Wedding Planner Goes Out Of Business Before Ceremony

CANTON, Ohio -- Some brides-to-be spend thousands of dollars on wedding planners to make sure their special day goes smoothly.

However, that wasn't the case for two brides who turned to Troubleshooter Joe Pagonakis with their wedding day woes.

The Summit County brides paid Rayz Designz to plan their nuptials.

But they claim Ray Designz in Canton left them with nothing but wedding day disappointment.

Heidi Schenkle e-mailed Pagonakis saying, "Joe, Rayz Designz took my money then left me with last-minute planning and headaches."

She found the wedding planner online. She paid more than $1,200 for Rayz to organize her flowers and the reception hall.

Schenkle said Rayz Designs backed out of the job just a few weeks before her wedding.

"I had it my mind what my wedding was going to look like. Now it's changed, I have to change the flowers, the decorating of the hall, and there is only so much we can do," she said.

Pagonakis went to the wedding planner's Jackson Township location at Belden Village Tower, but he had moved out and his phone was disconnected.

He eventually found Ray Hunt at his Canton home. He said he refunded Schenkle's money a week after NewsChannel5 got involved.

Pagonakis had also gotten another complaint about Hunt. He asked Hunt about the pending $2,000 refund for another worried bride-to-be, Danielle Luck.

He said she would be reimbursed on Monday.

Luckily, Schenkel's wedding went off without a hitch.

Pagonakis tells brides to make sure to get a contract when hiring a wedding planner. Then read it, sign it and get a copy of it.

He also said to make sure the contract has performance bench marks and completion dates. Don't book over the phone, meet your wedding planner in person and check all references.