A family in North Carolina is living through the unthinkable, and the heartbreak isn’t coming just from the loss of their loved one. After groom-to-be Chris Perry died suddenly this past May, his family and fiancée say the Durham-based wedding venue, The Cotton Room, has refused to return the nearly $20,000 deposit they had already paid for his October 2025 wedding.
In a Google review that quickly drew local attention, Chris’s mother, Sue Perry, shared her family’s ordeal. She wrote that her son and his fiancée, Kristen Seidel, had been thrilled to book the chic North Carolina venue for their big day. But when tragedy struck on May 12 just one day before Chris’s 33rd birthday, everything changed, per People.
“Tragically, my son passed away on May 12, 2025, and his fiancée has requested that the contract with the Cotton Room be cancelled and their deposits be refunded due to this unfortunate situation,” she explained.
North Carolina Wedding Venue Refuses To Return $20K Deposit After Groom Tragically Dies
Sue said the venue’s response was anything but compassionate. “The Cotton Room has insisted that they ‘cannot’ refund the deposits paid, although they have done nothing to earn the nearly $20,000 that had been paid to them to date,” she wrote.
The Perry family tried repeatedly to meet with the venue to find a solution, but said their requests went nowhere. With emotions high, Sue and her husband, Bill Perry, reached out to WRAL News’s 5 On Your Side to share their story. “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?” Sue said, voicing the question many in North Carolina are now asking.
Chris’s death was sudden and shocking. His parents explained in the interview that he collapsed unexpectedly on May 12, and Kristen found his body just hours later. The heartbreak is compounded by the fact that Chris had recently proposed to Kristen during a romantic trip to Italy in 2024. His father, Bill described his son’s devotion, saying, “He had found his — the person to complete his trip to life.”
The Family Is Not Happy
The Cotton Room’s contract reportedly classifies the nearly $20,000 as a “non-refundable deposit” covering food, drinks, and rental fees. But for the Perry family, the idea of keeping such a sum for a wedding that will never happen feels cruel. Bill accused the venue of “profiting off the death of our son.”
While Kristen herself has not spoken publicly, the loss is heavy for everyone involved. Friends, family, and even strangers online are expressing outrage, pointing out that while contracts may be contracts, compassion should still come first in situations like this.
For now, the family continues to fight for their money back while also mourning a beloved son and partner. And as the story spreads across North Carolina, many are left wondering: should a wedding venue really be in the business of love if it can’t find room for humanity when tragedy strikes?
Sabrina Russell 
Kenna Raye 
Nina Franklin 
