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Overland Park venue shuts down, leaving angry brides scrambling weeks before weddings

Posted at 9:40 PM, Aug 01, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-01 23:46:35-04

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Noah's Event Venue in Overland Park will close at the end of August, leaving dozens of brides without a wedding venue.

The event space, often booked for weddings and parties, sent an email to customers Thursday morning, informing them of the closure.

"Due to an inability to reach an agreement with our landloard, NOAH's of Overland Park will permanently close on August 31, 2019," the email read, in part. "If your event is before that date, it will not be affected and will happen as planned."

Of course, for brides whose wedding isn't this month, that was little comfort.

"I can't see myself walking down the aisle at any of these places but this," Monique Lane said. "Now, I have to start over. Now, I'm back at square one."

Lane and her fiance, Richmond Morris, had planned on getting married at Noah's Event Venue next May. The couple put down a $1,400 deposit and paid $400 each month after signing a contract.

"I am so angry, but like how can I be so angry when there are all of these people who are having these weddings this year," Lane said.

Kirby and his fiancee, Rachel, who asked that we not use their last names, had planned on getting married at Noah's Event Venue on Sept. 21.

With less than two months until their wedding, they now must find a new venue — and try to get a nearly $5,000 refund.

Noah's Event Venue sent Kirby an email Thursday, which said, "NOAH's will issue a refund for the court ordered amount if $3,025. The payment schedule will be delivered by the NOAH's accounting team in the next few weeks and will be handled in the order in which requests are received while taking into consideration events that are closest to the closure date."

According to the company, the $1,916 balance for money Kirby and Rachel already have paid will "be entered into the creditor pool and will be paid according to the court approved payment structure," which the company is expected to have more information about by end of the year.

The venue's parent company filed for bankruptcy in May, following a lawsuit. About a dozen of its investors sued, claiming Noah Corporation engaged in fraud and misallocation of invested money.