One Florida wedding venue is going viral on social media, and not for its beautiful aesthetic. After a bride tragically loses her fiancé, you won’t believe what the venue’s response was about her anticipated wedding date.
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According to News 6 Orlando, Tye Hinson and William Coney were set to marry in May 2026 at the Crystal Ballroom in Lake Mary, Fla. The all-inclusive event space was chosen to host the couple’s extensive guest list. However, those wedding plans were shattered just before Thanksgiving when Coney unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack at the age of 42.
Hinson reached out to the venue immediately following the tragedy, but the conversation did not go as planned. “I called (the venue) two days after he passed away to make them aware,” Hinson told the outlet. “This wasn’t like a cancellation. This was a person dying.”
Hoping for an exception to her non-refundable contract to recover the $7,600 deposit she had paid, Hinson claims an unidentified ballroom employee offered an unexpected alternative. Instead of a refund, the employee suggested, “Maybe you can do a memorial here on your wedding day.”
The venue’s response was devastating, given the couple’s long history. Hinson met Coney more than 20 years ago at Orlando’s Fashion Square Mall while she was working at a store there and he was a student at Full Sail University.
Although the couple later moved away from the area, Hinson dreamed of having her wedding in Central Florida. Instead of the bride looking forward to walking down the aisle in May, she is left navigating a personal tragedy and a public battle over a contract.
Hindon signed a contract with Crystal Ballroom of Lake Mary in August and paid a $2,000 non-refundable administrative fee. She later paid the company an additional $5,609. “The last payment that gave them was literally two days before he died,” Hinson said.
News 6 confirmed that the contract states all payments are non-refundable. Hinson, who works as a cosmetologist, says she understands the legal side, but there should be space for compassion.
“I understand contracts. I have them,” she said. “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.”
Following Coney’s passing, Hinson said every other vendor refunded payments and voided contracts for her — even if the agreements were non-refundable.
Lukasz Rogowski, the venue’s owner, stepped forward to defend the company’s enforcement of the policy. “It is not accurate to compare different vendors as though they operate under the same legal, financial, or operational structures,” Rogowski said. “A full-service venue coordinates space, staffing, inventory, and third-party services months in advance and incurs costs on a different timeline than individual vendors.”
Rogowski explained that “complex and unfortunate situations” like death have shaped their policies to be “fair, transparent, and legally sound.” He noted that these rules are reviewed before signing to avoid “emotional or inconsistent decision-making later.”
Rogowski noted that in difficult circumstances, the team may discuss “alternative uses of the space, not because we are obligated to, but because we recognize how difficult these moments can be.”
Without naming Hinson, Rogowski told the outlet that his company has been communicating with her wedding planner, not with Hinson directly. But, he donated $525 to a GoFundMe campaign set up by the wedding planner, claiming the contribution was made in his personal capacity and was unrelated to the Crystal Ballroom. So far, the campaign has raised $4,480 of its $5,000 goal.
Social media has a lot to say about this situation.
“That’s ridiculous,” one TikTok user posted. “Give the lady her money back.”
“That venue don’t have any morals. Though I understand there’s a contract, there’s somethings that your compassion should overtake,” another user wrote.
On X, the conversation continued with some folks having opposing views.
“Non-refundable, ma’am. I’m sorry, but you signed the contract,” an X user posted.
“It’s unfortunate but you signed the papers stating no refunds,” another followed up. “I pray they maybe help her with some back, though.”
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