Annabelle Mansion At Sunset Ranch BRIDES BEWARE!! Burleson Texas
To begin with, first I would ask that you consider the following information, but please don't just take our word for this. If you do your homework and ask around, everything I talk about here is general knowledge in the DFW area. You deserve to know the truth, so please check this out by talking with multiple sources!
Annabelle Mansion at Sunset Ranch in Burleson, Texas claims to be DFW's premier wedding location. When we first took the tour, we were VERY impressed with the location and the facilities. This really is a very beautiful place. Prices are high, but you would expect that with a facility of this type. From their island gazebo complete with swans to their wonderful anti-bellum mansion with its helipad, Annabelle Mansion sure delivers based on looks. So the question arises then, Is this where fairytale dreams might possibly come true?
NOPEplease don't be deceived by the looks. The problems with this facility are almost too numerous to imagine. The owner of Annabelle, an EX-beauty pageant winner so she told us, is simply one of the rudest people I have ever met. Please be careful as she will lie to your face and laugh at you to your back. She agrees to one thing and then won't live up to her agreements.
When problems arise that require a solution, she disappears (she doesn't even live in the area) and makes her limited staff deal with you. From what I have since found out, her mood swings are legendary and her reputation in the DFW wedding community is rock bottom. Everyone seems to be scared of and intimidated by this VERY dysfunctional female.
From our first visit to our final exit, we NEVER were able to deal with the same Annabelle employee twice. Evidently, they change on a regular basis, most not being able to put up with things (the owner) for very long. This makes planning a wedding with Annabelle a nightmare. The owner actually told me that one of her employees agreed to do something for us without consulting her and that she wouldn't live up to the agreement.
Of course, the employee in question was long gone. I was told that the ex-employee was a very dishonest person and couldn't be trusted. We even heard the story that the owner had fired her own daughter for taking the client's side in disagreements. The only person she seems to think less of than her employees is her husband. She said she can't wait to finally be rid of himthat he has stolen from her. Sounds like a soap opera or a reality show!
If you have signed a contract with Annabelle Mansion already, please be sure and read it carefully. What they originally agree to and what you will actually get appears to be two different things. I talked to a past Annabelle bride that said they called her and asked her to sign a second contract because they didn't want to give her what she was quoted originally. By the way, we have noticed that the facility is listed on several internet sites as being For Sale. Beware what will happen to your special day if they do sell the place. What do you bet that the owner skips with your money?
When talking to vendors, Annabelle's RECOMMENDED vendors, every single one said for us to be careful. Most hated working at Annabelle and were planning an exit. This shocked us as Annabelle suggested we use these people for our wedding! One vendor said that the owner was crazy and another said that she had a personality disorder.
Finally, another vendor said that the entire idea behind Annabelle Mansion is that it is a tax-dodge for the owner's autistic son in Wylie. (And by the way, what ever did happen to that school she talks about that seems to have vanished.) We were simply blown away! All RECOMMENDED Annabelle vendors are REQUIRED to contribute a portion of their fee from each wedding to the owner's son's personal charity.
All the vendors we talked to said that they had inflated their prices accordingly and that Annabelle was the ONLY facility in the DFW area to require this! This is simply wrong and dishonest. (And of course it was NOT disclosed to us.) It seems she now has started her own floral service as no reputable business will work with her.
I could go on, but I guess you get the picture. A couples wedding day SHOULD be one of the pivotal moments in their life. It should be as magical and carefree as possible so that the romance and the ceremony remain as a cherished memory forever. If this is important to you, then please take my advice and stay away from Annabelle Mansion.
They use their marvelous facility to get you to sign a contractbe careful here as it is completely weighted in their favor and only after a heavy deposit does the truth begin to come to light. By then, you are locked in and can't change facilities because their large deposit is, of course, non-refundable.
Most important, however, is that I ask you to please don't take just my word about all of this. As I said at the beginning, ask around. Talk to different vendors. Talk to past brides. Talk to previous employees. Ask other facility owners. Do some research! What I know you will find is frightening and totally ridiculous. I am sure that Annabelle will respond to this report as I sincerely hope they do.
I would predict that she will attempt to explain everything away as a one time event, the fault of one of her many fired employees or simply as sour grapes on our part. The last thing they will probably try to do is to correct their problems and faults. As for me, I am asking nothing from themthe damage to us is done. Our fairytale day has already been ruined. I just want to try and save anyone else from going through the $40,000+ tragedy like we did. We have heard that there are at least 2 previous brides that are now suing. Annabelle Mansion at Sunset Ranch, a bride's worst nightmare!
Disgusted with patricia
Dallas, Texas
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Joe
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
I just saw Ms. Brast on Channel 8 Cable TV tonight-TWO complaints in FOUR years is NOT that Bad!
#4Consumer Comment
Fri, January 16, 2009
All I know about this lady is what I saw on TV tonight. I could not see any facial expression when she spoke which was creepy in itself.
She does NOT have a Southern drawl incidentally, that is a Texas accent .
Whether or not she bleaches her hair and has the BOTOX is HER business.
I wonder with this economy being what it is and the HUGE DIVORCE rate in Dallas- Fort Worth Metroplex -- I lived there most of my life so I know what I am talking about -- whether having a GALA ANTEBELLUM WEDDING and the fantastic EXPENSE that goes with it is a wise expenditure of money?
Back to the TV news sport, Ms. Brast is alleging that her four-year old business "Cost me millions of dollars to create"specific on exactly what she spent the money on - -presumably the upkeep and maintenance of the mansion?
