Wedding venue accused of refusing to return $20,000 after groom’s sudden death

An American wedding venue has been accused of refusing to return over $18,000 in deposit following the sudden death of the groom.

Sue Perry, who hails from North Carolina, has claimed her son, Chris Perry, and his fiancée, Kristen Seidel, had booked The Cotton Room in Durham for their wedding, scheduled for October 11th of this year.

However, tragically, Sue's son passed away a few months back in May.

Back in August, Sue left a Google review detailing the heartbreaking situation, writing: "Tragically, my son passed away on May 12, 2025. His fiancée requested to cancel the contract with The Cotton Room and asked for a refund of their deposits due to this devastating circumstance."

The Cotton Room in North Carolina has come under fire after refusing a nearly $20k deposit after a groom suddenly lost his life (Google)

According to the grieving mother, the Cotton Room has insisted they 'cannot' refund the money, with Sue adding 'despite having done nothing to earn the nearly $20,000 that has been paid to them so far'.

Sue has claimed that multiple attempts to meet with the venue and find a resolution have been unsuccessful, prompting her and her husband, Bill Perry, to turn to WRAL News’ 5 On Your Side for help.

"How can a venue that builds its business on love, happiness, and weddings respond with such coldness and lack of compassion to a tragedy like this?" Sue wrote before sharing her story publicly.

In a joint interview with WRAL, Sue and Bill revealed that Chris collapsed suddenly on May 12 - just one day before his 33rd birthday.

Kristen, his fiancée, found him mere hours later.

The groom's parents argue that since the wedding will no longer take place, The Cotton Room should not keep such a significant sum (WRAL 5)

While she did not participate in the emotional joint interview with Chris’s parents, Bill did tell the news station his son 'adored' his fiancée, adding: "He had found his - the person to complete his trip to life."

"They were so excited about their future together," Sue recalled, sharing that Chris had proposed to Seidel during a romantic trip to Italy in 2024.

Bill accused the venue of 'profiting off the death of our son'.

WRAL reported that the venue classified the nearly $20,000 as a non-refundable deposit, covering food, drinks, and rental fees. However, Sue argues that since the wedding will no longer take place, The Cotton Room should not keep such a significant sum.

The Cotton Room initially told Kristen it would refund some of the money if another group booked the same date, but the venue maintained it would keep the $7,500 deposit for the venue space because it 'held [the] date [for] 11 months', per the outlet.

“During that time, we turned away other couples who inquired about booking October 11,” explained Michelle Aldred, the executive director of TC Hospitality Group, which owns The Cotton Room.

However, as the venue wasn’t rebooked, it hasn’t given back a dollar of what the couple paid.

"While our deposit policy is non-refundable, we deeply sympathise with the family’s loss and extend our sincere condolences," Aldred wrote adding that.

And, when asked how the money was spent, Aldred said was used to 'support the advance planning, staffing and operational commitments required to prepare for an event of this size'.

"In other words, those funds are tied to the commitment of space, people, and resources leading up to the day, not just to what physically happens on the event date," she added, noting that The Cotton Room would not require the family to pay the 'remaining fifty percent' balance of the contract, which would’ve been due in the weeks leading up to the wedding.

“We stand by the integrity of our process, our decision, and continue to extend our condolences to those mourning this loss," Aldred resolved.

Tyla has reached out to The Cotton Room for further comment.