Bride And Groom Beware: Wedding Venue Closure Could Happen To You

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Philadelphia Belle closed quietly (see story) and those who booked weddings on the riverboat are now scrambling to find a new venue and trying to retrieve their deposits.

Mark Kingsdorf, with 'Queen of Hearts' a wedding consultant company, says when venues go out of business, it causes a lot of problems for all involved.

"There are never any guarantees that a business is 100 percent solvent and is not going to go out of business, and I don't care what kind of company it is, whether it's wedding or not."

However, he says this is a real problem that brides and event planners should be wary of.

"Unfortunately, in this economy, we're seeing that people are struggling and I think the big part of it is to really do your research," Kingsdorf said.

He advises that you have to ask the right questions and ask those around you for recommendations.

"When people ask for too huge of a deposit up front, it can be a red flag."

Whenever possible, Kingsdorf says you should pay with a credit card. You would have a little more recourse for your complaints than if your check is cashed and gone.

Reported by Hadas Kuznits, KYW Newsradio 1060