Weddingbee boards

So months of planning....the dress, the hair, the make up, the caterer, yadda yaddah yadda. We planned to have our wedding in an historic rose garden. Of course, it not only rained but it was a HUGE TROPICAL STORM.... ok, no problem. We had two tents to shield from the storm.... We are still getting married, so that's all that matters. Right before I put on my shoes to get ready to leave.....I received a phone call.

It was the caterer. She informed me that she was in an accident and that she was fine but that there is no food or drinks for the wedding. Now of course, I was concerned about her well being and safety...however....something was gnawing at my conscious. You see, I had been having problems with this caterer prior to signing the contract and leaving a deposit.

She canceled out on us several times during the "tasting' period. By the second cancellation, I began looking for another caterer. I quickly realized that on our budget and such short notice that not many caterers could take us as clients. However, when this caterer did finally show up to the tasting, she was excellent. Her food was wonderful and her presentation was even better. We signed a contract and paid the deposit and I felt a big weight lifted off of our shoulders.

Well the day of the wedding, with no food or drinks, we spent almost an hour trying to figuire out what restauraunts would cater to such a large gathering. As a result, I was late walking down the aisle...I felt miserable. I took off my wedding dress and wrapped my sari around me, threw on my flip flops and went to get married. The only thing I wore from my wedding wardrobe was my cage veil. We would figuire out the food situation after the ceremony. However, I felt miserable. I worried for my guests and I was upset that I kept everyone waiting trying to find accomadations. In the end, we wound up ordering food from one of the best Cuban restaraunts we know and had the reception at my brother in laws house. All the money we spent on all the hoop la and we didn't used most of it.

And I can't believe I didn't cry that day at all.....I think I was eitheir too numb or too happy or both. I think I left everything that happened that day at bay and chose to deal with all the disasters that happened at a later time.

And the caterer.....well, she promised our money back on several occassions but never showed up. We are now looking forward to our court date next week. I believe she never intented to cook for our wedding. I believe she scammed us.

And so because of this....I would like to whisk my husband off this Spring to celebrate our 1 year anniversary in Paris or Venice and renew our vows. Just us. And I want to have a chance to wear the wedding dress he never got to see. And I want to have a chance to walk with him on a sunny day celebrating a new day of marriage.

What'chall think?? ...... to be continued.....

Thank you all for the encouragement! There was a feeling in me that said, "you should be happy and try not to replace the original day"....but after really thinking it over...I do. I want it to be a surprise, I've always been told I'm such a romantic, lol. And you know what.....I don't think the caterer is going to show up to court.  And we'll win...I have emails, phone records, the contract, everything to prove our case. In my wildest dreams I could never imagine anyone doing that to someone's wedding.

Thank you everyone! I know, I should have been crying my head off....I think I was too shocked to do so!

The storm was so bad, I mean, torrential rain, I was still prepared to wear my dress and even my heels in the rose garden....but once I got the call from the caterer....I was so stunned, I panicked, I immediately took off my dress, put my "house dress" on which was my sari and started cleaning the stove. My friend was there and she was on the phone calling restaraunts around town. I was in another world. I cleaned the stove til it was spotless. Then my husband called me and I couldn't even talk to him, no words would come out, and before I could muster up one word he said, "sweetheart, nothing matters now.....let's get married. Let's just get married." And that's what I did....I put my flip flops on, my veil was on my head and I went to get married. wow.

Btw, if your in the NY and NJ area the caterer is called APT 9 CATERING ....The woman's name is CRYSTAL PAIGE....I also learned she has a different name KEVIN PAIGE she works out of Brooklyn. She's young, in her 20's. Horrible, horrible experience. I tried to give her a chance because her food is good. Plus I also made it a point to look at all the reviews and references of all the vendors we had and she didn't have any....I figuired because she was new on the scene.

I hope she shows up to court....I would like to at least look her in the face.

Hi everyone.....guess what? nope...we didn't get our money back because the court NEVER served her. After sitting in court for hours, my husband & I were informed that it was a mistake on their part about giving us a court date when she wasn't served at all. We were confused and disappointed. They said that we would have to "re-serve" her. The thing is I didn't have a real address for her and she disconnected her phone. I contacted a friend of mine who is a web designer and asked him if he could find out if her website has a address tied to it. He found the address within seconds. I looked up the address & got a phone number for it and called it from my office phone. She picked up & I pretended to be someone else asking about catering service. She was MORE than happy to help me. I WAS SO PISSED OFF.

Anyway, my husband & I went back to court to re-serve her and this time we're suing for that maximum amount of $3,000. She owed us for the deposit & the money we spent for food on the wedding day and I figured the rest would be for punitive damages. I watch alot of court TV.

But I have no faith court to serve her the papers, we thought of hiring a detective or a professional process server who will see to it that she gets served.....cause if I do it....I'm going to hurt her. Anyway,, we should here back with another court date hopefully in a few weeks.

That is terrible - I hope she gets what's coming to her (and that you get your money back!)

That is absolutely horrible that someone would do that to you!  I hope everything works out in the end!

Hi everyone! Just wanted to give you an update.....we have a new court date for January 27th. We are suing for the maximum amount. Of course, I will call the court to make sure she was served and that we actually have a case. I am also trying to drum up as much noise as I can about the company. Please like my face book page called "Apt 9 Catering is a scam". I have called local newspapers and tv news to get help and closure. I also have a friend who is a police officer....if the court fails, I will have someone deliver the summons myself & record it to serve her. It's not right that she is still out there taking people's money. She has a facebook page, a website & she advertises on Craigslist. I don't want a bride to go through what we went through. 

It's interesting, I read a story about a man who is going to be put in jail for reading his wife's email but I can't get this crook of a lady who not only stole our money but did not bother to show up at the wedding.

So spread the word brides about Apt. 9 Catering! & Please like the facebook page "Apt 9 Catering Is A Scam"

@ktk:

thank you! I wish.... I don't have any full length.... I was so shocked I didn't even get married in that dress. I learned last week that my husband secretly wished I did. The dress was from the Black & White Co....the Gracian hi-lo dress.

@ktk:

Thank you so much! 

@NearlyMrsMac:

Thank you! I have to admit sometimes I want to give up because it's hard trying to literally track some one down for money back. What keeps me going is not having another bride/couple to have to endure that. & We'll win, I have loads of emails, the contract & even a Myspace page of her asking people to donate money so that she could attend culinary school.

I want everyone to know that I did my research with all of our vendors for the wedding. Looking back, I quickly looked up the name of the catering business and not her name. Had I done that, I would have saw that she has done this  before. I also should have listened to my instincts :)

@MissCanyon: Thank you

If you haven't already please "like" the Facebook page Apt 9 catering Is a Scam. The page is already showing up under Google search engines. This is good because for potential clients that will perform a general search of the company, they will  have a reference about her past.

For those who are interested, we went to court the day before yesterday. Of course she was a "no show". The first thing the judge said to us was, "I feel so bad for you......" I almost cried. But, WE WON OUR CASE!!!! The judge heard our story & ruled in our favor! Thanks for all the words of encouragement along the way! Karma is real....she will get hers tenfold.