A wedding venue in North Carolina is reportedly refusing to return a deposit after the groom died five months before his big day - sparking outrage online and calls for compassion.
Christopher Perry, a Durham resident, proposed to his fiancée, Kristen Seidel, in Italy in 2024. The couple booked The Cotton Room for Oct. 11, 2025, and paid over $18,000 in deposits for food, drinks and rental fees - about half the total contract, WRAL reported.
On May 12, 2025, a day before his 33rd birthday, Perry collapsed and died. Within two days, the family notified the venue, part of TC Hospitality Group.
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The company said the deposit was nonrefundable because it secured the date and covered "advance planning, staffing and operational commitments," instead offering a partial refund only if the date was rebooked, which did not happen.
Staff at the venue, which is a former textile mill, said it would keep the $7,500 rental deposit regardless and waived the remaining 50% balance of the total bill.
"They're profiting off the death of my son," Christopher Perry's father, Bill Perry, said in an interview with WRAL as he sat alongside his wife, Sue Perry.
"No parent should ever have to experience the loss of a child - and having situations like The Cotton Room and what they've done or are doing just kind of keeps the wound open," Perry added.
His wife said the family couldn't figure out what the venue would have spent the money on already. "They haven't done anything, and they haven't earned this money yet," she said.
Fox News Digital reached out to TC Hospitality Group for comment.
The DJ, wedding planner and wedding photographer, meanwhile, all returned the deposits, according to the New Hampshire-based parents.
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In a Facebook post, Sue Perry shared a personal plea with others.
"How can a venue that specializes in the business of love, happiness and weddings have such a cold, cruel and compassionless response to this tragedy that my son's family, fiancée and her family are dealing with?" she wrote.
Since her son's death, the owners have refused to have a call with the family, she added.
Hundreds of people have taken to social media, Reddit and Google reviews in support of the couple and their family, with many urging the company to reconsider its decision.
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"Shocking for a family-run business," one man wrote on Facebook.
"Atrocious," one woman agreed. "They will lose more than that deposit. …. They have lost their reputation."
However, in a Reddit group dedicated to Durham, some people defended the business for its decision.
"[Four to five] months is last minute," one person wrote. "October is prime wedding season in North Carolina. …. Not surprising they couldn't fill a slot with only a few months' notice."
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Someone else said, "Legally, they've done nothing wrong. …. Have they done something morally wrong? Perhaps."
One wedding planner said that companies are relying on deposits.
Raleigh-based wedding planner Haines Jones, who is not affiliated with the family or venue, told WRAL that many businesses are "staying afloat on retainers" amid a post-pandemic slump.
"I see both sides," she added. "At the end of the day, I do think the family at least deserved a partial refund."
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The company told WRAL that payments made ahead of an event are not tied dollar-for-dollar to food and drink and noted that it waived the remaining 50% balance for the family.
"Deposits also support the advanced planning, staffing and operational commitments required to prepare for an event of this size," Michelle Aldred, executive director of TC Hospitality, told the outlet.
"While our venue policies do not specifically plan for unexpected deaths, we strongly encourage all couples to obtain event insurance," Aldred said. "We stand by the integrity of our process, our decision and continue to extend our condolences to those mourning this loss."
WRAL also reported that The Cotton Room said, in part, "In our industry, deposits serve two important purposes: They help cover upfront costs and, equally important, they reserve a specific date exclusively for that client. In this case, the date had been held and removed from availability for 11 months before the unfortunate passing. While our deposit policy is non-refundable, we deeply sympathize with the family's loss."
Perry's parents said the couple was "so excited" to tie the knot, and the dad noted his son "adored" his fiancée.
Perry was remembered in his obituary as a lifelong athlete who loved football, basketball and baseball, and as a computer science professional who built a successful career, most recently serving as a software engineer.
Following Perry's death, a new technology lab was built in his name at Fryeburg Academy, the Maine boarding school where he attended high school, his mom shared on Facebook.
