A devastated bride was horrified to learn the venue she booked two years ago for her wedding filed for bankruptcy.
Ivanna Ramirez and Raymond Romero were all set to get married at The Art Factory in Paterson, New Jersey. Ramirez described it as her dream venue and picked out the chic industrial space, securing the booking by paying the $12,000 fee.
But in the days leading up to their wedding, the couple were horrified to find out via their event planner on September 5 that The Art Factory had filed for bankruptcy.
While initially in shock, the pair were optimistic their special day would still go ahead, with reassurance from the owners that celebrations were running into 2025.
But a worrying Instagram post two weeks before the wedding triggered waves of doubt, until a final blow on September 24 ruined all hope when the owners were ordered in court to stop hosting events.
Upon contacting The Art Factory for a refund, they were told they’d have to file a claim for settlement.
They also filed a police report in Paterson – but that did nothing to help their impending plans, with 104 guests preparing to visit the unavailable space.
David Garcia owns the industrial venue which was revitalized in 2018 through a loan from the 100 Mile Fund – which provides capital for a wide range of asset classes, with a concentration in the New York metropolitan area.
In the companies now-deleted Instagram page, they posted an emotional appeal to the disappointed couples, placing blame on the lender for ‘taking your dreams and your money,’ ABC 7 reported.
The outlet reached out to the president of the 100 Mile Fund, Billy Procida. He said he feels sympathy for the clients and that although the venue was great, it was poorly managed.
‘This is one of the saddest things I’ve witnessed in my 43-year career,’ Procida said.
The bankruptcy filing was triggered by a New Jersey Superior Court judgement issued last month against his business due to a $12.5million loan in 2018, court documents said.
The loan was meant to allow Garcia to do a massive renovation of the complex. But the judgement required the owner to provide rent and fees from his business to 100 Mile REIT Inc.
But Garcia argued this would destroy his business.
Procida’s lawyers said Garcia has no right to the revenue due to his long history of fraudulent activities – including a track record of defaulting on loans and around $250,000 in unpaid property taxes and sewer charges.
The alleged mismanagement of The Art Factory is prevalent in the stories of brides who have had their wedding there in the past.
In a TikTok video posted by Athena Raymond on Wednesday, she described working with the venue as a ‘nightmare’ and said Garcia wouldn’t answer them for months leading up to their wedding.
The day before the wedding, they reached out to the affiliated catering company to confirm there wouldn’t be nuts at the dessert table because one of their pregnant guests had a severe allergy.
They were instead told they had never paid for a dessert. Even though a year prior they had a zoom call with multiple witnesses where they went over the entire menu and asked for an ice cream bar with the fixings.
The chef allegedly replied it’s not in their contract but if the couple sent over $1,800 it would be there tomorrow morning.
For Ramirez and Romero, a GoFundMe campaign launched on September 25 for the couple has raised over $10,750.
An update posted on September 25, the couple announced they were able to book another venue and keep their wedding date with the funds raised.
They wrote: ‘We are truly humbled by the outpouring love and generosity from everyone that has donated. Your support means the world to us.’