MENTOR, Ohio — NOAH’s Event Venue in Mentor abruptly closed its doors Friday, leaving dozens of Northeast Ohio brides and grooms-to-be scrambling to make other plans.
The event venue, which is part of a national chain of venues scattered across the United States, was still courting new couples as of January despite the parent company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2019. The Mentor location was listed on the bankruptcy petition but had been operating until this week, according to court records.
A location in a suburb of Cincinnati abruptly closed in January.
The abrupt closure caught dozens of couples off-guard, many of whom had paid thousands of dollars to secure the dates of their nuptials. Many of them had already paid in full. Two people who came by the Mentor location Friday afternoon told News 5 that they had pre-wedding meetings scheduled with venue staff this weekend.
The NOAH Corporation’s main office could not be reached for comment and it is unclear if couples will be refunded. In the meantime, multiple wedding venues have offered discounted services for couples affected by NOAH’s sudden closure. Historic Rt. 20 Event Center in Madison and Sun Valley Ohio Event Venue will have either special packages or waived fees. Representatives of both venues told News 5 they have many of the sought-after dates still available.
According to NOAH Corp.'s bankruptcy petition, the corporation has more than $53 million in liabilities.
