Astors' Potential Sale Rant

eacosta1120

So I just got an email from Beechwood stating that "I want to assure you that the Mansion has not been sold.  We do have an agreement with an interested party that outlines the parameters of a potential commercial transaction, but it has not been finalized and, as a result, it would be premature to speculate on the potential impact, if any.If there should be a definitive change in circumstances that would impact your event in any way, we will contact you immediately. "
Am I freaking out prematurely? I am just really worried...can they break our contract? What will happen with all of my deposits with other vendors? I emailed the ladies at Beechwood and asked if part of negotiations were to allow already planned events to be held there. I've already spent thousands on deposits for vendors and house rental etc. I'm fairly certain that we wouldn't be able to afford any other Newport venue that has the same feel of Beechwood and if we lose our deposits-we couldn't afford to spend that much again as we're both students. That would mean we'd have to postpone the wedding indefinitely. I'd love some opinions (especially those of you who know more about contracts than I do) and thoughts on this.

MacCheeky

I usually am on the Nest but I sometimes glance over this board, and when I saw this I had to post.

I have a teeny tiny bit of insider knowledge about this sale, and it's pretty much a done deal.  I know who the purchaser is but not sure if I'm allowed to disclose... he's a celebrity billionaire and he definitely intends the property for private use.  I've heard that it may still be possible to book an event going forward, but the site fee will be sky-high.

That said, I'm not sure at all about what's happening with already booked events, so you can't really worry about it yet.  Everything may work out!  However, I would start looking into a Plan B, JUST IN CASE.  If anything does happen, at the very least you'll have a back up and some peace of mind.

I held my reception at Astors' and I know what a beautiful property it is, but even during my wedding planning I was quietly freaking out about the "what if" of it getting sold.

I wish you all the best with everything... no matter what, just keep in mind that your wedding day will be the perfect day because you're getting married to your FI.  Maybe you won't have to worry about anything in the end, but if anything happens, there are always options.  Good luck - I'll cross my fingers for you and the other Astors' brides!!!

bostongirl07

I am also getting married at Astor's this June and was nervous when I got the email. I found the article online and felt better once I read it over. The article states all 26 weddings planned btwn Jan 2nd - August 2010 will be honored.
 .......Now that I see this other post, I am wondering which statement is accurate.

eacosta1120 - Have you heard back from Sharon?

MacCheeky

They most likely wouldn't say that they would honor weddings through August 2010 if they didn't mean it.  Like I said, the purchaser is a billionaire with quite a few different homes, so I doubt it would be a big deal to him to honor those commitments - it's not like it will be a fully owner-occupied primary place of residence or anything.

OP - I didn't look, but I hope your wedding is before August 2010!  If so, it looks like there won't be anything to worry about.

eacosta1120

sharon said " Although all the details are not finalized, it is looking very positive that we will be able to do your event as planned.  We will keep you posted."
It doesn't appear that she read my email at all and that she just had a response ready to send any brides that wrote to her. Another Knottie said that she called and she said that they wouldn't know until mid January.
Where did you find the article/info about honoring weddings until August? I'd LOVE to see it with my own eyes.

bunnycakes123

I'm a May 2010 Beechwood bride!!!  Well, I will be a bride, if we can still have the wedding at Beechwood.  I also got the email from Sharon just now and completely freaked out.  There is no other place that I want to get married (or afford) if they decide to break our contract.  This is just completely crazy and ridiculous!!

I also read the news article stating that the 26 scheduled weddings will go as planned.  I'm not sure who the reporter is or where he got this info from...but I'm not going to believe this unless I see a signed contract firmly stating this.

As for the celebrity billionaire who is potentially purchasing this property, I hope s/he will be understanding and honor all scheduled weddings.  Afterall, this is the most important day of our lives!  And the day that all of us brides have been looking forward to our whole lives.

My fiance called Sharon.  She also said that they won't know any details until 2nd weekend of January.  So cross your fingers ladies!  She was optimistic that the weddings will go as planned.  My fiance is also optimistic and doesn't believe they will just tear up our contracts - but who knows, right?  Anything can happen.

