In the glitzy and glamorous world of celebrity weddings, budgets soar higher than the stars themselves and "extravagant" becomes an understatement. While it's no surprise that such lavish affairs can sometimes end up in legal tangles, there are lawsuits that go beyond the realm of reason and venture into the realm of the utterly bizarre.
If you thought we were referring to Brooklyn Beckham’s £3-million (around $4.5 million) wedding catastrophe with American heiress Nicola Peltz, you’re right. Theirs is a tale that can leave you wondering if love truly knows no financial limits or if someone just took their wedding planning a bit too far.
One couple’s dream wedding can be a wedding planner’s nightmare
Brooklyn and Nicola got married in April at her father's oceanfront estate in Palm Beach with 500 guests in attendance. In case you didn't know, Brooklyn is the son of David Beckham and Victoria Beckham, while Nicole is the daughter of billionaire Nelson Peltz. You'd think that with all the star power and money involved in this dream wedding, the nuptials would be smooth-sailing.
Well, it wasn't. Page Six described it as "a snakes’ nest of secrets, lies, chaos, and mistrust behind the scenes." Apparently, there was lots of behind-the-scenes wedding drama. The Peltzes had a falling out with their wedding planners Nicole Braghin and Arianna Grijalba, which resulted in two lawsuits.
The wedding planners revealed that Nicola's mother, Claudia, wanted to conceal from her husband that they had spent huge sums of money for certain aspects of the wedding. According to court filings, Nelson Peltz paid over $100,000 for Nicola's hair and makeup, plus travel expenses. Claudia specifically warned one of the planners not to let Nelson know about the cost, fearing that he would react badly.
In any case, Mr. Peltz was unhappy with the planning and fired the wedding planners nine days after they were hired. It’s worth noting that they were hired six weeks before the wedding, which is hardly enough time to plan a regular-people wedding. He demanded they return the deposit of £132,000 (or around $159,000), which is enough to cover a regular couple’s regular weddings, their children’s college education, and a downpayment for a new house.
Beefing with wedding planners is ill-advised
The assistants responded by calling Mr. Peltz a "bully billionaire" and sued the Peltz family for breach of contract and interference with a business deal. The lawsuit against Nicola, her mother Claudia, and wedding designer Rishi Patel sought damages with additional, also huge, costs. The planners also claimed that Nicola and Claudia were terrible admins and tried to hide their blunders from the groom’s parents.
Another juicy detail concerns...burgers.
It appears that Brooklyn Beckham, who is often reserved in group texts, becomes animated when the topic of Wendy's fast food trucks arises. As part of their wedding festivities, guests were treated to a delightful meal from the burger chain. To add a personal touch, the menu featured Beckham-themed dishes, including the catchy “Nicola and Brooklyn Combo.” However, it's reported that Nicola found some of the names of the dishes such as "Bag It Like Beckham" cringe-worthy.
Despite Nicola’s reservations, one of the wedding planners tried to convince her that these playful names bring an element of fun and surprise to the formal affair. We’re with Nicola on this one — the Beckham-themed burgers are bad.
What a regular-people lawsuit involving wedding planners looks like
Maybe the drama behind the Beckham-Peltz nuptials doesn’t make sense to you. But when it comes to wedding planners, there are a number of normal, legitimate reasons why a couple (or their parents) might consider taking legal action. Here are some of the most common ones:
- Breach of contract: If your wedding planner fails to deliver on their end of the bargain, whether it's skipping out on booking vendors or pulling a disappearing act on the big day, you have every right to sue.
- Negligence: Perhaps the wedding planners booked a vendor who bailed on you at the last possible moment, leaving you scrambling for a Plan B. If their negligence has left you with shattered dreams and empty pockets, it may be best to teach them a lesson in the form of a lawsuit.
- Misrepresentation: If your wedding planner has been making false promises, you may want to take matters into your own hands. Whether they assured you they could book that elusive vendor or swore that your budget wouldn't be a problem, false statements deserve a legal smackdown.
- Fraud: This applies in scenarios where an unscrupulous wedding planner shamelessly pockets your hard-earned cash without a second thought. If you find yourself the victim of their sneaky schemes and left with nothing but dashed hopes, we recommend giving them a taste of the legal medicine they deserve.
Read these other tips to avoid getting sued on your wedding day:
How not to get sued on your wedding day tip #1: Do not serve weed-laced food
How not to get sued on your wedding day tip #2: Don’t steal your ex-wife’s family heirlooms and wedding dress
Read these other tips to avoid getting sued on your wedding day:
How not to get sued on your wedding day tip #1: Do not serve weed-laced food
How not to get sued on your wedding day tip #2: Don’t steal your ex-wife’s family heirlooms and wedding dress
Stay vigilant, demand accountability, and let justice be your something borrowed on your path to happily ever after. Buckingham, LaGrandeur, & Williams is the team to call for your family law case in Washington State. Visit our Renton law offices, or leave us a message.