FOR sixty-seven couples, the dream of a perfect wedding has dissolved into a nightmare of alleged fraud, with shattered plans and financial losses climbing past P13 million.
At the center of the storm is a Cebu-based coordination firm, Joshua Events and Party Services, which has reportedly vanished after collecting substantial payments, leaving a trail of heartbreak and unanswered calls.
A bride-to-be, Jenna (real name withheld at her request), who spoke to SunStar Cebu on Thursday, June 26, is now grappling with the fallout.
Jenna’s trust in the firm, reportedly owned by Rabbie Arnejo and Kevin Niño Amistad, was initially bolstered by a personal connection; her sister was a classmate of one of the owners. This connection, combined with glowing online reviews and industry awards, convinced her and dozens of others that their special day was in capable hands.
She had already transferred P80,000 to the company for her wedding, scheduled for April 10, 2026.
“They assured us of a quality wedding, including the hotel booking and other suppliers. But we did not receive any service. Even the reception venue for others was only a pencil booking,” Jenna said in Cebuano.
For some couples, she added, even the reception venues were only tentatively reserved.
“Because of the trust… and also since they were already awarded as the second-best coordinator here in Cebu, you’d really think you can trust them,” Jenna said. “It also feels much easier if you have a wedding coordinator because someone else will handle things for you—but it seems like the opposite happened.”
Suspicions first ignited online, as other brides and even wedding suppliers began posting complaints about unpaid dues and mismanaged events. The firm’s credibility, once backed by awards from several Cebu hotels for being an “outstanding event producing team,” began to crumble.
The situation escalated dramatically when the company posted a bankruptcy announcement on its Facebook page, which was abruptly deleted shortly after. Since then, the owners have allegedly gone into hiding.
Now, the victims are fighting back. Some have filed blotter reports at the Labangon Police Station in Cebu City. Others have lodged formal complaints with the Lapu-Lapu City Hall and the Department of Trade and Industry.
A partial list of individual losses shows amounts ranging from P40,000 to as high as P435,000 per couple.
A group of the affected clients is also organizing to file syndicated estafa charges against the owners before the National Bureau of Investigation.
This incident is the latest in a troubling pattern of wedding-related scams in Cebu. Last year, on June 7, 2024, SunStar Cebu reported on a different wedding coordinator scam involving over P3.6 million. On April 23 of this year, complaints were filed with the National Bureau of Investigation 7 against Tresa’s Creations and Events concerning deals reportedly worth P40 million.
As of press time, the complaints against Joshua Events and Party Services remain pending, and the victims are calling for swift legal action. An attempt by SunStar Cebu to reach the owners through a contact number provided by the bride on Friday, June 27, was unsuccessful. / CDF