‘I sobbed’: Houston brides reveal nightmare after wedding venue closes

For Mindy Escobedo, the moving pieces of wedding planning were beginning to fall into place.

She had a date, guest list, and venue: the historic Crystal Ballroom at The Rice in downtown Houston, with 909 Events serving as the venue operator. 
Then a midday email from an unknown law firm changed everything. 

“It is with profound sadness that we must inform you that the Crystal Ballroom at the Rice and Lawless Spirits & Kitchen will be permanently closing,” the Aug. 7 notice stated, signed by 909 Events, Inc. “As a result, we are unable to fulfill future scheduled events.” 

Escobedo’s wedding was just four months away.

Now, she and other Houston-area brides are scrambling to find new venues on short notice—while wondering whether they will ever see thousands of dollars in deposits and payments they’ve already made.

“I got home, and I saw my fiancé, and immediately got a pit in my stomach. I wanted to cry… I’m out $6,500. I still have a wedding to plan, or re‑plan,” Escobedo told Chron in response to the news.

The initial cancellation notice, sent by an attorney from Dallas-based Elliott, Thomason & Gibson, LLP, cited “ongoing operational challenges” from an extended lobby construction project that had made it “impossible” to move forward with future events. The letter apologized for the disruption but did not explain how customers could recover deposits or other payments already made to the venue. 

Escobedo said she made repeated attempts to contact both the venue and the law firm by phone and email but was met with “radio silence.”

Elizabeth Theeuwes, another bride whose event was canceled, encountered a similar situation. By that point, the venue’s phone line had been disconnected, their website was taken offline and emails began to bounce. 

Theeuwes and her fiancée had booked the venue over a year ago and had made three payments totaling $7,500 to the venue in that time frame—money they had saved and worked towards for years, Theeuwes said. 

“I sobbed. All day. I was an emotional mess,” Theeuwes admitted. 

With her wedding only three months away, the cancellation has created a domino effect across almost every aspect of her celebration. 
Having already signed contracts and made payments to a host of vendors—from a DJ and violinist to floral, décor and linens— many of those services are tied to her specific wedding date. If she cannot find another venue available that day, she risks losing money paid to those vendors as well. 

“It’s $14,000 all in if I can’t figure out where to send them,” said Theeuwes.

With most venues booking out at least a year in advance, Theeuwes said her and her husband are now looking into having a backyard wedding. 
“We don’t have more money to book another venue, we just don’t,” Theeuwes said. 

After days of silence, the attorney representing 909 Events responded to Escobedo and Theeuwes with additional details about the closure and the possibility of recovering their money. 

In the email reviewed by Chron, the attorney clarified that 909 Events’ lease at The Rice had been terminated and that the company now intends to file for bankruptcy protection. 

The attorney acknowledged that 909 Events is aware of its contractual obligations, including any obligation to return customer deposits. However, once bankruptcy is filed, he said, impacted clients would have to seek a refund through the bankruptcy process. 

The response continued to point to months of construction at The Rice as a major factor in the closure, adding a new detail to the explanation originally given to brides. 

“It’s Bulls–t” Theeuwes argued. “The construction was in the Rice building, The 909 event spaces were separate. They had people making payments. What are they doing with that money?”

Chron has asked The Rice whether the construction restricted access to the Crystal Ballroom or impeded 909 Events’ ability to host weddings. 

In a statement, The Rice clarified that although they share the same building, the wedding venue was independently operated and they are “not involved in its business or event operations” 

“We recognize the disappointment and disruption the closure has caused for customers with weddings and other events planned at the venue. We do not have additional information regarding the company’s business operations or its commitments to customers.” 

The financial troubles surrounding the venue, however, began before brides received the Aug. 7 cancellation notice.

Restaurant Expert Management Inc., which does business as REM Global and has identified itself as the owner and operator of 909 Events filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on July 10.

Chron has asked REM Global and 909 Events if affected customers can expect to recover the money they paid. 

For brides like Escobedo, getting that money back would mean being able to afford the wedding day she had dreamed of. 

“I just want you to give me my money back so I can actually afford to have the special day that you had promised me,” Escobedo said. 

For now, she said she is trying to remain hopeful, leaning on her faith as she rebuilds her plans for her December wedding alongside her fiance.

“I am looking forward to my perfect day in December and laughing about this and to be like: ‘Oh my gosh! Can you believe we made it through such a whirlwind of wedding planning’?”