By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-04-04 02:46:57 | Updated at 2025-04-04 23:04:03
21 hours ago
A Tennessee bride-to-be claims she lost thousands of dollars after the wedding venue she booked suddenly closed without telling her.
Bonnie Sheridan, 28, began to grow worried when she hadn't heard from the venue as she was planning her big day.
On the advice of her wedding planner, she attempted to check in with the owners of the 409 South Main venue.
Days later, Jared Welch, a representative for the venue, finally responded in an email that the building was 'in the foreclosure process.'
Sheridan said she was 'blown away' by the audacity of the company not informing her - and potentially other brides - of their decision to shut down.
'I got no word,' Sheridan told Fox19. 'I'm blown away by the disrespect that you can do to somebody like that.
'They put so much money into it, because it's not an inexpensive venue, and that's their wedding day. And you didn't even have the decency to tell anybody.'
Welch also told Sheridan that 'all bank accounts have been closed', and the owner/investors are 'no longer able to fund the business.'
Bonnie Sheridan, 28, said when she went to 'check in' with the luxury venue's owners, months ahead of her special day, a representative for the space told her the building was permanently closed
Sheridan said she was 'blown away' by the audacity of the company not informing her - and potentially other brides - of the shocking closure. Pictured: The 409 South Main venue in Memphis, Tennessee
He then suggested she 'file a lien out against the building' to get her money back.
Social media pages for the venue have not been active since summer 2024. The venue's website is down, along with the venue's phone number.
Despite the massive disappointment, Sheridan said she is 'going to move forward.'
'I'm just going to move forward and hopefully something good can come of it,' Sheridan said. 'Hopefully I can reach out to other brides, you know, and just at the end of the day, I know I'm getting married to the person that I love.'
Sheridan said she was able to book another venue for her wedding.
NBC affiliate, WMC-TV, reported that an incentive loan issued by the Downtown Memphis Commission in 2023 for renovations to 409 South Main Street location - which were expected to be completed in 2025 - was cancelled.
An incentive loan issued by the Downtown Memphis Commission in 2023 for renovations to 409 South Main Street location (pictured) - which were expected to be completed in 2025 - was cancelled
Despite the massive dissapointment, Sheridan said she is 'going to move forward' and that 'at the end of the day, I know I'm getting married to the person that I love.' Pictured: Bonnie Sheridan and her soon-to-be husband
At some point, the building also appears to have been put up for sale.
Now, Daniel Irwin with the Better Business Bureau suggests making sure to have something in your contract protecting you if the venue suddenly closes, and avoid paying with a debit card.
'The biggest advice would be to make sure you're paying all your vendors with a credit card because just in case something does happen, you do have a lot more recourse with a credit card than you do any other payment method,' Irwin said.
