A San Marcos wedding venue has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by a woman who said the business refused to return nearly $16,000 she and her fiancé had paid toward their wedding before he died suddenly. Zoe Vandeloo and Diego Hernandez had signed a contract in March 2025 for a ceremony and reception at Posey Meadows planned for November 20, 2026, putting down a total of $15,909.28 before Hernandez's death in April upended those plans.
Posey Meadows, operated by Meadow de Fleurs LLC, confirmed the settlement after Vandeloo sued the company in Hays County district court on July 24, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Her lawsuit sought the return of the money, plus interest and attorney's fees, arguing that Hernandez's death made the wedding impossible and ended her contractual obligations. Court records show Vandeloo alleged that Posey Meadows improperly kept the payments made toward the couple's wedding.
The dispute centers on the venue's contract, which states that payments are nonrefundable and that customers who cancel may forfeit money already paid, but the paperwork does not address what happens if a client dies, as reported by KSAT. Vandeloo's suit argued the nonrefundable terms should not apply when a death makes holding the wedding impossible in the first place.
Conflicting Messages Before the Lawsuit
According to the petition, a Posey Meadows day-of coordinator initially told Vandeloo's sister that the couple would receive a full refund. On April 28, the venue's Julie Campbell sent Vandeloo's sister a different response citing the contract's nonrefundable cancellation policy, the petition states. Campbell reportedly offered a possible partial refund only if another customer booked the date, after deducting venue costs, commissions, or price differences.
Vandeloo wrote that she was emotionally unable to handle conversations in the aftermath of her loss and asked for humanity during the worst time of her life, per the petition. Posey Meadows ultimately offered her no refund or relief in its reply, the filing states.
Venue Countersues, Then Reaches a Deal
In an Aug. 17 filing, Posey Meadows countersued Vandeloo for breach of contract, claiming she had refused to provide proof of Hernandez's death before filing suit. Vandeloo's attorney, Manuel Pelaez-Prada, said he attempted to provide the venue's legal representation with a death certificate, but that the offer was ignored; he later filed the death certificate in the public record. Pelaez-Prada called the death-certificate dispute another part of what makes the case ghoulish, per the same account.
Posey Meadows has said it was heartbroken by the family's loss and had been working toward a refund before the lawsuit was filed, adding that the litigation complicated the refund process and declining to comment further, according to a company statement. The venue also said it is not pursuing any claim against Vandeloo and is not seeking any further payment from her, the Express-News reported.
New Attorney, Confidential Terms
Posey Meadows fired the attorney who had previously handled the case and hired Taylor Gifford McCarty to represent the venue going forward. McCarty confirmed being retained in the matter and said in a Monday call that a settlement had been agreed to, though no agreement had been signed yet. McCarty said she expected the settlement agreement to be signed soon.
The settlement amount itself is confidential. Posey Meadows is located at 1500 Quail Run Drive in San Marcos, and representatives had released a second statement Tuesday morning.
