I-Team: Bitter Brides Lash Out At No-Show Rental Company
BOSTON (CBS) - Jennifer and Pedro Calegari have been dreaming of their wedding for seven years. This summer, that dream turned into a nightmare.
"I was just over the moon that we got to have, well I thought we were going to have, everything I ever dreamed of. So that was a bummer when it didn't happen," said Calegari. She feels like a jilted bride. She said the company she paid nearly $4,000 to make her woodland farm theme wedding a reality June 9th, was a no-show.
"I think the most memories that I have now looking back, are just being upset about everything," Jennifer Calegari said.
Cara Katz's wedding was on the same day in a different location, when she said the same rental business showed up late, with only some of the many supplies they had promised. "How dare they? How dare they mess up the best day of someone's life?" Katz said.
On the Boston Rustic Wedding Rentals website, slick photos show shabby-chic style unfinished furniture, and handcrafted country accents. But six separate brides tell WBZ's I-Team the company either never showed up at all, or came so late, the couples were panicked.
"I freaked out. I didn't know what to expect. At first I thought it was a joke. I didn't know what was going to go on. I didn't know what was going to happen, how we were going to solve it."
When WBZ asked the owner of Boston Rustic Wedding Rentals, Joe Gaylord, for an explanation, he responded, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Some of the brides were able to stop payment or get refunds through their credit card companies, but the Calegari's paid up front with a check the company cashed before their wedding. When WBZ asked Gaylord if he would reimburse the couple, he said, "Of course."
When that didn't happen, WBZ asked again. He responded with a text. "I would ask them again. On the way back to my warehouse after working since 6am. Heading back to load for tomorrow deliveries."
At least one of those deliveries apparently never made it. Another bride contacted the I-Team days later, saying they never showed up. Then two more brides came forward, one saying the company showed up late with only some of the expected items, another saying they didn't show up at all.
At Gaylord's request, the I-Team did check back with the Calegaris again about whether they ever got a refund. They said they have not, and they hired a lawyer to try to get the money back.
Wedding planners say most companies require a deposit, but no one should ever pay in full before the wedding date. The customers WBZ spoke with said it's about more than just money. They said their wedding memories are forever tainted. "I don't remember being happy during those moments," said Cara Katz.
"We trusted you with the most important day of our lives thus far," said Jennifer Calegari. "You let us down. You failed us."
