July Wedding Venue Help

Hanzy13

Hello,
We are supposed to get married on 18th July 2020 but our venue have advised that we postpone to next year. However the only dates they are willing to offer us are midweek in Jan/Feb/March and the church we are getting married in can’t do any of them because it has to be in specific times of the year. 

The venue won’t give us any other dates to consider but they also are refusing to say that they are cancelling the event in July as they say there is a chance it can go ahead but with social distancing. (We have 130 guests and we don’t really want to put our friends and family at risk). 

Can the venue force us to go ahead with a socially distanced wedding with reduced numbers in July given that we cannot do any of the dates next year? Or do we have a right to a refund of our deposit?

We aren’t covered with insurance either because our provider doesn’t cover governmental bans. 

Thanks in advance. 

Mrsn

I don’t have a specific answer I’m afraid but I would suggest you have a look at the CMA guidance which covers wedding deposits etc.

Lots of venues sadly seem to be offering very limited in choice for rescheduled due to the virus. I understand their priority will be for couples whose dates were originally for next year but that doesn’t make what they are doing to existing bookings right either! 

I hope you manage to get something sorted.

Grumpy_chap

This is like so many other threads. 
If YOU cancel, then the ball is firmly in the venue's court to set the rules for re-scheduling.  If THE VENUE cancel, your rights are so much stronger for a full refund.
Is it yet clear what the venue will be allowed to offer in July? 
If the venue are trying to say they can do a 'smaller' wedding on the original date, then that is a very grey area.  What exactly does it say on the order paperwork?  If it says "x number of wedding guests at £x each" then the venue could cancel "y number of guests" but still honour the balance of guests without cancelling them (though that is not the wedding you planned for).  If the paperwork says "wedding including 130 guests at £xxxx" then they either provide for the full 130 or none.

Grumpy_chap

This BBC article might also help:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52811509

Hanzy13

Thanks for your replies. I have read the CMA advice very carefully but it all hinges on the venue cancelling... but I don’t think they will ever cancel on us if there is a slight chance they will be able to hold some form of wedding at the venue! We are in total limbo as it’s 6 weeks away and I need to let our guests know what’s happening. 
 They have stopped replying to all messages now and I can’t get in touch with them at all. 

Jeremy535897

The CMA advice includes:

"In particular, for most consumer contracts the CMA would expect a consumer to be offered a full refund where:

• a business has cancelled a contract without providing any of the promised goods or services;

• no service is provided by a business, for example because this is prevented by Government public health measures;

• a consumer cancels, or is prevented from receiving any services, because Government public health measures mean they are not allowed to use the services."

The consumer can cancel, but the issue is more whether in 6 weeks the lockdown restrictions will have eased sufficiently for you to hold the wedding.