Talk about wedding planning stress

Mrs.BoomBoom

This article talks about the problems at the Occupy Oakland protest...illegal drug use, alcohol use, public urination despite porta potties that have been brought in, and a growing rat infestation...and the last line: "It's not clear how much longer the protest will go on, but City Hall is asking the protesters to respect three events planned this week at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, including a private wedding Friday."  I can't even imagine the stress that bride is under...what would you do?

pink.dutch.tulips

i'd cry ... and file the 1st lawsuit against the occupy oakland folks. if there was a time to go all bridezilla .. THIS would be it.

 

melgrady

pink.dutch.tulips:

i'd cry ... and file the 1st lawsuit against the occupy oakland folks. if there was a time to go all bridezilla .. THIS would be it.

 

Me too. I would be fuming right now if I were the bride.

1krazykitty

pink.dutch.tulips:

i'd cry

this! 

sm23

pink.dutch.tulips:

i'd cry ... and file the 1st lawsuit against the occupy oakland folks. if there was a time to go all bridezilla .. THIS would be it.

 

Not to sound bitchy -- just for the sake of conversation: What exactly would you, as an individual getting married at the plaza, sue them for? And who would you be suing? This is a loosely organized group of protestors. There may be basis for a claim against the city (who I presume oversees the space and leases it out for events).

I would be very upset as a bride about something like this, but... this is a potential problem you have to take into consideration when you get married on public land, and Frank Ogawa Plaza is open to the public, and the people there do have the right to speak and protest (under certain guidelines). We ruled out a couple of wedding venues exactly because they were on public land and we didn't want random people walking by and potentially disturbing our festivities.

Obviously, if people are publicly urinating, drinking, cooking over open fires, violating noise ordinances, etc. in this area, that's not acceptable. But, unfortunately, I don't think there's a lot that can be done about general disturbances to a wedding.

hannikan

I'm sure I would stress but you just have to roll with it and let it be part of the memories. It is a historic moment so it would make for good stories for the grandkids. Our wedding day was very unpleasantly hot and several things "went wrong." We just had to laugh because nothing in life (weddings included) is perfect.

leolyns

I actually work near the plaza and there are a sea of tents and signs when you walk by. If that was me, I would turn into bridezilla.

Mrs.BoomBoom

sm23:

pink.dutch.tulips:

i'd cry ... and file the 1st lawsuit against the occupy oakland folks. if there was a time to go all bridezilla .. THIS would be it.

 

Not to sound bitchy -- just for the sake of conversation: What exactly would you, as an individual getting married at the plaza, sue them for? And who would you be suing? This is a loosely organized group of protestors. There may be basis for a claim against the city (who I presume oversees the space and leases it out for events).

I would be very upset as a bride about something like this, but... this is a potential problem you have to take into consideration when you get married on public land, and Frank Ogawa Plaza is open to the public, and the people there do have the right to speak and protest (under certain guidelines). We ruled out a couple of wedding venues exactly because they were on public land and we didn't want random people walking by and potentially disturbing our festivities.

Obviously, if people are publicly urinating, drinking, cooking over open fires, violating noise ordinances, etc. in this area, that's not acceptable. But, unfortunately, I don't think there's a lot that can be done about general disturbances to a wedding.

My understanding is that they're breaking the law but the city is allowing it to continue.  Seems to me that if they're not cleared out by the wedding, she could sue the city for breach of contract because this is far above and beyond the limits of what would be 'normal' for a public space.

I'd probably be scrambling to try to find another venue if I were her though.

sm23

Mrs.BoomBoom:

sm23:

pink.dutch.tulips:

i'd cry ... and file the 1st lawsuit against the occupy oakland folks. if there was a time to go all bridezilla .. THIS would be it.

 

Not to sound bitchy -- just for the sake of conversation: What exactly would you, as an individual getting married at the plaza, sue them for? And who would you be suing? This is a loosely organized group of protestors. There may be basis for a claim against the city (who I presume oversees the space and leases it out for events).

I would be very upset as a bride about something like this, but... this is a potential problem you have to take into consideration when you get married on public land, and Frank Ogawa Plaza is open to the public, and the people there do have the right to speak and protest (under certain guidelines). We ruled out a couple of wedding venues exactly because they were on public land and we didn't want random people walking by and potentially disturbing our festivities.

Obviously, if people are publicly urinating, drinking, cooking over open fires, violating noise ordinances, etc. in this area, that's not acceptable. But, unfortunately, I don't think there's a lot that can be done about general disturbances to a wedding.

Seems to me that if they're not cleared out by the wedding, she could sue the city for breach of contract because this is far above and beyond the limits of what would be 'normal' for a public space.

Sure. It just doesn't make sense to me -- nor do I think it's possible -- to sue a random group of protesters.

pink.dutch.tulips

sm23:

Mrs.BoomBoom:

sm23:

pink.dutch.tulips:

i'd cry ... and file the 1st lawsuit against the occupy oakland folks. if there was a time to go all bridezilla .. THIS would be it.

 

Not to sound bitchy -- just for the sake of conversation: What exactly would you, as an individual getting married at the plaza, sue them for? And who would you be suing? This is a loosely organized group of protestors. There may be basis for a claim against the city (who I presume oversees the space and leases it out for events).

I would be very upset as a bride about something like this, but... this is a potential problem you have to take into consideration when you get married on public land, and Frank Ogawa Plaza is open to the public, and the people there do have the right to speak and protest (under certain guidelines). We ruled out a couple of wedding venues exactly because they were on public land and we didn't want random people walking by and potentially disturbing our festivities.

Obviously, if people are publicly urinating, drinking, cooking over open fires, violating noise ordinances, etc. in this area, that's not acceptable. But, unfortunately, I don't think there's a lot that can be done about general disturbances to a wedding.

Seems to me that if they're not cleared out by the wedding, she could sue the city for breach of contract because this is far above and beyond the limits of what would be 'normal' for a public space.

Sure. It just doesn't make sense to me -- nor do I think it's possible -- to sue a random group of protesters.

boomboom's right .. you can't really sue the protesters BUT you can certainly sue the City of Oakland for breach of contract. i got married at a public place (endeavor hall, city of clayton) and i signed a contract w/ the city that the location would be available for my use and they would have it working order on the requested day/time. likewise, this poor bride would have had to sign a contract w/ the city for the event and per the contract the city has to have it available for her and in woorking 'order' ie no protesters camping out making a disaster of the area. the city has obviously breached their end of the deal by letting those protesters remain. the city might say in their defense that they told the group that there was a wedding scheduled there for later in the week but do you think those protesters care about a wedding .. HELLS NO !! so both parties are in a tough spot - the bride now has to SCRAMBLE for a new spot (i hope the city of oakland steps up to the plate and offers to pay for the new site) and the city has 2 options 1- look like a REALLY bad guy by calling out the OPD, Alameda County Sheriffs, etc. to forcibly remove the protesters and clean the hell outta that spot so its wedding ready or 2- let the protesters be, tell the bride - sorry we warned them, they didn't budge so you're SOL  .. it's a lose-lose situation if you ask me.

now 2 weeks before my wedding, i noticed the fence around the courtyard at my site was down and it looked like they were replacing it. natually i FREAKED out, emailed the city and they called me to let me know that the fence would be completed by the date of the event. yes there is a risk whenever you rent a public space for an event but the city has to do everything in their power to honor YOUR request and uphold their end of the deal.