Couple says Chicago wedding venue closed suddenly, kept their money

CHICAGO (WLS) -- It's supposed to be a happy time, but a Chicago couple says their wedding is turning into a nightmare after their venue suddenly closed. Now, they say the venue won't return thousands of dollars in payments.

Deanne Fornelli and Nick Dilly thought they had found the perfect venue for their wedding and reception. The couple has dated for several years and they were looking forward to a joyous wedding celebration in the city where they both live. They planned their wedding reception at the loft next month.

"It kind of had everything. It had an outdoor space, it had a beautiful exposed brick loft space, easy street parking. It had a lot of potential," Fornelli said.

The couple said they paid $12,000 total to the catering company in advance. They thought everything was set and they were looking forward to the big day when they found out the facility was closed down without notice. They said there was no apology, no alternative location and no way to get their money back.

"They strung us out for so many months until just finally in July they said, 'Sorry, we can't give you any money back and we can't give you any services whatsoever. See ya,'" Dilly said.

"We'll be fine if we get married in a courtroom, just together, versus a huge wedding. We'll be happy, we'll be fine. But that's not what I've been envisioning for a long time now," Fornelli said.

The couple has not heard from the owner of the company, who is apparently still associated with a West Loop catering company. Other businesses now occupy the space where the wedding and reception were to have been.

Fornelli and Dilly have now revised their dream wedding idea. Instead, they now plan to hold a small ceremony for a small group of family and friends.

"When people trust that their wedding is going to be great, and they hire you and pay you to do something, it just boggles the mind that something like that can happen. So, why? That's what we'd like to know," Dilly said.

The couple said they paid Joshua Yates, the owner of the catering company. Yates' attorney issued a statement Friday afternoon that said Yates is deeply saddened by this situation, and said he has helped hundreds of clients with their weddings and this is the first time anything like this has happened. He said he was unable to comment on the financial situation due to likely pending litigation.