Anyways, this is undoubtedly a very stressful time for all of us.  So, let's keep this post open and share with each other any news we get!

bunnycakes123

Hi eacosta1120,

I think you wanted the news article regarding the Astor's lawsuit and honoring weddings until August 2010?  Here it is:

http://www.eastbayri.com/detail/132852.html

eacosta1120

i found the article link for anyone who might not have seen it:
http://www.eastbayri.com/detail/132852.html
i knew beechwood was for sale when i booked but i thought it had been for sale for a while and that it would never sell in this economy.
i'm getting married june 2010 which is great if that information is accurate. has anyone asked sharon if the info. is true? i won't believe it until i hear it from beechwood directly.
i was also wondering if the 26 weddings are all of the weddings scheduled until aug 2010. what if the owner wants to spend july 4th or any other weekend at beechwood-he/she could just say no to certain wedding dates. not that i'm trying to freak out people more...but it's definitely a possibility-especially for july 4th and memorial day weekend.
i talked to a lawyer friend and legally, the new owner can do whatever he or she wants. our contract is for a service not an actual product so basically, we can go after them for incurred costs due to having to reschedule (vendor deposits lost, our deposit at beechwood etc.) but that's all.
if they are allowing the 26 weddings to go on as planned, i'm wondering if they can raise the rental fee? will the decor  be the same? will we still get a coordinator for the day? will the tables/chairs still be included? will there be any new crazy rules? i guess it doesn't help to speculate...but this is the stuff going through my head right now. first, am i going to be able to have my wedding there? then, is the wedding going to be drastically different because of the new owner? the article says "Historic Beechwood will also be given limited access to the property from Jan. 2 through August 5, 2010, to conduct 26 previously scheduled weddings." so i wonder if that means that they have to keep the bottom floor of beechwood in line with how its currently decorated etc. ok sorry im ranting...im here if you all need to rant to. i'm out of state, so if you local brides could keep me posted, that'd be great.

bunnycakes123

Hi eacosta1120,

I'm absolutely clueless as to what will happen.  You have lots of great questions, and I hope someone (like, maybe Sharon) will be able to provide us more insight.  When my fiance spoke to her an hour ago, she told him that if the weddings are canceled, they'll do their best to help us find a plan B.  I'm not sure what the extent of this "help" is - whether they will refund our money or not.  I've already purchased my invitations (over $600), and will have to reorder this again if we have the change venues.  I better get  my money back for this.  We also already booked a bunch of hotels in Newport already, which will be a horror show to have to try and have our guests re-book elsewhere.  Sharon also told my fiance that she is rooting for us and hopes everything will work out for all the Beechwood brides next year.

Sorry, I'm not much help.  I'm really stressed out and about to pull my hair out.

eacosta1120

I'm sure Sharon and Cathy are rooting for us, considering they'd be out of jobs if there were no longer weddings held at Beechwood. I can't imagine that they'd help too much with rebooking...why would they? They'll have to give you your deposit back, but it may take a while to get any other money. This is why I'm so concerned. We probably wouldn't be able to afford anywhere else in Newport. Plus, we'd lose all negotiation ability since venues would know that we're screwed and need a venue ASAP. I'm not sure if I should start researching venues or try to get a decently priced flight out that way to look around. I have been imagining my wedding at Beechwood ever since I found it online. I had thought a  mansion wedding would be perfect until I realized that there's no way I could afford one....then I found Beechwood. I guess there's not much we can do at this point. Let's hope that whatever is happening gets finished up soon so we have an answer either way. The sooner the better if we're all trying to book other venues. I'm going to email Sharon with the article link and ask if it's true or not and if she has any further info. I wonder if any post Aug 5th brides had contacted Sharon and perhaps she was less optimistic-it would be something you could probably tell from her voice. I'll shoot her an email and lt you all know what she says.

eacosta1120

Sharon wrote back immediately when I sent her the link to the article and the only thing that she wrote was " BODY,.aolmailheader {font-size:10pt; color:black; font-family:Arial;} a.aolmailheader:link {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:visited {color:magenta; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:active {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:hover {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} We don't know where they came up with that date."

bostongirl07

I am curious what Sharon will say about the article. If it is true then I think we will be okay. I remember before we signed with Astor's I had asked about an article I saw on the internet about the mansion being for sale. Sharon told me that the place has been bought a few times since she has been working there and each time the new owner honored the existing contracts. I am praying this sale will have the same result!!
.....We are in the same boat, if this does not work out, I have no idea where we would be able to hold/afford another venue in Newport. I am crossing my fingers everything works out for all of us  

eacosta1120

Sorry, I copy and pasted my last post and obviously it didnt copy well. I emailed her the link an she said "We don't know where they came up with that date"....that's all she said. No, we'll know later or we'll find out next month or anything to ease my mind at all.

