19-03-2025
They picked Black Swan MKE for their wedding venue. The company didn't tell them it was being evicted.
Milwaukee-area couples who have weddings scheduled as soon as next month are scrambling after the sudden shutdown of a local wedding company.
Wedding planner Veronica Brend contacted Public Investigator after hearing rumors that Black Swan MKE had been evicted from its Third Ward wedding venue building, without informing customers.
Brend feared the fallout could be "catastrophic," she said.
Online court records confirm that the owners of the historic Third Ward property sued to evict Black Swan MKE in November and that the eviction was granted in December.
Wedding planners told Public Investigator that their clients expected to hold their weddings there as soon as April. Some couples were told they had been booked at a new venue that was still under construction, leaving them little time to pivot.
Court cases also show the company was facing problems paying its taxes as far back as 2019.
Milwaukee wedding planner Heather Farr said two of her clients expected to have their weddings hosted by Black Swan. After she heard the eviction rumors, Farr said she looked up court records to confirm them and notified her clients on Monday.
Farr said her clients are now panicking, and Black Swan's apparent closure is also blindsiding vendors who were counting on the venue for business.
"(Black Swan) had plenty of time to do the right thing," said Farr.
Black Swan MKE is run by father and son duo Peter and Stephen Sheperd. They could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
According to the Black Swan MKE website, the company began in 2006 in a "northern suburb of Milwaukee." In 2016, the company opened a riverfront location in downtown Milwaukee. It opened two more venues — Plant N° 4 and Bianco Room — in 2019.
Eviction records show that Black Swan owes the owners of the Plant No. 4 building over $170,000. However, as of March 19, the Historic Third Ward venue remains on the company's website.
Farr said one of her clients who planned to hold their wedding in June was told by Black Swan that they were working on opening a new Milwaukee venue called Eagle's Crest.
She said she was initially told that the Eagle's Crest venue was under construction and expected to open in the spring but later heard about delays. This week, Farr said she heard that Black Swan never had permission to book weddings there.
"It just keeps kind of unraveling every day," Farr said.
Brend, too, said a client was told they had booked the new Eagle's Crest location. Now, her client is working on getting the money they paid for their deposit back.
"Their wedding's next year, so they have time to course correct," Brend said.
Court filings also show that, as of February, Black Swan is being sued by a couple who claim the company accepted their deposit and then became unreachable.
Records show the couple was unable to directly serve Peter and Stephen Sheperd, forcing them to issue a publication summons, or public legal notice, in an attempt to reach them. Through their attorney, the couple declined an interview with Public Investigator.
Black Swan is also being sued by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for more than $7,000 in unpaid sales tax, court records show.
The company was subject to multiple tax warrants from the Department of Revenue in previous years. In 2019 and 2020, the company owed over $60,000 in tax, which was paid back.
Brend said her wedding planning business, Veronica Rose Planning, will help affected couples find a new venue at no cost.
"I reached out because I care about the clients, and I want the clients to know, if they lose their venue, that there are resources out there that can help them," Brend said.
Ana Cook, marketing director for Saz's Hospitality Group, said the company is assisting at least six couples in securing a new venue at one of its locations.
Cook said many Milwaukee vendors are banding together to help couples affected by Black Swan's eviction.
"The most positive thing that has come out of this is just showcasing how amazing Milwaukee hospitality is," said Cook.
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This story has been updated to add a gallery.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Black Swan MKE 'Plant No 4' wedding venue appears to close suddenly
