ORLANDO, Fla. — In case you haven’t noticed, downtown Orlando’s skyline near Church Street is undergoing changes with a new tower almost complete.

But the developer’s ongoing plans have forced dozens of couples to suddenly change their wedding plans.

  • Orchid Garden and Ballroom will close its doors in November
  • Couples with weddings after November will have to search for new venue
  • Unclear why property owners need the space sooner than expected
  • More Orange County headlines

As soon as Kristin Stevens and her fiancé Chris got engaged, Stevens says they pictured Orchid Garden and the Ballroom at Church Street as their wedding venue.

“It’s historic, it’s timeless, it’s elegant," said Stevens. “The sweeping staircases and the big open space – it’s just such a beautiful venue.”

The couple even dressed up for a promotional shoot with their wedding planner Shell’s Event Planning.

“We really started to see ourselves there, and then to get the news that it’s not going to be available, it was very upsetting," Stevens said.

Stevens says luckily she hadn’t booked the space yet.  But a spokesperson for Puff ‘n Stuff Catering, who manages weddings at the venue, says they were blindsided recently when Lincoln Property Company told them due to their ongoing development plans they now need the space after November 3. So any weddings scheduled after that would have to be canceled.

The caterer is now helping about 60 couples who’s weddings had to be canceled scramble to find other venues. It’s still unclear exactly why the property owners need the property sooner than expected or what exactly for. Spectrum News 13 called the developer but didn’t initially hear back.

Orlando city officials say they’ve approved plans for Lincoln Property Company to turn part of their Church Street property into a food hall, and they say the developer has plans to eventually demolish part of the property to build a second tower. But the city says the developer has not yet applied for approval for those plans.

Stevens says Shell’s Event Planning is now helping her look for a different venue. As an Orlando native, she says she’s concerned about all of the changes.

“I’m all for progress, and I know there’s a big plan for our skyline, and that’s really exciting, but don’t take away the history,” she said.