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Dream Weddings Turn To Stress Nightmares As Water's Edge Struggles To Stay Afloat
By
Lauren Evans
Published Sep 30, 2015
Modified Oct 1, 2015
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By
Lauren Evans
Published Sep 30, 2015
Modified Oct 1, 2015
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Dozens of couples uncertain about their weddings are scrambling to make alternate plans following news last week that Water's Edge, a popular Long Island City restaurant known for its stunning views, is falling into financial ruin.
In the past several days we've received nearly a dozen emails from couples gripped by various degrees of panic. Some have weddings scheduled for the coming month; others are planned for spring. Attempts by the restaurant to assure them that everything would be fine have been anemic at best: According to one source, a wedding planned for this past weekend did not occur due to staff shortages, many of whom had not received paychecks for more than a month. After getting burned by bounced checks, many vendors are no longer delivering food, forcing management instead to buy alcohol and supplies for guests from nearby bodegas.
Owner Harendra Singh has allegedly refused to return deposits of up to $10,000 to fleeing clients. "I just wanted to assure you there is absolutely no question that the Water's Edge is remaining open, and there's absolutely no question that we'll honor every wedding and christening and whatever event that's been booked," his lawyer, Joseph Conway, told us, adding that Singh's wife, Ruby, has taken over day-to-day operations. "People who are calling us, we're assuring them of the same thing—their contract will be fulfilled, the place is remaining open, and they'll get the party they expect." Repeated attempts to reach Water's Edge have gone to voicemail.
Earlier this month, Singh was arrested on charges ranging from wire fraud to bribery to impeding the IRS. Between October 2012 and January 2015, prosecutors say he attempted to defraud FEMA by inflating the losses Water's Edge suffered during Hurricane Sandy by triple the actual amount, an effort that netted him around $950,000 in disaster relief funds. He was also charged with bribing a government official to secure loan guarantees from the Town of Oyster Bay.
The bride in one upcoming wedding said she's met with Water's Edge staff twice to discuss the event, who assure her the nuptials will go forth as planned. Except...for a large barge parked directly outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, blocking the sweeping Manhattan views for which the restaurant is known.
"We booked this place for the view but the cranes are blocking half of the it. We are extremely upset and disappointed," she wrote in an email. "We haven't slept since we saw this article on Saturday."
On the bright side: Several venues have reached out offering their services for those struggling to find a backup plan. Chelsea Campbell, the event sales manager at the Water Club, said the venue will honor discount pricing for Water's Edge clients. She can be reached at [email protected].
Alicia Rebensdorf, who owns Tuffett cheese and meat bar in Williamsburg, said she would also offer discounts. Email her at [email protected]. And Brooklyn Winery's Rachel Sackheim also reached out to say that they're happy to accommodate displaced couples—email her at [email protected].
"I don’t want to be melodramatic about it, but I’ve cried every day for the past three weeks," said one woman whose wedding is scheduled for March. "To take something that’s supposed to be the happiest day of your life, and to completely make it the most stressful thing in your life...As an owner, how can you live with that?"
Tagged
fraud
harendra singh
water's edge
weddings
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Lauren Evans
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