Real estate heiress Arielle Spencer appeared set for a dream bridal moment, with her lavish $2 million Aspen mountain wedding expected to deliver every bit of fairytale glamour.
Spencer, an attorney, married real estate agent Caleb Hodge on March 26, 2022, at the famed Little Nell resort, one of Aspen’s most exclusive luxury wedding destinations.
Instead, the celebration that was meant to mark the happiest day of the couple’s lives allegedly unraveled into a string of mishaps, later prompting a fiery lawsuit from the bride’s father, billionaire developer Craig Spencer.
According to the claims, the event was marred by a faulty sound system, cold food and a seating mistake that prevented the bride’s parents from taking part in a cherished Jewish wedding tradition.
A 12-piece band brought in from Los Angeles reportedly never got to perform, while rapper Nelly’s appearance was allegedly cut short because of the problems at the reception.
Craig and Barbara Spencer later filed suit against Alchemy Concert Systems over what they described as a “horrific wedding nightmare,” though the case was eventually dismissed at Spencer’s own request.
In the initial legal complaint, attorneys for the family characterized the troubled nuptials as “a day that will go down in infamy,” echoing the historic wording used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
That line, however, had been inserted by Craig Spencer’s lawyers without his knowledge or approval. Once the billionaire learned the phrase had been included, the complaint was quickly revised.
Real estate mogul Craig Spencer and his wife, Barbara Spencer, walk their daughter Arielle down the aisle at her $2 million Aspen wedding in 2022
Arielle and her now-ex-husband, Caleb Hodge, who divorced in May 2023
Photos from the wedding show Arielle dressed in a stunning white gown being walked up an icy mountain by her doting parents, who live in a $14 million Philadelphia mansion.
The problem-plagued nuptials were organized by celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss, who has previously worked with stars including Justin Bieber and Ellen DeGeneres.
She worked alongside a sound company called Alchemy Concert Systems, whose alleged issues with a sound system installed at the luxurious Little Nell Resort prompted a slew of snowballing delays, according to the filing.
Arielle and Hodge’s forever was seemingly short lived, with the couple officially separating less than 14 months after exchanging vows.
They separated on May 1, 2023, and the heiress formally filed for divorce just 24 days later, according to records obtained by the Daily Mail.
It is unclear what caused the downfall of their relationship – Arielle’s petition simply cited irreconcilable differences.
Hodge did not contest the matter, and thanks to a pre-marital agreement both left the union with their respective individual assets.
Arielle walked away with an estate worth $11.5 million, according to financial disclosure statements included in the divorce filing, including a $3.5 million Los Angeles mansion, $135,000 worth of jewelry and a $45,000 2018 Porsche Macan.
Hodge’s estate was much more modest, totaling only $148,000, the filing showed.
The divorce was finalized in October that year and Arielle has since removed any evidence of their relationship from her online profiles.
Arielle with her new fiancé, Canadian hockey hunk Joffrey Lupul, and their daughter
Lupul during a Toronto Maple Leafs match in 2015. He also previously played for the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers and the Philadelphia Flyers
Instead, Arielle, now 36, is showing off her new hockey hunk lover, Joffrey Lupul, who used to play in the NHL.
The couple welcomed a daughter together last summer and announced their engagement on April 7 this year.
Lupul appears to have popped the question while the pair were snowboarding in Aspen – the very mountain where Arielle once said ‘I do’ to another man.
Regardless, it appears the lovebirds could not be happier.
Their Instagram accounts are plastered with glamorous photos of their adventures around the globe, as well as intimate, tender moments with their baby girl.
Lupul has hailed Arielle as the ‘best partner, friend, mother that I could’ve ever asked for’ and she has dubbed him as ‘my favorite person.’
Although details of their pending nuptials are seemingly under wraps, one can assume the Spencers are gearing up for another glitzy celebration.
Though few would judge them if they opted to make Arielle’s second wedding day altogether more low key, after her first walk down the aisle generated headlines and commentary galore.
Their younger daughter Taylor Spencer, 33, just tied the knot with marketing mogul Claude Zdanow, 38, last month.
The two exchanged vows at the gorgeous Château d’Estoublon in Provence, France – the event featured fireworks, thousands of colorful florals and live music.
Craig and Barbara Spencer at Arielle’s 2022 wedding. The couple sued Alchemy Concert Systems and wedding planner Mindy Weiss for respective alleged roles in the wedding mishaps
Arielle at her Aspen wedding, where alleged delays and a broken sound system ruined the her and Hodge’s entrance at the reception
Rapper Nelly performs at Arielle and Hodge’s wedding
Photos shared on social media show Arielle and her fiancé were seated in the front row with their little girl as the ceremony unfolded.
Craig and Barbara’s son, 30-year-old Maxwell, also took a bride this year.
He and his now-wife, Jessica, got married at an undisclosed tropical location in January.
Arielle shared snaps from the event, which saw her and Lupul all loved up as they busted moves on the dance floor.
If the family’s recent gatherings are any indication, Arielle and Lupul’s pending nuptials will definitely be one for the books – and hopefully will go much more smoothly than her first trip down the aisle.
The 2022 soiree spiraled into a series of issues that ‘essentially ruined the wedding’ after Alchemy’s sound system malfunction, the Spencers’ lawsuit alleged.
That allegedly forced Weiss, who collected $100,000 to oversee the nuptials, to push the schedule back.
The planner moved the guests’ 5.30pm gondola ride up Aspen Mountain back an hour, which moved the 6.30pm wedding to 7pm.
This had the knock-on effect of shortening the cocktail hour and moving the bride and groom’s entrance from 8.20pm to 9.15pm.
Arielle gets carried through the venue at her 2022 wedding
Arielle at her 2022 wedding in Aspen
‘When the bride and groom entered the reception, instead of the 12-piece band flown in from Los Angeles to perform for guests, there was no music other than a DJ playing music through a single, barely audible speaker,’ the lawsuit stated.
The band ‘fidgeted around on stage, cursing and looking frustrated,’ technicians tried and failed to fix Alchemy’s equipment, ‘making guests feel awkward and uncomfortable.’
The delays also meant dinner was pushed back an hour and the food was cold ‘and the time between courses severely condensed.’
Nelly then began his performance 50 minutes late, and had to shorten his set as events on the mountain must end before one o’clock in the morning.
The Spencers sued Alchemy, who they say they paid $80,000, for breach of contract, negligence and unjust enrichment.
The couple also sued Weiss, claiming that she was overbooked and underprepared, which contributed to the disappointing day.
The $1 million lawsuit against Weiss, which was separate to the Alchemy filing, accused Weiss of ruining the traditional Jewish ceremony of the hora.
The ceremony sees wedding guests lift up the bride, groom and their parents on chairs and bob them around to traditional Jewish music.
Arielle and Lupul, who are keeping their upcoming wedding details under wraps
The suit alleges that Weiss was warned the chairs in the reception room were much too heavy and should be replaced with lighter ones, but she chose not to take this advice.
The hora was therefore shortened and the father of the bride didn’t get to take part.
They further claimed Weiss doubled their costs from the budgeted $1 million and only told them of the added expense shortly before the wedding.
The Spencers ultimately requested that both suits be dismissed with prejudice, court records show.
The Daily Mail has not received a response to its request for comment.