devcipps

I know a little bit about contract law and my hunch is that the new owners will have to allow the weddings to go through although, this will all depend on the language of the contract you are under and some other factors. If you start to feel that this is going in a negative direction I would definitely contact an attorney. I know that an attorney is an additional unwanted cost but they can help ensure your wedding contract is honored and if not they will help you get the damages including your lost deposits. Also, most attorneys will give you a free consultation. Sometimes just having an attorney will prevent someone from screwing you over. I used to work for an attorney in Middletown who does a lot of contract work and his pricing is very reasonable for an attorney. Page me if you want his contact info.

That being said I would suggest calling your vendors now, explain the situation and see if they would allow you to change your wedding date without forfeiting the deposit. I have heard about other brides who were able to move their wedding dates and not lose their deposits.

As for other mansion spots did you check out Rosecliff, Marble House, and Glen Manor House?

I'm sorry this is kind of long. I hope this all works out for you guys because it definitely sounds like the beginning of a nightmere.

eacosta1120

Thanks for the info. and the recommendations for venues, but I believe that all of those venues are much more than Beechwood (I know Rosecliff is)-but I'll look in to it further.  If I need a lawyer, I'll definitely message you.
On another note...another Beechwood bride is a lawyer and she sent me a PDF of a legal document of a stipulated order. I have NO idea what that means, but it lays out the sale, who's getting paid what, commissions, how the owner owes money from a previous lawsuit, etc. There is a section that says exactly what was stated in the online article.
It says "HistoricNewport, L.P. is entering into a lease agragement with the Buyer following closing on the Property ("Lease") thrat provides Historic Newport, L.P, the following:
i.full access to the Property through January 2, 2010 to complete operations and conduct a Christmas pageant; and
ii. Limited access to the Property from January 2 2010 until August 5, 2010 to conduct 26 previously scheduled weddings only."
So I suppose that Sharon could be totally in the dark about things, which is why she didn't understand the Aug 5th cutoff. Or maybe this isn't a final document and they are still negotiating the wedding situation. The document is from Oct 8th too...you think that they would've contacted us sooner if there was a good possibility that Beechwood was being sold-especially for those brides who were scheduled after Aug. 5th.
I did email all of my vendors to explain what's going on. None of them were aware of the sale and they were all really supportive. I also told them to expect similar emails from other Beechwood brides.
If any Beechwood brides find similar venues at similar prices, please post.

finnerkc

Hi Everyone,

I spoke with Sharon yesterday as well.  Believe it or not, my wedding date is August 6th, which means I missed the cut off by one day.  And I can tell you that Sharon did not sound optimistic to me on the phone.  It's of course not her fault whatsoever, but it doesn't look good for me.

The stipulated order from the court is basically this -- the owner of Beechwood has owed money to a third party since 2000.  He hasn't paid, and that person now has a judgment against him.  The third party will get a certain amount of money from the sale of Astors.  The owner has now entered into an agreement with a buyer, in which the buyer will lease the property back to the owner for the 26 weddings listed.

Apparently the final negotiations are still ongoing, but given the fact that this document was filed with the court, I believe it lays out the agreement.  I think they didn't tell us about it when it was signed back in October because they were trying to avoid the calls and panic for as long as possible.

I believe that based on this, the pre-Aug. 6th brides should be ok.  However, please keep in mind the fact that they are only getting access to Astors on the particular wedding days.  This worries me because what if this celebrity buyer is planning on changing the decor/layout (as mentioned in an above post), or what if he/she is planning on doing construction.  Also, what if this buyer changes his/her mind, and does so closer to everyone's wedding dates.  I don't want to alarm anyone further, but those are things that are worrying me.

I will keep everyone posted if I hear anything further.  I really hope this works out for everyone and we are all able to keep our dream weddings...

Island_Bride2011

Sounds like they are definitely not taking new weddings.  I wrote them about 2 weeks ago to inquire about planning my June 2011 wedding and didn't receive any response.  Now I know why.

So sorry you girls have to stress. 

Leigh822

My wedding is August 21st and it sounds like I need to start looking into plan B.  Are there any venues that you would recommend in the area?  I know Rosecliff and Glen Manor are booked and Rosecliff is so expensive. Rumor has it that the historical society might be opening the Elms and Marble House to weddings but they will only fit wedding of 100 people or less. 

