TEWKSBURY, MASS. (WHDH) - After over two decades, the Tewksbury Country Club is set to close its doors at the end of the year, leaving couples who’ve already booked their weddings there wondering what this news means for their big day.
The Treehouse Brewing Company has bought the venue, planning to keep the golf course in operation and turn the main building into a brewery.
Although weddings booked this year will go on as scheduled, no more weddings will be planned beyond this year, leaving couples tying the knot after this year scrambling to find a new venue.
“Everything was pretty much set in stone, but now it’s almost like we have to start from square one,” said Rebecca Burke. She and her fiance, Nicholas Azera, have been engaged for nine years. Their wedding was set for Memorial Day weekend next year, they’ve already printed the save the dates, but now they are having trouble finding a new place to hold their nuptials.
“Looking around, everywhere else now it’s either you try to go out further to stay in your budget or pay 5 to $6,000 to make sure you have your dream wedding,” said Azera.
They’re not the only ones, 32 others are finding themselves in the same boat — including Amanda Guarino.
“We already booked out the photographer and had our colors in mind,” she said. “I already picked out a dress that matched the essence of the country club and now I feel like I have to find a venue that’s going to be somewhat similar.”
Kristen Kelley, whose wedding is booked on New Year’s Eve this year, is one of, if not the last bride to be married there.
She noted that COVID-19 has already made booking weddings more difficult for couples. Now, the hunt is on for new venues in this hot post-pandemic wedding market.
“I feel really sad for them,” Kelly said of the couples who need to find new venues.
Owner Marc Ginsburg told 7NEWS over the phone that the canceled couples will get their deposits back, plus some extra to try to help compensate for the inconvenience. They are also offering up their wedding coordinator to help them find a new venue and vendors.
“Anything we can do to get them back in the place of their dream day. We’re making it right the best we can, short of having the wedding at our facility,” he said.
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