Wedding venue double booking

Bossyboots

Being ever so cynical, is there any proof that this other couple actually exists?

patricia1066

Bossyboots

did you leave out the smiley when you posted that comment?

EDIT - I was thinking you wondered about the OPs brother, not the other couple. My mistake.

o_t_e

Hi Bossyboots - I never thought about that, but apparently they did get a call from the registrar after the other couple tried to give their details so they do exist!

Nicki

If they accept a mistake has been made, and are suggesting buying off the other couple, your brother has much more chance of proving a breach of contract as its not just one person's word against anothers. They need to put him back in the position he'd be in if the breach hadn't happened. In his shoes, I'd be off to the nicest place available locally on the same date, and claiming the difference in cost from the first venue plus any incidentals such as re-printing invitation if that has happened already.

o_t_e

Thanks for the response Nicki - the significant cost is one of time in as much as they were looking for 6 months for the 'perfect' place so if this falls through I don't think they will find anywhere else that can be booked for this year - I should explain that they both now live in London but both families are from the north-east so getting up here to visit venues was a bit of a military operation.
The venues position is that they didn't have a formal contract and I can't see the other couple agreeing to go to civil court to give evidence - it's not in their interests. I suspect it will be cheaper and more satisfying for my brother if he contacts all the wedding magazines to try and spread their story and make the name of the place known.

o_t_e

To round this off I think I can now officially proclaim the wedding plans dead - my brother received a very abrupt letter requesting/instructing him to cancel his notice of intent with the registrar so it seems the venue - which I'm now happy to name as Ellingham hall in Northumberland - has realised my brother isn't going to budge on paying the other couple and have given up on any pretense at courtesy. My brother and his girlfriend are going to start looking for a venue with 2008 in mind ... as Patricia1066 suggests above I think we've all concluded that they have dodged a bullet in finding out just what they are like before Ellingham had a chance to ruin the wedding itself.

MrsTinks

You might want to suggest that he contacts the local rag... See if they will approach it as a "plea" type thing - "Nasty wedding venue people sent us this letter bla bla and now we have to cancel our wedding because we can't find another perfect venue in time etc etc"... they might find a perfect venue AND warn others about what this place is like...

hjb123

tine wrote:

You might want to suggest that he contacts the local rag... See if they will approach it as a "plea" type thing - "Nasty wedding venue people sent us this letter bla bla and now we have to cancel our wedding because we can't find another perfect venue in time etc etc"... they might find a perfect venue AND warn others about what this place is like...

I think thats a good idea - sometimes in doing that other places may come forward or they may get offers of help from other places.

In any case if this is the way this venue has been acting maybe its best not to be held there anyway!

Lady_E

o-t-e , what an awful thing to happen to your brother , but again I do believe in karma , so at some stage Ellingham Hall will get their come uppance. I would go along with the story to the local rag and do a "sad story" about a couple badly let down , who now have to postpone their plans etc. Being very cynical , but would the other couple have any ties with the venue e.g staff, relatives etc etc . Just a bit too convenient that the person who spoke to your brother was on holiday .
Good luck ..think happy thoughts and forget about Ellingham Hall .

Scarlett1

I dont think there is any need to drag someone's name through the mud over a mix up, isnt getting married stressful enough