A Durham resident died nearly five months before his wedding day. Now his grieving family is battling with a local venue for more than an $18,000 deposit.
Fallout for the Cotton Room
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Just one day after WRAL 5 On Your Side revealed that a Durham wedding venue refused to refund the deposit for a groom who died months before his wedding, hundreds have taken to social media, Reddit and Google reviews in response.
Tuesday night, only on WRAL News, 5 On Your Side’s Keely Arthur presses the venue on whether it will reconsider a reimbursement and shows how event insurance could protect you in a similar situation.
A love story cut short
Chris Perry proposed to Kristen Seidel during a trip to Italy in 2024. Once back home in North Carolina, Perry and Seidel booked The Cotton Room for an October 11, 2025 wedding.
“They were just so excited,” said Sue Perry, Chris’s mom.
But that excitement was short-lived. On May 12, 2025, just one day before his 33rd birthday, Perry collapsed and died. Seidel found his body hours later.
Perry’s family tells WRAL 5 On Your Side that they alerted The Cotton Room of the situation within two days of Perry’s death.
More than $18,000 in deposits to Durham venue
By the time he died, Perry and Seidel had already paid The Cotton Room half of the total contract, totaling more than $18,000 in food, drinks and rental fees. According to The Cotton Room’s contract, that money was non-refundable. But considering the circumstances, the Perrys and Seidel were hopeful The Cotton Room would make an exception.
The Cotton Room initially told Seidel it would refund some of the money if another group booked the same date, but the venue maintained it would keep the $7,500 deposit for the venue space because it “held [the] date [for] 11 months.”
“During that time, we turned away other couples who inquired about booking October 11,” explained Michelle Aldred, the executive director of TC Hospitality Group, which owns The Cotton Room.
‘They haven’t earned this money,’ refund denied
But the point was moot, the venue wasn’t rebooked. While The Cotton Room gave condolences, it hasn’t given back a dollar of what Perry and Seidel paid.
“While our deposit policy is non-refundable, we deeply sympathize with the family’s loss and extend our sincere condolences,” Aldred wrote.
Still, that wasn’t good enough for Seidel and the Perrys, who were hopeful that given the ample time before the wedding date, the venue would refund at least some of the money.
“We can't figure out what they could have spent the money on, they haven't done anything, and they haven't earned this money yet,” Sue Perry said.
The Cotton Room stands by its decision to not issue refund
When asked how the money was spent, Aldred responded that it was used to “support the advance planning, staffing and operational commitments required to prepare for an event of this size. In other words, those funds are tied to the commitment of space, people, and resources leading up to the day, not just to what physically happens on the event date.”
Aldred added that The Cotton Room would not require the family to pay the “remaining fifty percent” balance of the contract, which would’ve been due in the weeks leading up to the wedding.
WRAL's 5 On Your Side reached out to several wedding planners and venue owners for their take on the situation.
“On the wedding industry side, a lot of us are staying afloat on retainers right now,” said Raleigh-based wedding planner Haines Jones, who is not affiliated with Chris’s family or the venue. Jones explained that the industry is facing a slump after the post-pandemic boom.
“I see both sides. At the end of the day, I do think the family at least deserved a partial refund,” said Jones, who operates Significant Events.
Despite several emails and a Zoom call between The Cotton Room and WRAL’s 5 On Your Side, which aims to resolve consumer complaints, The Cotton Room stood by its decision.
“We stand by the integrity of our process, our decision; and continue to extend our condolences to those mourning this loss,” Aldred wrote.
It ‘keeps the wound open;' family continues to push for refund
“No parent should ever have to experience the loss of a child and having situations like The Cotton Room and what they’ve done or are doing just kind of keeps the wound open, yeah absolutely,” said Bill Perry, Chris’s dad.
Q&A between WRAL and The Cotton Room
On Sept. 17, 5 On Your Side sent The Cotton Room a list of questions. Here are the questions and the responses from Aldred in full:
WRAL: Chris Perry died just about five months before his wedding. Why did The Cotton Room decide not to refund his fiancée, Kristen Seidel?
THE COTTON ROOM: While the wedding will not take place on October 11th, the deposit was used to reserve and hold that date exclusively for the Seidel-Perry family for more than a year. During that time, we turned away other couples who inquired about booking October 11th. Deposits also support the advance planning, staffing, and operational commitments required to prepare for an event of this size. In other words, those funds are tied to the commitment of space, people, and resources leading up to the day — not just to what physically happens on the event date. We also released the family from paying the remaining balance of the contract, and we extend our deepest sympathy during this very difficult time.
WRAL: Considering that no event is taking place on October 11th, how is the deposit paid by the Seidel-Perry family being used?
THE COTTON ROOM: We were truly saddened to learn of Chris Perry’s passing and our hearts are with the family during this difficult time. In our industry, deposits serve two important purposes: they help cover upfront costs and, equally important, they reserve a specific date exclusively for that client. In this case, the date had been held and removed from availability for 11 months before the unfortunate passing. While our deposit policy is non-refundable, we deeply sympathize with the family’s loss and extend our sincere condolences.
WRAL: Since a portion of the payment would normally go toward food and drink, and no food or drink will be purchased for this event, will The Cotton Room refund that portion of the money?
THE COTTON ROOM: We understand why that question arises, and we want to be clear. Payments made ahead of an event are not tied dollar-for-dollar to food and drink. They cover the venue reservation, blocking the date from other bookings, and the planning and staffing commitments we make well in advance. Because the date was held exclusively for this event, even though no food or beverage will ultimately be served, those funds cannot be refunded. However, in recognition of this tragic and extraordinary circumstance, we released the family from the remaining 50% balance of the contract. While this is an incredibly painful situation, our hearts remain with the family during their time of loss.
WRAL: What is The Cotton Room’s in the event of an unexpected death of a bride or groom ahead of a planned wedding?
THE COTTON ROOM: The loss of a bride or groom is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts go out to any family facing such a circumstance. While our venue policies do not specifically plan for unexpected deaths, we strongly encourage all couples to obtain event insurance. Event insurance is designed to protect against many unforeseen circumstances, including serious illness or death, and provides families with peace of mind that goes beyond what a venue alone can offer.
WRAL: What efforts were made by The Cotton Room to rebook the venue for Oct 11?
THE COTTON ROOM: Our intention has always been to handle this heartbreaking situation with care. After learning of Chris Perry’s passing, we honored the family’s request to rebook the date. We offered it to every client that inquired about dates in the fall of 2025 as well as advertised it online. Unfortunately, despite our good-faith attempts, the date has yet to rebook. We understand emotions are high and that the families are dealing with an unimaginable loss. This is why we continue to respect their grief and will not engage in back-and-forth commentary online. However, we stand by the integrity of our process, our decision; and continue to extend our condolences to those mourning this loss.