Texas venue refuses to return money after groom dies suddenly months before wedding

DAILYMAIL.COM • 1h ago

By LILLIAN GISSEN, US DEPUTY LIFESTYLE EDITOR Updated: 18:02 20 Oct 2026

A Texas wedding venue and a grieving bride-to-be have become embroiled in a nasty legal battle after the event space refused to fully return the woman’s money after her fiancé passed away just months before they were set to walk down the aisle.

Zoe Vandeloo and Diego Hernandez were going to tie the knot on November 20.

The pair had locked down the charming wedding venue called Posey Meadows in San Marcos, Texas, for their big day.

But just months before the nuptials in April, Diego died suddenly at just 25 years old, leaving his family and bride-to-be devastated.

According to a court document obtained by the Daily Mail, the couple had paid just under $16,000 to the venue at that point.

Following Hernandez’s passing, the family contacted the venue and asked for the money back, per the document.

However, venue owner Julie Campbell allegedly told them that canceling was not an option.

‘[Campbell] informed the grieving family that Defendant intended to keep every dollar Zoe and Diego had paid,’ read a lawsuit filed by Vandeloo in July.

‘Invoking the [wedding contract’s] cancelation clause, Ms Campbell wrote that Posey Meadows was “unfortunately not in a position to issue a refund.”‘

Campbell said the family could change the date, possibly for a different event, and offered a partial refund should they decide to pick a different date, according to the lawsuit.

Furious by the venue’s response, Vandeloo filed the lawsuit against the venue in late July.

In the lawsuit, Vandeloo’s lawyer said Posey Meadows ‘invoked the very same boilerplate cancelation clause it would use against a bride who simply changed her mind.’

‘Diego’s death rendered the Agreement impossible to perform. Defendant’s retention of the money [is] an unjust and ghoulish windfall built on a young man’s death,’ the lawsuit read.

‘Posey Meadows has chosen to keep $15,909.28 that Zoe Vandeloo and her late fiancé paid for a wedding that can never take place – because the groom is dead.

‘Zoe brings this suit not because she wants to fight, but because Defendant has left her no other choice.

‘She asks this Court to declare what should never have needed to be said in a courtroom: that a business cannot keep close to $16,000 paid by a young couple for a wedding, after one of them has died, by hiding behind a clause written for people who simply changed their minds.’

Posey Meadows hit back by filing a countersuit against the grieving fiancée, in which it accused her of breaching contract since she failed to pay the remaining balance that they initially agreed upon.

The venue alleged in its countersuit that it was willing to consider ‘working with’ Vandeloo regarding the remaining balance, but instead, claimed that she ‘refused to provide any proof of death and proceeded to file suit.’

Their attorney told local outlet KSAT that they offered to provide his death certificate before the lawsuit was filed, but didn’t receive a response from the venue.

In a statement to People, Posey Meadows said: ‘Since opening, we have sadly walked alongside other families through shocking losses like this.

‘In each unique situation, Posey Meadows worked together with grieving survivors to offer them a full refund of payments, despite any contractual agreements.

‘Our company was already working through the refund process with this family when we were served with a lawsuit. The decision for litigation has complicated this process.

‘Because this is now a pending legal matter, and out of respect for the family’s privacy, we will not comment further.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to Posey Meadows for comment.

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