She said she has 130-135 weddings a year.
She claimed that when people look her business up in Google, the negative posting in the Rip Off Report comes up and " it is costing her business and money."
She claimed that when the first negative report on her business came out in the Rip Off Report, she reeived an e-mail from someone offering to get the negative report removed for $499 which she apparently paid on a credit card and it disappeared for a while and after a second complaint, she paid $599. Apparently the complaint did not stay gone this time either.
She did not specify if she wanted the bad information removed from google or Rip Off Report because the Rip Off Report keeps all complaints filed with it.
The news cast stated that they checked out the e-mail address to a post office box in Gallup New Mexico TOTALLY UNRELATED TO THE RIP OFF REPORT.
Seems to me that Ms. Brast needs to realize that freedom of speech guaranteed by the US Constitution to criticize and critique a business which is open to the public also applies to her.
NOW HOW MUCH OF THIS BUSINESS THAT SHE HAS ALLEGEDLY LOST IS DUE TO THE NEGATIVE REVIEW OF ONE PERSON AND HOW MUCH IS DUE TO THE EXTREMELY BAD ECONOMY AND THE FEAR OF WORSE TO COME IS DIFFICULT TO PROVE!
ONE OR TWO PEOPLE ARE NOT THE ENTIRE DALLAS FORT WORTH METROPLEX!
The fact that there are ONLY TWO BAD REPORTS ABOUT HER BUSINESS given that she does 130-135 weddings a year says a lot for her business, actually.
And the turnover of her employees is about oar for the catering business. In this business, employees are NOT retained fulltime, they are called on an AS NEEDED basis so of course, you will be dealing with many different people. You can't expect someone just to sit there making no money waiting for a call that may or may not come.
Just because you have what appears to be a disgruntled former employee and someone who appears to be a disgruntled customer... NOT too bad.
Formerfriendothemansion
Dallas,Texas,
U.S.A.
Wondering what happened?
#4Consumer Comment
Mon, December 22, 2008
This stinging indictment on the Annabelle Mansion is very disappointint to me.
Why didn't you sue? I will not allow my parents to spend their saved money on a
place like this . If it happens to me, I'll sue. You went to a lot of trouble to write the report, why didn't you follow through with litigation?
Sabatoged
Wyie,Texas,
U.S.A.
A conspiracy to sabatoge Annabelle Mansion by disgruntled employees & a Florist
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sun, December 21, 2008
I would like to say thank you to all of my Annabelle brides and vendors who have called to give me support. I love you girls! I agree; have never seen such brutal character assassination! This is worse than politics! Please ask yourself. Why would brides at the Annabelle have such personal knowledge about the owner? They simply don't.
CONSIDER THE SOURCE. This report was compiled by 2 sisters & another x-employee. The X-employee cost me over $50,000.00 in financial mistakes One of the sisters is an ex Annabelle employee and the other was (note the operative word) the florist for two and a half years. This post simply highlights the character and morals or lack of same of the author(s). Everything was fine and dandy as long as the florist was making $75,000+/yr courtesy of referrals from Annabelle Mansion. Yet when more choices for the floral decorations were requested and provided to brides who preferred to work with a florist who had an actual brick and mortar flower shop, This florist and her sister decide to go on a vendetta against Annabelle Mansion and me personally as if she is ENTITLED to all of the flower business being done at Annabelle weddings. I do not recall seeing her name on the deed. To add insult to injury, I gave this other sister (my employee) a $25,000 wedding for $5,000.00! But that is gratitude for you and a lesson learned. NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED. The florist has even lied to my employees behind my back telling them they need to be looking for jobs because I was selling the mansion or that I was planning on getting rid of them. WE have made it through the first part of this season by the grace of God. You see part of the florist tactic is to get the brides upset before their wedding date by filling their minds with doubt about me and Annabelle. We had to rid the Annabelle of the toxic people that the florist helped create. WE are now better than ever! This florist has no concern for the brides and is the greediest person I have ever met. Why would she say such a thing to upset a bride before her wedding date and make them worry about a vendor skipping out on them?
I would NEVER treat a BRIDE the way these sisters claimed. I have been having weddings out of passion, not for money. It was my intention at the beginning 5 years ago when I started Annabelle Mansion to help support the school and give fairytale weddings but As they say the lord works in mysterious ways and we recently turned the school over to another non-profit who will be giving all our children free music and dance lessons. The children are now; attending another private school full-time.
. I am still paying $10,000.00 a month for the honor of having weddings. Annabelle Mansion will be retiring as of November 1, 2009 after all weddings that are on the book are completed. Life is too short to deal with this type of poison. I am so sorry to all the brides who have had their heart set on having their wedding at the Annabelle in the future. It was created you you! Annabelle is not for sale at the moment as has been told to everyone, but it will be going on the market in April for sale as a residence. If it sells before our last wedding, the new buyer will not take possession until all wedding contracts are completed. I have enjoyed my brides and this last year will be our best yet.
We have fabulous weddings at Annabelle Mansion and look forward to all upcoming events. Do ask around. Visit the testimonial page on the website. They are not embellished and will give the reader a true and correct picture of what kind of experience they can expect. References are happily provided to all that ask.
In summary, ask yourself this simple question would you do business (i.e. a $40,000+ wedding ceremony) with someone who was one of the rudest people I have ever met? I think not. The credibility of someone who states that and still books their wedding is questionable at best. They have none. As I said in the opening line PLEASE CONSIDER THE SOURCE.