Wedding venue bankruptcy snares numerous couples

WESTMINSTER — Kyle Riley and Audrey Trevino made their last payment to Noah’s Event Venue in Westminster on Feb. 3 for their wedding. Four days later, the company announced its immediate closure, leaving the couple without a venue and out nearly $9,000.

“We had this plan for so long. We really wanted to get ahead of the game in terms of planning our wedding to make sure everything was smooth and not very stressful,” Riley said. “And then just to have the rug ripped out from underneath us, it was sad.”

Noah Corp., which does business as Noah’s Event Venue, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 28, 2019, while continuing to operate. At the time of filing, the company reported an estimated $1,000,001 to $10 million in assets and $10,000,001 to $50 million in liabilities. On Feb. 7, it officially closed all of its U.S. locations, including its Westminster facility, after the U.S. bankruptcy court for the district of Utah instructed it to cease all operations immediately.

Riley and Trevino were the first of many couples affected by the closure to turn to Church Ranch Event Center in Westminster. The company offered a free reservation with catering on their original wedding date, March 28.

Both the bride and groom have friends and family visiting from out of state who have already booked flights. The couple was relieved to keep their date and for the assistance from Church Ranch, Riley said. 

“That was our hard-earned money, and my fiance and I had been paying for it ourselves, so that was very devastating,” Riley said.

More than 15 brides and grooms who were formerly Noah’s patrons contacted Church Ranch since Feb. 7. Eric Gardner, general manager at Church Ranch, said that the venue is accommodating every inquiry on a case-by-case basis and providing discounts. Church Ranch’s  preferred vendors and hotels, such as Denver Marriott Westminster, extended offers.

“We care a lot about the community, so whenever we can pay it forward, we want to make sure that we pay it forward,” Gardner said. 

Noah Corp. will not offer refunds to customers, according to an email sent to patrons this week. The email said simply, “The current operator will no longer be able to host your event, but you will be eligible to file for an administrative claim.” 

The bankruptcy case is ongoing.

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