She canceled ‘on the day of my wedding’: Spring Lake caterer barred from industry for 5 years

SPRING LAKE — An Ottawa County caterer accused of abandoning dozens of couples on their wedding days and refusing to issue refunds has been barred from the industry for five years, Attorney General Dana Nessel recently announced.

Alicia Thompson, the owner and operator of Late to the Lake LLC, entered into an assurance of voluntary compliance with the state following an investigation into allegations of deceptive and unlawful business practices. Her business was Spring Lake-based, according to court documents.

The agreement effectively shuts down Thompson’s catering operations in Michigan through 2031 and mandates a strict schedule for restitution to consumers.

The attorney general's office began investigating the firm after receiving more than 40 complaints detailing a pattern of professional negligence and financial exploitation. 

According to state investigators, the business frequently canceled wedding services at the last minute — sometimes as late as the day of the rehearsal dinner — and failed to return deposits or service fees.

In one case cited by the attorney general, a consumer reported losing more than $6,000 for services that were never rendered. Other clients alleged that Thompson pressured them into paying in full early by offering "sale pricing," only to cancel the contract shortly after.

"A wedding is one of the most meaningful days of a person’s life, and couples should be able to trust that their chosen vendor will deliver what they promised," Nessel said in a statement. "I am proud of my Consumer Protection Team for holding this caterer accountable."

Scathing reviews

The investigation also revealed instances of "post-cancellation" financial misconduct.

Some former clients reported discovering unauthorized charges on their bank accounts after their contracts had been terminated. In the rare instances when the company fulfilled its obligations, customers documented "serious deficiencies" in food quality and incomplete deliveries.

A look into the reviews for Thompson’s company did not weigh in her favor. 

​"My wedding caterer, Late to the Lake, canceled my 120-guest wedding via email at 2 a.m. this morning. It is Friday morning, for a wedding on Saturday. It took us four hours that should have been spent setting up the venue and a significant amount of money to find a replacement on such short notice. I suggest that no bride contracts with them in the future,” said one reviewer on Reddit. 

Caterer Canceled One Day Before Wedding
by u/Longjumping_Bug6150 in weddingplanning

Another reviewer had similar sentiments.

“Same thing happened to me, except it was THE DAY OF my wedding! She sent an email at 2 a.m., which luckily I saw, otherwise I would have had no idea she was not going to show up,” the reviewer said. 

Five months ago, another reviewer detailed a horrific experience. 

“I was a victim of the Late to the Late's (Alicia) scam. She cancelled on us at midnight, via email, the morning of the wedding. She didn't even have the decency to call me later that morning to help TRY and rectify the problem,” she wrote.

How to file a complaint

Under the terms of the settlement, Thompson must issue refunds to all eligible consumers who file a formal complaint with the state by May 1. The agreement dictates that all payments must be distributed by July 1.

Impacted consumers are urged to contact the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Team by mail, phone or through the state’s online complaint portal to meet the May 1 deadline for restitution eligibility.

• Consumer Protection Team
• P.O. Box 30213, Lansing, MI 48909
• Phone: 517-335-7599
• Fax: 517-241-3771
• Toll-free: 877-765-8388
• Online complaint form

— Heather VanDyke covers northern Ottawa County for the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at hvandyke@ottawanewsnetwork.org.