A California bride thought she had booked an elegant all-white wedding venue, only to discover months later that it had been transformed with a colorful mural featuring astronauts and sailboats. She says neither she nor other brides were warned before the dramatic makeover.
The wedding venue debacle was shared on TikTok by Mariah Craig, whose video quickly drew more than 450,000 views and thousands of comments from viewers shocked by the venue’s makeover.
Craig said she chose what she considered her dream wedding venue after falling in love with its “timeless, elegant, all white” aesthetic. Viewers identified the location as Gravity Terrace at the TRS Coral Hotel in Costa Mujeres, Mexico, and she shared the promotional photos that convinced her to book it.
Astronauts And Sailboats
That dream venue looked very different by the time another bride shared a recent photo from the property. Without any heads-up through email or phone call, Mariah learned that the venue had changed. Instead of white paint, the mural now featured orange, blue, and purple shades, with sailboats and astronauts painted on top.
Craig said the newly painted mural was nothing like the venue she believed she had paid a premium to reserve. As she looked into the issue, she discovered other brides were also unhappy after learning about the unexpected makeover.
Craig said she tried contacting the venue for answers but received no response for seven to eight days. According to Craig, some brides who contacted the venue were told they would not receive refunds or compensation. Instead, she said they were allegedly told they could pay to have the mural covered with draping if they didn’t like the new look.
Reactions
The astronauts-and-sailboats makeover sparked plenty of reactions online. “Whoever chose that mural is diabolical,” one viewer wrote. Another compared the redesign to “Coachella brand deal sections.“
Others believed Mariah should escalate the situation. One wrote, “Chargeback for false advertising.” Another one added, “False advertising. Do a class action lawsuit.” A third one said, “I would be looking at your contract. Because this seems like a breach of contract.”
For now, Craig says she’s gathering signatures from other affected brides in hopes of convincing the venue to reconsider its decision. Whether that effort leads to refunds or any changes remains unclear, but the dramatic makeover has already sparked a broader conversation about how much venues should be allowed to change after couples have already booked their weddings.
