S'pore couple paid S$26,000 to wedding planner, finds out 6 months before that vendors were unpaid

What was supposed to be an exciting few months before their wedding turned into a scramble to save the ceremony for one Singapore couple after discovering that several vendors had not been paid.

This was despite the fact that the couple had paid over S$26,000 to their wedding planner.

“We were left scrambling to save our wedding while dealing with financial loss, stress and uncertainty,” said the bride, 27-year-old Shazwani.

Speaking to Mothership, Shazwani said the couple's wedding was held on Jun. 27.

However, about five to six months before the ceremony, several vendors contacted them directly, saying that they had yet to receive payment.

"Some informed us that they had not received any payment despite us having paid our wedding package in full," she said. "As more vendors reached out, we realised the issue was much bigger than we initially thought."

Package was paid in full

Shazwani shared that they had hired a wedding planner from Venice Ballroom, which was owned by a man named Athari when they first signed up.

The couple came across the company's services on TikTok in May 2025.

"My husband and I discussed the wedding package, which suited our budget, and contacted them regarding the promotion that was being advertised at the time," she said. "We subsequently arranged an in-person meeting."

The couple paid the company S$26,140 in total, which covered the full wedding package as well as add-ons.

"It was not just a deposit — we had already paid the package in full," Shazwani said.

However, about six to seven months before the wedding, the company changed its name to Aurelia Events.

Shazwani said the couple was informed of the change via WhatsApp and was asked to sign a Deed of Novation.

Following the change, their main point of contact became the company's owner, Mohamed.

At the time, the couple did not view the change as a cause for concern and believed preparations were proceeding as planned.

A check by Mothership on the company's Facebook page showed that they had announced their rebranding as Aurelia Events on May 6.

Multiple vendors were not paid

The problem only became apparent when vendors began contacting the couple directly regarding the lack of payments.

According to Shazwani, the affected vendors included the venue, bridal services, décor provider, photographer and videographer, wedding cake vendor, as well as the kompang and DJ services.

"Instead of preparing to celebrate our special day, we spent our time contacting vendors, negotiating with them and trying to find solutions," she said.

Additional out-of-pocket payments

To ensure their wedding could still take place, the couple said they had to make additional payments totalling S$16,000 to vendors, despite having already paid their wedding planner in full.

Shazwani said they confronted the planner several times after learning that vendors had not been paid.

"After discovering that several vendors had not been paid, we contacted Mohamed multiple times through WhatsApp, phone calls and in-person meetings. We also met him together with some of the affected vendors."

He repeatedly assured us that payments would be made and provided various explanations for the delays, she said.

However, the payments were ultimately not made as promised.

She added that the last time they heard from Mohamed was about a week before their wedding.

The couple has since lodged a police report and is cooperating with the authorities.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed that a report had been lodged and that investigations are ongoing.

Emotional and financial toll

Reflecting on the experience, Shazwani said the situation had taken a significant emotional and financial toll on both her and her husband.

"The week before our wedding, instead of feeling excited, we were overwhelmed with fear, anxiety and uncertainty. We genuinely did not know whether our wedding would even take place," she said.

"During this difficult time, both of our parents stepped in to support us emotionally and financially. They stood by us every step of the way, helping us make urgent arrangements and ensuring that our wedding could still go ahead."

She added that their wedding decorators, Kak Fauziah and Kamal also stepped in to help them.

"They assisted in securing a last-minute wedding ballroom and helped coordinate many of the essential arrangements needed to ensure our wedding could still take place."

Although the wedding eventually went ahead, Shazwani said the experience came at a cost that no couple or family should have to bear.

Remains committed providing full cooperation with authorities: Owner

According to Berita Harian, at least another three couples had also encountered the same issue with the company.

In response to their queries, the owner of Aurelia Events, Mohamed Hafeez, said he renamed Venice Ballroom to Aurelia Events after taking over.

According to Mohamed, the affected customers had purchased packages from Venice Ballroom between January 2024 and November 2025.

He said customers had paid 60 to 70 per cent of the package fees to Venice Ballroom before he took over the business, with his company receiving only the remaining balance.

Despite this, Mohamed said Aurelia Events had continued fulfilling weddings booked through Venice Ballroom from December 2025 onwards.

He added that the company had incurred losses in doing so and that he had used his own funds to cover operating costs.

Addressing claims that he was uncontactable, Mohamed said he was hospitalised in June 2026 due to a lung infection, which prevented him from managing the business and overseeing wedding services.

He also claimed that he did not receive the necessary cooperation from the former owner of Venice Ballroom in resolving issues involving affected customers, and that he has since sought legal advice.

He sincerely apologised to all the customers who were affected, adding that he remains committed to cooperating fully with the authorities and resolving the matter according to the law.

Mothership's calls and messages to the contact numbers listed on Aurelia Events' website went unanswered at the time of writing.