MILWAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. — More couples are coming forward after a TMJ4 investigation into a local wedding venue business.
"It just feels like we were completely lied to, I mean, and taken advantage of, especially with everything else going on," bride-to-be, Calli Brauer, said.
Wednesday, TMJ4's Jenna Rae reported about Black Swan Enterprises.
The company closed one of its venues, was evicted and owes rent and other damages at another, and as TMJ4 found out, has even been booking couples at another venue that wasn't theirs.
"Seeing your story you did the other day, that couples timeline is like almost exactly with ours," Brauer said.
Brauer and her fianceé, Trevor Rezash, emailed Rae after they saw her investigation earlier this week.
They too, were booked at Black Swan's alleged venue, Eagle's Nest in Walker's Point, a venue the building's owner said was never leased to Black Swan.
"What was your reaction to seeing that," Rae asked.
"Dumbfounded," both Brauer and Rezash responded.
"They've been communicating with us in the last three weeks due to our circumstances and have not alluded to anything going on," Brauer said.
Those circumstances have been unimaginable for this couple.
"I was diagnosed with cancer in August, August 20. I went through my first round, that took me through December 10. I had a scan at the end of January that was inconclusive," Rezash explained.
In February, Rezash found out his tumor was growing again which forced the couple to push their wedding back until September 2026.
Emails within the last two weeks show Black Swan's owners, Peter and Stephen Sheperd, accepting their changed date. Then on Tuesday, the couple got an unexpected email.
"Basically stating that due to unforeseen circumstances, the building wasn't giving them the funds to do...tenant improvement funds, right, to do their renovations and build out of Eagle's Nest," Brauer said.
Brauer and Rezash, like other couples, were promised a refund.
Stephen Sheperd responded to Rae's text message Friday saying all their couples will get their deposit funds paid back in full, but it's not just money couples are worried about.
"The venues we've talked to are like 'we're booking into 2027'," Brauer added.
Since our original story, several local venues have contacted us offering to host Black Swan couples.
"We reached out to you because we saw the amount of online exposure, the amount of stories on TV, we don't want to sit back and feel helpless. We do have resources, we do have a large staff here, we do have multiple ballrooms here," Ernie Wunsch said.
Wunsch is the co-owner of the Bucyrus Club and Skyline Catering in South Milwaukee. He said if dates are available, Black Swan couples will be discounted.
"Our whole industry is ready to step up to the plate, no matter who you talk to. We would just love to be there, even if it's just recommending someone," Wunsch explained.
For Brauer and Rezash, their priorities are now elsewhere.
"The last seven months, when he was diagnosed, it's just put a lot of things into perspective for us about what's important, and his health is a priority. Them just lying to us, it just feels like we were completely taken advantage of," Brauer said.
If you've been impacted by Black Swan or have another story you want investigated you can email Jenna.Rae@tmj4.com.
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