Montefiori Owners Reportedly Reach Out to Brides

Owners of — the Lemont banquet center that closed quietly last week — insist they will return all deposits for weddings originally scheduled for next year, according to a report.

Joseph Lepore, one of Montefiori's owners, told the Chicago Tribune on Thursday that he has already returned checks to five couples, and the rest will be returned within a few weeks.

In certified letters mailed out last month, Lifescapes Productions informed its clients that Montefiori, located at 11250 Archer Ave., would close its doors Dec. 1 after five years in business. All events booked for 2012 were canceled.

The letter acknowledged that "the current economic downturn" has impacted Montefiori and "its ability to satisfy financial obligations."

About 30 weddings were affected by the closing, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Clients attempting to contact Montefiori after receiving letters found that the facility's phone lines and website, www.montefiori.com, had been shut down. Unable to reach any of the owners, many couples wondered whether their deposits — ranging from $3,000 to $6,000 — would be returned.

According to the Tribune, Lepore began calling couples himself after seeing several news reports on local television stations.

Kristy DeJule, a resident of Joliet, was set to be married June 22, 2012, at Montefiori. She received her letter Dec. 2.

"I was really shocked and confused, especially since they didn't explain much," DeJule said in an interview Monday night. "I'm just hoping I can somehow get my money back."

DeJule is waiting to hear whether she will recover the $3,000 deposit she paid Oct. 1. In the meantime, she has taken to the Internet, where several other brides are voicing their discontent with Montefiori's sudden closing.

Kim A.—who put down a $4,000 deposit for her Sept. 29, 2012, wedding— started a blog for women to discuss the situation (montefioreclosing.wordpress.com).

"I am trying to stay positive about this whole situation, but that money that they currently have of mine and everyone elses was hard-earned money and that just disgusts me that they could take that away from us," she wrote. "[Whether] we get that back or not, it will still not replace all the stress and hardship it has put on everyone."

Another bride posted on the blog, "I feel now I am just rushing to find something because I am swamped at work and with Christmas just around the corner. I planned everything way in advance so I would ahead of the game, now I am far behind."

While recovering the deposits remains a top priority for the brides to be, many said they are equally disappointed that their wedding plans have been altered.

"I wanted to have a destination wedding, but I fell in love with Montefiori and was so looking forward to having it there," DeJule said. "But I have already started looking at venues, so hopefully I won't have to change my date. I'm trying to stay positive."