Any suggestions would be helpful!!

eacosta1120

I'm a June bride so despite the documents that says they'll honor 26 wedddings...I'm not going to believe it until I hear confirmation from Beechwood.
I looked in to Rosecliff, Blithewold, and Glen Manor as back ups. Someone else suggesteed Linden Place. Since all my hotel blocks, vendors etc are located around Newport-I'd like to try to stay in that area..so right now, Glen Manor is the best back up I've found with similar pricing and close to Newport.

finnerkc

Leigh822 -- I called Linden Place (in Bristol) yesterday and they have a few openings in August.  They aren't available on my date (which I'm trying to keep and I'm guessing you are too).  But, I do think they are available on the 20th.  I know you probably already have your vendors booked but this would allow you to stay within the same weekend if the vendors could make the switch?

One of my vendors just suggested Aldrich Mansion in Warwick as well.  I don't know anything about it because I haven't looked into it yet, and I'm not yet sure where Warwick is, but I thought I'd throw that out there as well!

Leigh822

Finnerkc- thank you!  I just sent linden place an email.  I have heard that a few locations are available on friday- however I have so many people coming in from out of town that a friday wedding just does not seem like it will work.  Do you know how far the Aldrich mansion is from Newport? Another issue is that I already have my caterer and I have put down a deposit so if I switch to place that has their own catering services then I loss some of the deposit $.    

eacosta1120

Aldrich has their own catering so they'd probably make you use their catering, but Glen Manor, Blithewold, and Linden place use outside caterers and I know that Morin's and Blackstone were on their list of caterers.According to Mapquest, Blithewold/Linden are 30 min from Newport, Glen Manor is 15 min away, and Aldrich is 43 min away.
Here's some pricing info that I collected: Linde Place $5900 for Sat or $4500 for Fri/Sun for a full day's rental or hourly for $725 on Sat and $575 for Fri/Sun; Glen Manor is $4500 for Fri, $6000 for Sat and $5000 for Sun with a $1000 ceremony fee (for an hr-so you could add the extra time on to the cocktail hr or reception); Blithewold has different fees for April, May, Oct ($5600 for Sat and $3500 for Fri/Sun) than they do for June-Sept ($9750 for Sat and $5500 for Fri/Sun) with a $950 ceremony fee; Adlrich is $8000 on Sat and $7000 on Fri/Sun with a $2000 ceremony fee. 
Here are the open dates for Blithewold in case anyone is interested. They stil have a lot of dates open so hopefully this will help someone out.
MAY:
Fridays             7, 14, 21, 28
Saturdays         1, 15
Sundays            2, 9, 16

JUNE:
Fridays             4, 11, 18
Sundays            6, 13, 20, 27

JULY:
Fridays             2
Saturdays         17
Sundays           11, 18, 25

AUGUST:
Fridays           27
Sundays         1, 8, 29

SEPTEMBER:
Fridays          3, 10, 17, 24
Saturdays      11, 25
Sundays        5, 19, 26 

OCTOBER:
Fridays         1, 8, 15 
Saturdays     9, 16
Sundays       3, 17

sbryant35

My wedding is booked at Astors in July. We decided to cancel and find another location. I'm just too worried about this whole situation... My fiance and I spent the day yesterday revisiting venues in Newport. We found a few good options and three places that actually have our date open. We are leaning towards Regatta Club on Goat Island. They are working a special deal to help us and are even going to let us use our caterer. Im sad to leave Astors because we have already picked out our flowers and table linens to match perfectly there. But I can't sleep knowing that our wedding might be canceled any day. The woman we met with yesterday was really nice and they seemed very understanding and willing to help. Just wanted to share this with anyone else going thru this. Goodluck gals!

Mrkyrain

I am so sorry this is happening to you ladies.  How horrible.  I know things seem hopeless but there are other affordable options in Newport.  I myself was married this past summer at Regatta Place.  I highly recommend this venue.  They were wonderful.  If you are looking for the "mansion feel" I also quite liked Glen Manor house and it was reasonable priced (for Newport).  Let me know if I can help in any way.  Good luck.

bostongirl07

Hi Sbryant35,

We are also considering cancelling Astor's. I have been a mess the past three days and I feel like waiting a month for an update is unacceptable. We are going to start looking at other venues this week. Did you receive any additional information when you called to cancel?  Did they mention anything about refunding the brides their initial deposit as this will affect our decision where to move the reception.

