Local Businesses Prepare Help With Christina's Closing

It is the unthinkable nightmare that every bride fears: the sudden closing of the location of your wedding. With the announcement that Christina’s will be shutting down on Saturday June 30, the plans of multiple weddings including three this weekend, are in shambles. 

Despite the closing, landlord Nicholas Panagopoulos does plan on reopening in the near future  and said he would “fully serve all scheduled events and hire back workers,” in a statement sent to the Boston Herald.

In the meantime, local businesses are tying to reach out to the soon to be married couples to provide an alternative facility. Ron Young, the owner of the Lafayette House on Route 1 in Foxborough, is opening up his restaurant to anyone who had a wedding booked at Christina’s.

“I’m just trying in the interim to reach out and say I’m trying to help you,” Young said.

Young, who hasn’t heard from anyone who is booked at Christina's yet, is willing to host anyone who was booked at the soon to be closed facility for a potentially reduced fee due to the unknown fate of the deposits. 

Trying to make any potential chance of venue smooth as possible, Young noted that he works with most of the same DJs, florists, and bakeries that worked with Christina’s so at the least there are some services that simply need a new address to go to.

While there is hope of a reopening for Christina’s, the issue of the liquor license puts that months away. According to state law, the license must be transferred to Panagopoulos from the current owners of Christina’s Marjorie Clapprood and her husband Chris Spinazzola, a process that can take months to complete since it has to be approved on the local and state level. Due to the soon to be pending nature of the license, a one day license for events is not an option for the restaurant.

“It’s just a slow process at the state level. They have to do a FBI and police background check so it takes time,” Young said.

To reach the Lafayette House concerning a change of venue, they can be reached at 508-543-4344 or through their website.

The recently renovated Lombardo’s in Randolph has also offered to help customers who are now stuck with no venue. Like others, the restaurant was surprised to hear about the closing of Christina's

"We were very surprised. They've been around for a while," Francesca Lombardo said.

Already, Lombardo's has talked with displaced couples looking for a new venue. Like the Lafayette House, Lombardo's will try to accommodate the new customers price-wise due to the uncertainty of the deposits put down at Christina's.

In addition, Lombardo said that she has talk to several of the regular vendors used at the establishment to help keep all parties aware of the situation. Also like the Lafayette House, many of the vendors are used often at both restaurants.

Lombardo's can be reached through their website or by phone at 781-986-5000.

Showcase Live at Patriot Place can also accomodate up to 300 people for weddings. Anyone interested in the venue can contact Justin Shapiro at jshapiro@showcaselive.com for more information.