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Brides Warn Of Wedding Scam After Venue Reservations Disappear

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Brides in the Los Angeles area are warning of a wedding company scamming couples and leaving them without a venue.

At least seven different women have reported having booked and paid for their wedding venue when suddenly the reservation was gone months before their wedding date.

According to the soon-to-be-brides, the owner of the company they were using disappeared out of nowhere, leaving them with only a disconnected number.

Bride Judy Dean says she was stunned to discover the venue she booked, Oviatt Penthouse in downtown L.A., had suddenly fallen through.

She says she already paid $3,500 to the venue's operator, Christopher Adlesh.

"I'm really stressed out, I'm really angry, and I just kind of feel paralyzed because I'm so anxious," said Dean.

More than half a dozen brides are now scrambling to find a new venue after dealing with Adlesh and none of them have been able to contact him.

One woman took to Twitter saying, "Raise your hand if your wedding venue suddenly shut down 2.5 weeks before your wedding leaving you to plan in half a month what initially took you six months."

The company's website was also taken down.

Dean says she and the other brides plan on pressing charges and taking legal action and want Adlesh held accountable.

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