Starting to Stress

I knew it would happen sooner or later, but I did not think it would be something so major. For those of you that have been following my wedding planning, you know that the first thing that Dan and I took care of was our reception. We panicked a little when we found out that places were booked for October of 2009 more than a year in advance. We wasted no time and began looking at a variety of venues. Within a few weeks we had envisioned having our wedding reception in The Statler’s Rendezvous Room.

Then, the drama started to unfold. Almost immediately, stories started popping up about unpaid gas bills and contract disputes. We didn’t worry, despite the urgings of our parents and grandparents to take a second look. For months I watched the news and read the paper, worrying that something terrible would happen. I kept in contact with Park Lane Caterers and was continuously told that all was well. This message was contradictory to what was being reported by the local news.

A few weeks ago, my aunt told me that she was starting to worry. My mom began cutting articles out of the paper. Those people that generally stayed out of it began speaking up and, naturally, I thought the worst. My mom’s friend informed us that she was having a large dinner of 700 people at The Statler the week before my wedding and, she too, was worrying. We had decided to give it a few more weeks and then make the decision to move. Dan and I learned that a local country club was open and that we could switch if need be.

I was out of town last weekend and learned that the problems continued to mount. The gas was going to be shut down and a family friend, whose law offices are located in The Statler, was moving to a different location. I discussed the predicament with family from out of town who knew nothing of the venue or its issues. They all agreed that I had to move the reception. As I drove back to Buffalo, I knew that I had one big dilemma that I had to deal with…and quick! I got on my Blackberry and started looking up possible locations. Dan and I had really liked the idea of having the wedding in the city, so our choices were somewhat limited. I called my MOH (maid of honor) and she began seeing if the places that I was interested in were available. No luck. Things were beginning to look bad and I started to worry. It was a relief to know that I could move the big day out to the suburbs, but it would mean a lot of extra work and a lost deposit.

I returned home with a bunch of worry and no potential locations. I turned on the television and was immediately struck by a news story involving The Statler. The report described a forced Chapter 11 bankruptcy that was apparently good news. On Tuesday, I read an article in the newspaper that mentioned that all existing contracts would be honored. As of right now I do feel relieved and I hope that things continue to go our way.

I am curious to know if others are running into similar problems and how these situations have been resolved.