I am happy to hear you have found a new venue that is so understanding, I hope we all have a similar experience. Good luck with your planning

eacosta1120

I'd also really like to know how Sharon responded to your canceling your contract. Was she sympathetic at all? Did she try to get you not to cancel your contract? Are they giving you back your deposit? Was it a hassle to cancel? I think that however she may have responded could give us some insight-if she has any insight in to the situation.
Mrkyrain-Thankss for the venue recs. I didn't look at either venue when I first went to Newport to look at venues.
Being out of state sucks in this situation....though I'm hoping to get out there in January to check out a few back up venues. I just want to know what's going on-are they honoring some or all of the contracts or are they kicking us to the curb? At least knowing one way or the other will allow us to proceed with the planning whether it be at Astors' or elsewhere.

Leigh822

I have not spoken to Sharon directly yet but I have heard from my caterer and others that they are refunding peoples deposits without putting up a fight.  

bunnycakes123

Hi Ladies!

I'm still holding out on canceling Beechwood all together.  I still have some hope that I can have my wedding there.  Am I being too optimistic?  I met with my caterer (Blackstone) this weekend, and they completely understood our situation and said that many venues in Newport will be sympathetic to Beechwood brides in case they have to change venues/vendors since many venues/vendors have been notified of this.

I don't know what to do!!!  I'm a total wreck!!

I'm going to Newport next week to look at other venues: Marriot and Hyatt.  There's also Bel Mer on Goat Island if anyone is interested.  And for small weddings, there's the Viking Hotel and Chandler Inn on Cliff Walk.  If I think of any other venues, I'll post it.

I hope we hear some good news about Beechwood very soon.

eacosta1120

Hi! A few of you had mentioned rumors of the Elms and Marble House being opened for events. I emailed and asked and here's what I found out:
"How many guests are you planning for you event?  Our Director is considering opening one of these properties for some last minute events that must move from Beechwood, but both The Elms and Marble House are only suitable for somewhat small events (75 guests and under)  The ballrooms at both locations are considerably smaller than the Rosecliff ballroom.  Any events scheduled at these museums would need to be approved by our Director and follow fairly strict policies because of the recent restoration projects that have taken place at the two properties."

I emailed back and asked for pricing so I'll send that along as soo as I hear back. I imagine it would cheaper than Rosecliff but who knows.

bunnycakes123

Hi everyone!

It's been awhile since anyone has posted anything here.  Does anyone know of any new developments with Astor's?

Funny thing, I had a dream last night that we could still get married at Astor's!!!  I hope it will come true!

Happy holidays ladies!

jlanni

Hi Girls:

First, I want to apologize because I just found the posts about Astors' and I would have commented sooner ... I am an Astors' bride with a scheduled wedding date of September 5, 2010. I am also an Attorney in RI. The day I received the email from Astors', I had the court order sent to me from Newport Superior Court. The information published in the newspaper article was correct in that the court order was very specific regarding the use of the property for the remaining weddings. It specifically states that only those weddings scheduled up through August 5, 2010 will be honored. Although the sale and negotiations are scheduled to be finalized on or about January 2, 2010, the court order permits Histoic Newport, LLC d/b/a Astors' Beechwood to lease the premises for 26 scheduled weddings through August 5, 2010.  

In light of this information, my fiance, who is also an Attorney, immediately contacted the Attorney representing Historic Newport, LLC d/b/a Astors' and requested the return of our deposit. The Attorney was very helpful and compassionate about the situation. He forwarded a General Release in order for us to void our contract with Astors' in return for our deposit. He did inform us that although negotiations were not completed yet, he advised us to get our deposit back and find another venue. I immediately took his advice and booked Blithewold, one of the only available venues in the area with my wedding date!

Although, I was extremely disappointed with this situation and the way Astors' handled it, I feel lucky to have found out in enough time to relocate the wedding. I suggest ANY BRIDES who may fall outside of the August 5 date to immediately find a Plan B!!!!!! To the brides who will still be having their weddings at Astors', I would strongly suggest that you attempt to get more information regarding any renovations etc. that may take place during that time period as a private owner will be purchasing the premises. FYI, rumor has it that the new owner is the founder of Oreck Vacuum.

Good luck everyone!!! Keep your heads up