Wedding deposit

Gema62000

Basically my wedding has had to be cancelled seven months before the date and the venue are saying they want 75% of the total amount which includes food for the minimum number of guests. This works out to be approx £8000! I just don't understand how this can be justified! I could understand room hire charges or something but not food, that hasn't even been ordered!!! Just because it's in the contract does this mean it's just and non negotiable! If anyone has any advice please help!

mrsmc_3

does it say on the contract that u have to pay 75% if u cancel ? The thing is with contracts if you sign them you are agree to the terms and conditions on it and if it says that you have to pay 75% then i'm affraid u probably will have to. Try and appeal to their better nature, to be honest they will probably be able to book that day out to someone else coz its not like its next week !!!

kindofagilr

Thats insane but then I wouldnt have signed that contract, I hope you get your money (or dont have to pay it) but if it is in the contract then it doesnt look good

MrsTinks

Negotiate with them and also check the contract to see if you can find any details about if you can sell the day on...
I take it you didn't read the T&Cs before signing the contract?

Miss-Moneypenny_7

most of the time you only have to pay the penalty if they can't resell the date, as the point of the penalty is to cover lost revenue. I had a similar problem when I cancelled my wedding just under six months before the date.

have you checked your terms? many venues have a penalty policy where the closer you are to the date the higher the penalty, I am surprised it is 75% with over seven months to go.

check with them as my venue gave me the option of being invoiced for the penalty after the date pending they had not resold it. you could see if they would do the same for you. When i cancelled i was warned by a number of my wedding suppliers to go to the venue on the day and check if the rooms were being used as some venues do try to pull a fast one and get both the penalty and the revenue from a resale, and it was true they were using the room and sent me an invoice about a week later which I obviously disputed and after months of discussions I didn't have to pay.

I cancelled my wedding because I broke up with my then partner so my wedding insurance did not cover it. If you had to cancel your wedding for a different reason - say ill health or something - it might be covered if you have wedding insurance so its worth looking into.

I hope this helps :-)

Minimum_Wage_2

do you have a copy of the contract?
if you do, read it very carefully and see if there are ways of getting out of it, but if it does say 75% then it will be a struggle getting out of it. try talking to them and explain whats happened they mite reduce it quite a bit plus it isnt as if you have only canceled a few days before

andromache_2

From a legal point of view it could well be argued that this isn't enforceable as with so long to go before the wedding they could easily find someone else for the date so this isn't a genuine pre-estimate of their loss. Maybe you could get a solicitor to write them a letter - that might scare them enough to offer to reduce the amount they're demanding?

Crobbo

Gema62000 wrote: »

Basically my wedding has had to be cancelled seven months before the date and the venue are saying they want 75% of the total amount which includes food for the minimum number of guests. This works out to be approx £8000!

OMG! exactly the same has happened to us. Wedding set for end of May, daughter and fiance now splitting up, hotel in Chester imposing 100% penalty which is over £7,000!

No doubt from their T&Cs they can do this, but could it be negotiable, maybe? Eg arguing that if they sue daughter for money they'll get an award of perhaps £20 per week for many years - plus bad publicity maybe - whereas we (parents) would settle a smaller sum in cash. Anyone think this line of argument might fly?

Or looking at it another way, do you think anyone would buy from what we've booked for half price? Hotel say they're not averse to this?

:rotfl:

Primmer

It may be that you can argue that the term is a penalty clause and therefore not enforceable and so worth getting legal advice - good luck.

Amber07

Go through those T&C's with a magnifying glass!!

That sounds totally unreasonable considering they have had more than adequate notice.

I woudl be asking what happens if they can book another wedding in your place etc.

Good luck

*Louise*

8k!!!! :eek: For stuff that hasn't even been ordered and when they can give the date to some one else??


What forms have you signed so far?