Wedding venue double booking

aidanruff

To all of you who are reading this thread, I would like to put the record straight about Ellingham Hall and the so-called "Double Booking".

My wife & I are the owners of Ellingham Hall.
We were contacted in late January by the Berwick registrar to tell us that they had just received a second booking for a wedding at Ellingham Hall on the same day. We had taken a booking in early October from one couple (not known to us, by the way, despite allegations on this website) and our bookings calendar reflected this.

The second couple who appear to be the originators of this thread came to look at the house in December, clearly liked it but DID NOT PLACE A BOOKING. We had no correspondence whatsoever from them, they haven't been sent a booking form nor returned one, they have paid no deposit, nor have they signed our terms and conditions contract. They claim that they looked at the bookings calendar after their visit and assumed that the booking was for them! The couple said that they hadn't yet booked (in January) because they hadn't "quite made up their mind", but thought that we had reserved the dates for them.

They booked their honeymoon & registrar without actually booking the venue.

We take our business very seriously because your wedding day is probably the most important day of your life. We offered this couple other dates, we even offered them the use of the house where we live which is every bit as large and sumptuous as Ellingham Hall, but they declined. We even offered them the previous weekend at a discount in case there had been a misunderstanding, we also contacted the couple who had actually booked and asked them if they would change dates. All of these concessions were made in an attempt to help the couple out because we felt sorry for them, not because we had made a mistake.

I would like to state that if anyone continues to make negative statments regarding us or our business in any way, shape or form that they cannot substantiate, then we will instigate legal action against them. If there is an honest and genuine grievance then we will carry the blame.

I would challenge the people involved to produce a copy of their cashed deposit cheque, their booking form or their terms and conditions form or any other correspondence which backs up their booking. Of course, they can't because they don't exist - in fact, we even had to ask them for their postal address as we even offered to pay the £60 which they had paid to book the registrar. I fail to see how we could be more professional or fair.

We do not deserve to be written about in this way.

Aidan Ruff
Ellingham Hall

vickyj

bylromarha wrote: »

Anyone else want to go to Ellingham Hall on the wedding day of the other couple and see how the venue deal with uninvited guests?!

Assuming a registrar will marry them...!

I Think that this is probably one of the most awfull things i have seen posted. " i know we will go and cause someone stress on thier wedding day so we can all have a laugh" You should be ashamed of yourself. How do you know that this couple knoew anythink about the OPs brother at the time of booking . I am guessing that it was the venue that have advised the other couple about the incentive payment and they may well think this is quite standard.
i work with soo many couples getting married (wedding photographer) it is well known thing that places get booked quick so pay the deposit and get it done.
Saying that i do thinkt aht the venue could hae dealt with it much better.
I wish your brother all the luck possible in the rest of his plans.

vickyj

aidanruff wrote: »

The second couple who appear to be the originators of this thread came to look at the house in December, clearly liked it but DID NOT PLACE A BOOKING. We had no correspondence whatsoever from them, they haven't been sent a booking form nor returned one, they have paid no deposit, nor have they signed our terms and conditions contract. They claim that they looked at the bookings calendar after their visit and assumed that the booking was for them! The couple said that they hadn't yet booked (in January) because they hadn't "quite made up their mind", but thought that we had reserved the dates for them.

They booked their honeymoon & registrar without actually booking the venue.

I am sorry guys as i know i am going to get torched for this but i relly do hav to side with the venue. It is sooo well known to anyone getting married that nothing is yours untill you have paid the non refundable deposit. 99% of wedding suppliers follow this protocol as this is our living and we can muck about. I get a lot of people that are soo sure they want to book me but nothing ever goes in the diary untill the deposit is taken and booking form recieved I am up front with all the couples that i deal with and this helps. This is perhaps where ellingham hall could have done slightly better.

Sorry to sound unsympathetic. I got married last feb and i know it is tough. Best wishes to you all.
vicky

bylromarha

vickyj wrote: »

I Think that this is probably one of the most awfull things i have seen posted. " i know we will go and cause someone stress on thier wedding day so we can all have a laugh" You should be ashamed of yourself.

Not ashamed of myself at all.

I had no intention of attempting to ruin someone else's wedding day. They're far too precious.

Sorry it offended you though.

And I'd just like to make it clear for anyone who was intending a trip to Ellingham Hall on the proposed date following on from my comment, please do not go-sorry if you'll be losing deposits on train fares and things like that that you've already paid for following on from my comments.:D

Glad

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

o_t_e

I’ve returned to this thread to post the good news that my brother and his girlfriend have found a replacement venue. Admittedly I don’t think it has all that they hoped for from the original place – they were after somewhere with a chabby-chic lodge ambience and this ones has more of an hotel feel to it – but at least a place has been found for 2008.

I note what is written above in post 32; there seems little point in responding as the text therein seems very much their position as presented in my previous posts – I opened this thread by stating by brother had a verbal agreement only and the writer of post 32 ends by calling for documents he knows do not exist.

Good luck to anyone here getting married in the immediate future.