DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. – A wedding snafu prompted a bride-to-be to "Call Christina" in a panic, but like all good love stories, this one has a happy ending.
Prepping welcome bags and a candy buffet are just the sort of last-minute touches you expect a family to tackle before a wedding, but finding a new venue is not.
"First thing to go through my mind is, 'My wedding is ruined,'" Brittany Assad said.
Brittany Assad and David Masone booked the DoubleTree Deerfield Beach - Boca Raton for their Oct. 24 wedding last June. In that time, the hotel began a renovation.
Assad said the first indication the family received that the ballroom would not be ready for the big day was an email they received Oct. 7.
"This is the biggest day of my life. And to hear that two weeks before I'm supposed to get married, that's very upsetting."
DoubleTree Deerfield Beach - Boca Raton General Manager Tom Mulroy said the city informed the hotel Oct. 6 that additional renovation work was required.
"Our original construction plan and timeline were met, but the construction process itself caused certain discoveries that required additional work to ensure the safety and comfort of our guests," Mulroy said.
Mulroy said the hotel's next step was contacting all available venues in the area to "provide an equally memorable event at a comparable hotel" for Assad and her family. One day later, the hotel reached out to the two families by email to arrange a conference call. Within two hours, he said, the families were informed about the situation.
Not thrilled with the options presented to her, Assad reached out to the "Call Christina" team for help.
When the "Call Christina" team asked her where she wanted her wedding hosted, she mentioned the W Fort Lauderdale. She knew there was a price difference, but she said it was one of the few hotels with availability.
The "Call Christina" team contacted W Fort Lauderdale, which rolled out the red carpet for the bride and groom.
As luck would have it, the swanky luxury hotel was able to host the wedding on short notice.
"We spoke with Brittany and David, her fiance," said Ross Fatemi, director of catering and event management at W Fort Lauderdale. "We had availability and we were delighted to take them. We were able to provide them with in- and outdoor space at our property for their wedding ceremony and they will be holding their wedding reception in our upgraded ballroom which we had space to provide for them as well so we are very excited to be servicing them."
W Fort Lauderdale waived fees and added fun perks that would make any bride swoon -- from a complimentary Bliss Spa package, to a wedding-themed shopping spree at the W Store for "something new and something blue."
"We were able to customize their menus as well, which is something that we went off of our menus to provide as a 'Wow' service for them just because we knew the pressure they were under within a tight two-week window and we wanted to make their special day less stressful. We like to pride ourselves on our signature high touch service. The W's philosophy is 'whenever, wherever' and we try to live to that service promise."
"They saved my day. I don't know what I would have done. And they have no obligation at all to do anything that they're doing," Assad said. "They're just amazing. Thank you for saving my day."
Fatemi, who worked hard to make it all happen, said it's just part of what hotel does for its guests.
"This is what we do at W. We wow our guests," he said.
Things Assad will be enjoying on behalf of the W Hotel at no additional cost:
- Two-bedroom, oceanfront, condominium-style suite
- blissageTM49, a 49-minute massage at a VIP cabana near the pool for bride and groom
- wedding-themed shopping spree at the W Store "for something blue and something new"
- an upgraded and enhanced menu from Stephen Starr Restaurant Group
- two wedding concierges for day-of coordination and planning
- in-house makeup and hair artist
- a W Insider who knows the hottest spots around town
- a Town Car service
- Wet® VIP Cabana Service
LINK: W Fort Lauderdale wedding receptions and ceremonies
LINK: DoubleTree Deerfield Beach - Boca Raton meetings and weddings
DoubleTree Deerfield Beach - Boca Raton's Mulroy said his staff worked diligently with the Assad family to find an alternate venue.
Assad said she received her refund last week, but she was unhappy with the alternative hotel choices the DoubleTree provided her. She felt they were "downgrades."
She said while she understood renovations can take longer than expected, "They should have upgraded us. It's not for me to settle on something just because it's compatible to what they think was the best or a good alternative. If we wanted to go to those venues we would have gone to those venues. We specifically chose the DoubleTree because we loved the way it looked. We loved the setting."
"Due to unforeseen circumstances, our event space will not be available in time to host several scheduled events, including Ms. Assad's wedding," Mulroy said in a statement. "We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. We are refunding all deposits and diligently working with our clients to secure several available and comparable venues that can deliver the same exceptional service and accommodations originally offered by our team. We will continue to work with each client's new destination through the date of the event to ensure a seamless transition."
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