Bride Claims She Arrived at Airbnb Wedding Venue to Find It’s an ‘Ants-Infested’ Nightmare with no Power or Water and Wedding Crashers

A couple’s long-awaited wedding day in Portsmouth, Virginia, turned into a nightmare when their chosen venue allegedly had no power, an ant infestation, and even unexpected wedding crashers.

After getting engaged, Maggie Reed and Tyler Smithhart found what they thought was the perfect location — Buttercups Home, an Airbnb in Portsmouth — and booked it for their Oct. 11 wedding. They signed a contract in April 2024, 18 months ahead of the event, paying $5,000 in installments plus a $750 security deposit, according to their account to WAVY 10.

When Reed arrived for the wedding weekend, she said she immediately sensed trouble. “I went to ring the doorbell and the Ring camera wasn’t working,” she told the outlet. “I peeked inside and there was no power. I noticed there was a delinquency notice on the door for public utilities. There’s no power. There’s no water.”

Reed said she tried repeatedly to reach the venue but received no response. “I’ve paid five grand for this place, and they’re not responding to me,” she claimed. Her bridesmaid, Brandi Paugh, backed her up, saying, “No one was at the venue to let them in, no one was answering calls, and there was a delinquency.”

The bride also alleged that the property was overrun with ants in the kitchen and bathrooms. “They destroyed some of the food we had set up on the counter that we had prepared for the next day,” Reed said. Paugh added that the bride feared the entire wedding might fall apart. “No bride should have to think about restarting her entire wedding 24 hours before it begins,” she said.

Even on their wedding day, more problems arose. Reed and Smithhart’s families reportedly had to keep out uninvited guests after a realtor arrived to post open-house signs for the following weekend. Some potential buyers, apparently confused about the date, tried to tour the property during the ceremony. “I had to go to the end of the driveway several times to get rid of the people coming to the open house,” said the groom’s father, Randy Smithhart.

“I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry about it,” Reed said. “We still had a beautiful wedding weekend thanks to all of our family and friends, but the venue itself was terrible.”

Venue owner Brandon Feagin disputed many of the allegations in a statement to WAVY 10. “At no point before, during, or after Ms. Maggie’s stay were any utilities disconnected or interrupted. At no time did [she] or anyone from her party report an outage or service issue to our team,” he said. Feagin explained that he was on a flight when the couple arrived and sent the access code as soon as he gained Wi-Fi. He also stated that a cleaning service had prepared the property before and after the event and that he was unaware of any pest problem.

Feagin added an apology: “We understand how important weddings are to our guests, and we are truly apologetic that the recent couples who have come forward did not have the experience they hoped for.” He confirmed that Buttercups Home has since stopped hosting weddings due to “economic headwinds currently facing the broader hospitality industry.”

“Our goal from the beginning was to offer people a safe, unique and affordable setting for their short-term stay,” he said. “We remain proud of the many wonderful overnight stays and gatherings we have hosted and the joy this property has brought to so many people over the years.”