Left at the altar
Pittsburgh groups rush to help couples displaced by wedding venue’s sudden closure
Pittsburgh’s wedding community isn’t putting up with any cold feet.
When national vendor Noah’s Event Venue abruptly closed its doors last weekend — leaving brides and grooms booked at the company’s Cranberry and Canonsburg locations scrambling — other vendors quickly started to roll out offers.
From complimentary Champagne toasts to $90 packages, Pittsburgh’s wedding industry wanted to make sure every couple had an aisle to walk down.
“It’s just heartbreaking. This is your biggest day; this is your wedding. It’s supposed to be memorable and not stressful,” said Brittany Patterson, the catering sales manager for The Porch at Schenley and The Porch at Siena.
Ms. Patterson’s team is offering free lunch consultations and discounts on a case-by-case basis for all four of its venues: the two restaurants, the Schenley Park Cafe & Visitors Center and the Schenley Park oval tent.
Stranded couples are considering weddings at places like PNC Park, Carnegie Science Center, the Fairmont and the National Aviary.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium tweeted an offer for a complimentary ceremony and Champagne toast. The Gateway Clipper Fleet advertised a $90 package for weddings. The Pinerock Farm venue, in Champion near Seven Springs and Hidden Valley, is offering a $500 discount, owner Shari Neiderhiser said.
“This just sent chills down my spine when I saw that these
brides were displaced,” said Ms. Neiderhiser, who has been connecting with couples through a Facebook page devoted to the Pittsburgh wedding community.
“I think they’re just completely in shock,” she said.
A nightmare/dream twist
For Derek Mccance and Bon’Sel Lightfoot, the debacle has made a once dream location a possibility.
The couple had been planning a royal themed wedding at the Noah’s Event Venue in Cranberry since July 2018. Fitting with the theme, they had fantasized about a wedding at the Omni William Penn but couldn’t afford the bill.
They joked about feeling like they were back in college as they struggled to make ends meet after opening their business, Kings Rising Hair Salon, in Bridgeville about a year ago. “It was all worth it. We were going to share our love with 190 people who we loved and cared about,” Mr. Mccance said.
After Noah’s unexpected closure left them out of money and time to plan, the Omni William Penn agreed to host the event — cutting nearly $30,000 from its normal pricing.
On top of that, the couple’s dance studio offered to cut remaining costs for lessons for the wedding and its caterer reduced the price of linens. To give back, Mr. Mccance and Mr. Lightfoot are offering hair and makeup services to people displaced by Noah’s closure.
As an LGBTQ couple, Mr. Mccance said they had already faced challenges trying to find a venue. “Having this right, just means so much, that we have this opportunity,” he said. “We get to get married like everybody else and then you take that from us. It broke me and my partner.”
Meanwhile, many of Pittsburgh’s soon-to-be-newlyweds have been assembling spreadsheets and circulating documents to help each other identify venues, available dates and restrictions — like what each venue allowed in terms of outside vendors and pre-existing contracts.
‘Cease operations immediately’
Noah’s Event Venue officially filed for bankruptcy in May 2019, although many in Pittsburgh weren’t aware of that. The company had estimated liabilities between $1 million and $10 million, based on court records.
Last week, a judge in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Utah directed Noah’s to “cease operations immediately,” according to a letter posted on the company’s website.
“Noah’s has worked extremely hard to reorganize operations in order to continue hosting events, however, negative publicity, along with the court order, has made it impossible to continue current operations,” the letter stated.
“Over the last 13 years, Noah’s has hosted 10,000 events including hundreds of couples who, with short notice, had lost their event date at other venues. We were always willing to and happy to assist these couples and feel confident that your community of vendors will do likewise.”
Noah’s Events Venue and the attorney for Noah Operations Richardson TX LLC, which filed the Chapter 11 bankruptcy, could not be reached for comment.
For the brides and grooms who had already paid Noah’s, there is a slim chance they will get money back. Bankruptcy cases can be a long process and, as unsecured creditors, the customers are usually the last to receive any type of funds.
Acceptance and action
Kelsey Wiltman, who had an event scheduled for April at Noah’s Cranberry location, said the company has yet to reach out to her. Ms. Wiltman and her fiance heard the news from their caterer.
Mark Hensler and Amanda Kraft, another displaced couple, found out through a Facebook post asking if the rumors were true. There was an “avalanche” of responses as other couples scrambled to uncover what happened. The couple finally confirmed the closure through their photographer, who knew an employee at Noah’s.
The couple was scheduled to get married Oct. 10, 2020, a date they are now finding is very popular. After a weekend spent calling venues, the couple moved into an acceptance-and-action phase.
“I think I’ve settled into, ‘Yes, this is real, they’re not going to reopen and say just kidding.’ This is no longer the wedding that we’re going to have,” Ms. Kraft said.
Ms. Wiltman was able to secure a spot at Twelve Oaks Mansion, a few blocks from the original venue, on the same day.
But the change in plans is forcing the couple to consider taking out a loan or borrowing money from family or friends.
They lost $7,000 paid to Noah’s Events and, while untangling the latest news, noticed the company had charged them about $1,700 more than they had agreed to in the contract.
“They’re telling you this information and you’re not processing any of it because you feel like you’re just stuck in a bad dream and it’s not real,” Ms. Wiltman said. “It’s a nightmare, financially a nightmare — and emotionally.”
To put it lightly, this has “put a damper” on the experience of having a wedding. But, she said, “At the end of the day, I’m still getting to marry my best friend.”