery fee free.