UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Many couples are in limbo and out tens of thousands of dollars after a popular wedding venue in Union County suddenly closed its doors.
Clara Vengoechea and Will Adams say wedding planning is stressful, but they thought booking Champagne Manor was a no-brainer.
“We were really excited about the venue, and that it had, like a whole inclusive package, and it’s a beautiful place,” Vengoechea said.
[ Local brides say they paid for their dresses and never got them ]
The couple planned to get married in May and told Channel 9 they already paid the venue $30,000.
But now they say their plans are in limbo after receiving an email from the venue’s owner, Jason Lottman, last week.
Lottman said the venue went into foreclosure in October and he was working on refund plans for all future weddings.
But Channel 9 found multiple lawsuits and judgments against Lottman, his entertainment company the Veretta Group, and Champagne Manor dating back to 2022. According to recent court documents, they owe millions of dollars.
>> In the video at the top of this page, Channel 9′s Erika Jackson talks to couples who had booked the venue about their next steps.
VIDEO: ‘It was emotional’: Couple says they waited nearly five years for wedding video
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