A real estate developer who spent $2 million on an Aspen wedding for his daughter compared the day to Pearl Harbor because of a faulty sound system.
Real estate tycoon Craig Spencer, 62, and his wife Barbara, 63, are suing Alchemy Concert Systems over its alleged role in the ‘horrific marriage nightmare’ endured by his daughter Arielle Spencer, 33, and her husband Caleb Lodge.
The couple, who live in a $14 million mansion in Philadelphia, called the March 2022 nuptials “a day that will go down in infamy.” According TMZArielle and Caleb have already separated.
The Spencers’ incandescent words echo President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous remark following the 1941 Japanese attack on a Hawaiian naval base that killed 68 people.
Real estate tycoon Craig Spencer (left) splashed out $2million on a snowy mountain wedding for his daughter, but has now compared the day to Pearl Harbor
Arielle’s parents Craig and Barbara – who filed the lawsuit – are pictured on their daughter’s wedding day
Craig and Barbara were outraged that Alchemy’s alleged gaffes prevented a 12-piece band he brought in from Los Angeles from playing.
And Craig, CEO of property development fund Arden Group, was even more furious that trouble cut short a performance by rapper Nelly, after the delays snowballed over the evening.
Footage shared on Instagram showed the rapper serenading the newlyweds with his 2002 hit Dilemma during his truncated set.
Spencer alleges in legal documents that Alchemy’s audio system malfunction before the wedding escalated into a series of issues that “essentially ruined the marriage.”
Spencer and Lodge’s marriage ran into trouble when the public address system installed by Alchemy at the Little Nell complex turned out to be faulty.
It forced celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss — whose past clients have included Paris Hilton, Justin Bieber and Ellen DeGeneres — to push back the schedule.
The lavish wedding included a gondola ride, a 12-piece band from Los Angeles and a private performance by rapper Nelly (pictured left)
Arielle Spencer and Caleb Hodge, (pictured) who are believed to be divorcing already, married at the Little Nell resort in Aspen in March
Arielle is pictured second left with her friends on her wedding day
The stunning bride is pictured being carried through the venue as part of her traditional Jewish nuptials – but behind the smiles trouble was brewing
Caleb and Arielle are pictured skiing together in Colorado. TMZ reported earlier this year that they had already separated, although they didn’t get married until March 2022.
The couple are pictured together ahead of their alleged split. News of an impending divorce came just a year after their nuptials
Weiss, who raised $100,000 to oversee the nuptials, pushed back the gondola ride for guests from 5:30 p.m. on Aspen Mountain by an hour, which moved the wedding from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
This had the effect of shortening the cocktail hour and moving the entrance of the bride and groom from 8:20 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
‘When the bride and groom entered the reception, instead of the 12-piece band who had traveled from Los Angeles to perform for the guests, there was no music other than a DJ playing music through a single loudspeaker barely audible speaker,’ the lawsuit states.
The band “was fidgeting onstage, swearing and looking frustrated”, technicians tried and failed to fix Alchemy’s equipment, “making guests feel uneasy and uncomfortable”.
The delays also meant that dinner was pushed back an hour and the food was cold “and the time between courses was heavily condensed”.
Nelly then started her performance 50 minutes late, and had to shorten her set because the mountain events must end before 1am.
The Spencers are suing Alchemy, which they say they paid $80,000, for breach of contract, negligence and unjust enrichment.
The couple are also suing Weiss, claiming she was overbooked and unprepared, which contributed to the disappointing day.
The luxury Little Nell resort in Aspen, Colorado describes itself as “Aspen’s only five-star, five-diamond resort.”
The Spencers allege delays and a faulty audio system ruined the groom’s deck and entrance
The couple claim Weiss doubled their costs from the $1 million budget and didn’t tell them about the extra expenses until shortly before the wedding.
The battleships West Virginia and Tennessee burn after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941
The Spencers live in a $14million mansion in suburban Philadelphia, pictured
They also claim that Weiss doubled their costs from the $1 million budget and didn’t tell them about the extra expenses until shortly before the wedding, TMZ reported.
The $1 million lawsuit against Weiss, which is separate from the Alchemy filing, alleges that Weiss ruined the traditional Jewish hora ceremony.
It sees wedding guests lifting the bride, groom and their parents into chairs and rocking them to traditional Jewish music.
The lawsuit alleges that Weiss was advised that the chairs in the reception hall were far too heavy and should be replaced with lighter chairs, but she chose not to follow that advice.
The hora was therefore shortened and the father of the bride could not participate.
A wedding registry for the couple includes a $1,315 Baccarat whiskey decanter, $429.79 goose down duvet, $1,299 Weber gas grill and a $419.99 Viking roasting pan $.
