A Texas wedding venue has agreed to settle a dispute with a woman whose fiancé died months before their planned ceremony, after refusing to refund almost $16,000 and filing a counterclaim against her. Legal analyst Chris Tritico has criticised the handling of the case, saying the circumstances demanded compassion.
Zoe Vandeloo and Diego Hernandez had paid $15,909.28 towards their wedding at Posey Meadows in San Marcos. The couple had been due to marry on November 20, 2026, but Mr Hernandez died suddenly in April.
Vandeloo subsequently sued Meadow de Fleurs LLC, which trades as Posey Meadows, arguing that his death made the wedding impossible and that the venue should return the money. The venue relied on a contract stating that deposits and other payments were non-refundable.
Court documents said the venue initially discussed the possibility of a full refund with Vandeloo’s sister. However, owner Julie Campbell later cited the cancellation terms and said a partial refund might only be available if another couple booked the date, after costs and other expenses had been deducted.
The venue then filed a counterclaim alleging that Vandeloo had breached the agreement by failing to provide proof of Hernandez’s death before bringing the lawsuit. Her lawyer, Manuel Pelaez-Prada, said he had offered to provide the death certificate but that the offer was ignored.
Posey Meadows later said it had been seeking confirmation of the death before considering an exception to its policy. In a statement reported by the San Antonio Express-News, the venue said it was no longer pursuing any claim against Vandeloo or seeking further payment from her, and expressed its condolences to Hernandez’s family.
The settlement amount is confidential, so it is not known whether Vandeloo will recover all of the money paid towards the wedding. The agreement was awaiting signatures when the settlement was reported.
Speaking to FOX 26, Tritico described the dispute as “disgusting” and said he could not understand how it had reached court. Although he acknowledged the existence of the no-refund clause, he said the death of a fiancé was an exceptional circumstance in which a venue should have returned the couple’s money.
He urged couples to examine cancellation terms carefully before signing a wedding contract, ask about wedding insurance and ensure that any promises or amendments are recorded in writing.
