On October 26, 2019, Ms. Navarro stood in the beautiful mountains of California, ready to celebrate her marriage. She had hired a band, a DJ, and 100 guests were waiting. But as the sun began to set, there was one major problem: the food was nowhere to be found.

The Two-Hour Wait

The wedding reception was supposed to start at 5:00 PM, with dinner service scheduled for 6:00 PM. Ms. Navarro had hired Mr. Lopez and his catering team to provide the main event: a taco feast for 130 people.

But 6:00 PM came and went. Then 7:00 PM. Guests who had traveled from far away sat in the mountain air with nothing but fruit and rice pudding provided by the bride’s mother. It wasn’t until 7:45 PM—nearly two hours late—that the first taco was served.

The Missing Caterer

In Judge Judy’s courtroom, the tension was as thick as salsa. Mr. Lopez admitted he was late, but his excuse was as thin as a tortilla.

“I was running a little behind,” he told the judge.

Judge Judy wasn’t having it. She pressed him for details. It turned out Mr. Lopez had arrived at the venue at 3:00 PM to set up his equipment, but then he left. Where did he go?

“Uhhhh,” Mr. Lopez stammered. “We went home to get everything ready,” his wife offered.

But they couldn’t explain why a trip home caused them to miss the start of a wedding dinner. Judge Judy’s response was legendary: “Did you fall asleep? Did you take a nap? You don’t keep me here because I’m gorgeous—where were you?”

The “Ruined” Wedding

Ms. Navarro was so upset by the delay and the lack of an apology that she refused to pay the remaining $1,100 balance on the bill. She even left a scathing review online. Mr. Lopez, in turn, sued for his money, while the bride countersued, claiming her wedding was ruined.

However, Judge Judy looked at the facts with a cold eye:

The food did eventually arrive.

The guests did eat.

No one had to order emergency pizzas.

The Verdict: A Bitter Aftertaste

Judge Judy acknowledged that Mr. Lopez was unprofessional, but she reminded the bride that she couldn’t get a free meal just because it was late.

“I was going to be 5’8″. It didn’t happen for me,” the judge joked, telling the bride she had to “get over it.”

The Ruling: Judge Judy gave the bride a $300 credit for the unprofessional delay but ordered her to pay the remaining $700 to the caterer.

As they left the courtroom, the bride lamented that her day was tarnished by a lack of an apology, while the caterer’s only takeaway was a new business policy: “Money up front from now on.”