A Philadelphia woman says her wedding day spiraled into chaos after a series of problems involving her wedding coordinator, including a caterer’s car crash, missing memorial items, and a lost marriage certificate. The dispute has now ended up in court.
Ashley Lopez told WPVI-TV Action News Philadelphia that she hired wedding coordinator Traci R. Lawton, who operated a business called Wedding Kiss Ballroom and referred to herself as the “Fairy Bride Mother.” Lopez said she paid more than $6,000 upfront for what she described as bundled and therefore discounted wedding services, including catering, decorations, and music for a wedding at Center City Philadelphia. But according to Lopez, the problems started before the ceremony began.
The caterer’s car wreck
As Lopez told WPVI, Lawton informed her about an hour before the wedding that the caterer had been in a car accident and left the venue. Lopez said the coordinator then tried to handle the food service herself. “I walk into a venue, and the first thing I get told is this has been a day from hell,” Lopez told the station.
Lopez also claimed several promised wedding details never materialized. She said Lawton failed to create a memorial table honoring Lopez’s late grandmother and her husband’s deceased father, despite receiving photographs in advance for the display. “There was supposed to be a memorial table,” Lopez told WPVI, adding that “there was nothing there.”
Lopez further alleged that dinner service ran late and the food served at the reception did not match what the couple ordered and paid for.
The case of the missing marriage certificate
The situation became even more stressful after the ceremony ended, Lopez said, when her marriage certificate allegedly went missing after she handed it to Lawton for signatures. Lopez told WPVI she had to file paperwork for a duplicate certificate and repeatedly contact Lawton to complete the signing process so the marriage could become legally recognized.
“So then I had to go back, file a duplicate,” Lopez said. And then “harass” Lopez for a week, “to come back to my home to sign my marriage certificate so I can be legally married.”
Lopez said the experience left her deeply upset because she expected her wedding day to be joyful rather than stressful. She also claimed Lawton promised a refund that never arrived. That dispute eventually led Lopez to file a lawsuit against Lawton. According to Lopez, she won the case after Lawton failed to appear in court. Lopez told WPVI she still has not received repayment.
Lawton apologized
Lawton acknowledged the problems in a statement to the television station. “It was a day of mishaps,” Lawton told WPVI. “I have apologized a hundred thousand times.”
She claimed she was “devastated” by how it turned out and alleged that her staff and hired vendors abandoned her on the day of the event, forcing her to try to handle the food and decor entirely by herself.
Lawton also said she still intends to repay Lopez and noted that Lopez’s wedding became the last event she coordinated before shutting down her business. Lopez told WPVI she hopes other couples research wedding vendors carefully and seek recommendations from trusted sources before signing contracts.
Published: May 20, 2026 06:39 am