Wedding Venue have let us down.

cag01

We booked a venue for a wedding reception back in December 2022. It's a really important affair as our actual wedding will be abroad and not a lot of people can attend. We arranged this reception in the UK so that all our family could come.

Last week I contacted the venue as the day is getting close, 20th July 2024. I contacted them to give them an update on guest numbers. They initially responded saying that we had been booked into an upstairs room. I replied this wasn't what we had booked, we had booked the larger downstairs room for a number of reasons, one being guests with mobility issues and secondly we have paid for a live band who would need the bigger space.

The venue owner told us that another couple have been booked in our room and they can only offer upstairs free of charge. The room is not adequate so being free makes no odds. I would also that having 130 of guests spending money at their bar is also not going to cause them to lose out. 

They will not accept any responsibility for what has happened, just keep blaming their events manager who they say has now left or being sacked. 

They have since said that in a tually fact they knew nothing of our booking, no record of it and the diary has gone missing. 

When we have spoken to the further they admitted they were becoming aware of issues back in August 23, they did nothing. They have simply waited for people like me to start contacting about their big day. Had they made any sort of announcement back in August we would have got in touch, we would also have had time to source another venue. 

Now with only 6 months to go, it is impossible to find anywhere similar or appropriate. The only place we have found is around £5k which we just don't have. 

We can't change dates as we have paid for a band, a magician, a dj, caterers etc... 

My question is, is there any way for us to get compensation? Whilst our deposit has been refunded this in no way helps to get another venue. Even things like changing all the invites etc is going to cost us. Some of our guests had booked hotels, all of which we will have to reimburse. 

Can anyone please advise. 

ArbitraryRandom

If the venue have admitted it was their employee that caused the issue, then yes, you should* be able to claim the cost difference of booking a new venue and any consequential losses (like reprinting new invitations) - though you have an obligation to minimise costs, any costs have to be directly linked to the cancellation, and most importantly, evidenced.  

That means at least considering (documenting) the cost of moving the date ... you might find the companies you have booked only charge a nominal fee to move the booking - and the venue providing the room you booked on a different day (and perhaps some money behind the bar) might actually be the cheapest option. 

For things like alternative venues, that means contacting several and keeping the quotes/confirmation of lack of availability etc for if they say the venue you picked was unreasonably expensive. 


*You may not have to, but I would prepare from the outset to have to take them to court to claim the costs. 

user1977

cag01 said:

They have since said that in a tually fact they knew nothing of our booking, no record of it and the diary has gone missing. 

What are your records like? Why did they think they had a deposit from you if you didn't have a booking?

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

ArbitraryRandom said:

If the venue have admitted it was their employee that caused the issue, then yes, you should* be able to claim the cost difference of booking a new venue and any consequential losses (like reprinting new invitations) - though you have an obligation to minimise costs, any costs have to be directly linked to the cancellation, and most importantly, evidenced.  

That means at least considering (documenting) the cost of moving the date ... you might find the companies you have booked only charge a nominal fee to move the booking - and the venue providing the room you booked on a different day (and perhaps some money behind the bar) might actually be the cheapest option. 

For things like alternative venues, that means contacting several and keeping the quotes/confirmation of lack of availability etc for if they say the venue you picked was unreasonably expensive. 


*You may not have to, but I would prepare from the outset to have to take them to court to claim the costs. 

Hello OP

The above is good advice but one thing to add is to check the terms of the booking (if there were any) to see what they say about cancellations.

If the terms were to for example allow both you and the venue to alter or cancel the booking that may be fair and balanced*. A lot of these places like to say non-refundable which would help you in this instance as they'd be liable for your costs as a result of breaching the contract.

*Even then the CMA has guidance stating such a balance may not be fair as typically there is little incentive for a trader to cancel a contract (this situation being one of those odd occasions).

If the contract is unbalance the ordinary position applies and you seek mitigated damages that allow you to be in the same (or as similar as possible) position as you would had have been had the venue not caused this trouble.

If the contract does allow for both to cancel you'd perhaps be best with professional advice to give detailed guidance on how potentially unfair terms from the Consumer Rights Act come in to play if you were considering small claims at any point.

Aylesbury_Duck

Do you have wedding insurance?

sheramber

What proof do you have that you booked the dpownstairs room?

ArbitraryRandom

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

... as they'd be liable for your costs as a result of breaching the contract.

Reading back, I think it's important to also emphasise and communicate with the venue during this process (in writing), as it could be they become much more helpful in terms of solving the issue they've caused if they come to realise quite how much it could cost them. 

Venues have a lot of industry contacts, so it could be they can make a lot of the arrangements (minimising costs) and perhaps even know of venues that aren't generally publicly available... 

DullGreyGuy

Have you spoken to the other suppliers about the fact the venue has messed up and see if they are willing to change the dates? 

DarrenDelaney

Really sorry to hear about your experience!

I'm a wedding magician - if a couple contacted me in these circumstances and wanted to change dates, I'd definitely accommodate (assuming availability!)

As a previous poster replied, it's really worth contacting suppliers to see if they will move dates for you.

pinkshoes

@cag01

Look VERY carefully at all your paperwork. What does it say about the venue use? Does it specifically refer to that room? Is that what your deposit was for?

You need to contact them in writing, giving them 7 days to either cancel their other booking as yours was made earlier (send them the evidence) or they need to pay the additional cost of an alternative suitable venue nearby as they are in breach of the contract. I'd then say that you have already looked at alternative venues that meet your needs for a band and XXX people, and the only venue you have found is £5000 extra, so this will be the cost they need to pay for their breach of contract. 

sheramber

The OP has not logged on since posting.