A Florida wedding venue is refusing to return thousands of dollars in deposits, even after a bride’s fiancé died unexpectedly months before their planned wedding.
Tye Hinson and William Coney were set to marry in May at the Crystal Ballroom Lake Mary, a large all‑inclusive event space chosen to accommodate their growing guest list. But shortly before Thanksgiving, Coney, 42, suffered a fatal heart attack. Hinson says she contacted the venue two days later to inform them of the tragedy.
“This wasn’t like a cancellation. This was a person dying,” Hinson told News 6.
Despite paying a total of $7,609 to the venue, including a $2,000 non‑refundable administrative fee when she signed the contract in August and an additional $5,609 just two days before Coney’s death, Hinson has been denied any refund. The venue cited the terms of the contract as the reason.
“I understand contracts. I have them,” Hinson, who works as a cosmetologist and has provided makeup for weddings and other events, told the outlet. “I have issued a refund to someone when a hurricane destroyed their home before their wedding. My compassion as a human being carries over into my business.”
Instead, Hinson claims a wedding venue employee suggested a heartbreaking alternative.
“Her suggestion was, ‘Maybe you can do a memorial here on your wedding day,’” she said
Hinson and Coney met over 20 years ago at Orlando’s Fashion Square Mall. Despite moving away, they wanted to marry in Central Florida. Hinson said all her other wedding vendors refunded her payments or canceled contracts, even those that were non‑refundable, after learning of Coney’s death.
Crystal Ballroom owner Lukasz Rogowski expressed sympathy for Hinson’s loss but said it is unfair to compare full-service venues to other vendors.
“They operate under different legal, financial and operational obligations and incur costs well in advance,” he told News 6.
Rogowski told the outlet that the venue’s non‑refund policy is clearly stated in writing before clients sign the contract and is reviewed during the initial meeting. The company also recommends third-party cancellation insurance to protect clients’ financial commitments in unforeseen circumstances.
“This recommendation is made before contracts are signed and again during the planning process,” Rogowski said. “We cannot compel anyone to purchase insurance or adopt specific risk-mitigation measures, and our policies exist precisely because events of this nature are complex, emotionally difficult, and often financially significant.”
Rogowski added that his team tries to accommodate clients facing serious illness, loss, or emergencies through options like alternative space use or postponements, while still following contract terms. He said, without naming Hinson, the company has been communicating with her wedding planner, Patricia Aro, rather than with Hinson directly, News 6 reports.
“While the overwhelming majority of those experiences are joyful and positive, we have, over time, encountered a small number of complex and unfortunate situations involving illness, accidents, deaths, military deployment, and other life events,” Rogowski said. “Those experiences shaped our policies and procedures — not to avoid responsibility, but to protect clients, vendors, and the venue in a fair, transparent, and legally sound way.”
Rogowski did, however, donate $525 to a GoFundMe campaign that the wedding planner set up for Hinson, News 6 confirmed, claiming the contribution was made in his personal capacity, unrelated to the Crystal Ballroom.
At the time of publication, the campaign raised over $3,500 toward its $4,000 goal.
“While we understand contracts and policies exist, we believe compassion and care should always lead the way, especially after such a tragic loss,” Aro wrote on the fundraiser’s page. “We are hoping that Crystal Ballroom (Lake Mary, FL) will choose empathy and do the right thing for someone who has already lost so much.”
The Independent has contacted Crystal Ballroom for comment.
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