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Original poster

Wedding disrupted by power cut

18 replies

thedowntontrout · 10/09/2018 14:27

The power went off at a friends evening wedding party in a hotel. There were around 120 guests who arrived at 7pm. The power went off at 7.45pm and did not come back on.
The DJ could not play, the pumps, tills and fridges went off in the bars. There was some emergency lighting but it didn’t cover all areas- I had to go home and collect candles to get some lights in the toilets.
By 9pm it was dark. I phoned national grid who advised they were trying ( the hotel didn’t do this) but by 10pm we found out it would not come on until 4 in the morning.
The hotel staff then came in and started shouting that everyone had to leave. And that was it.
The hotel owners have been ignoring emails since then. Do you think my friend has any recourse and should they expect any kind of refund?
They obviously know that the power outage was not the fault of the hotel but should the hotel offer something as a goodwill gesture as the night was cut short and ruined and services that were paid for did not happen?

OP posts:

TokyoSushi · 10/09/2018 14:30

Yes, they'd surely be due a massive refund, not the hotels fault, but your friend hasn't had anything like what she paid for, and I assume had her wedding ruined as well. I'd go as far as necessary to get compensation for this one. (I worked in hospitality for many years)

safariboot · 10/09/2018 14:31

A power cut might be considered force majeure and the hotel wouldn't have any liability. It was beyond their control after all.

UrsulaPandress · 10/09/2018 14:32

I would hope that the venue has insurance to cover such eventualities.

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onalongsabbatical · 10/09/2018 14:32

I don’t know what the legal position is, but surely the hotel’s insurance would cover something like this? It’s certainly poor form them not responding. You’d think they’d bend over backwards to try and compensate for what must have been enormously disappointing. I’d ring them rather than email, personally, they have to respond with something if you’re actually talking to them. Pretty poor service.

bellanotte22 · 10/09/2018 14:34

Did she have any wedding insurance that this might come under? Poor show of the venue to ignore.

Original poster

thedowntontrout · 10/09/2018 14:45

They have rung, and have been in to speak to the owners son. He promised to be In touch shortly- it’s a month ago now.

Everything was paid in advance and there was no formal contract with T&Cs just a price with agreement to supply a DJ and food. Some food was served but not the hot accompaniments.

The manager drove her car up to the windows and turned her stereo on to provide music then had to turn it off as there were complaints.

The emergency lighting went off and guests who stayed overnight were left in the pitch black to find their rooms. I suspect that was probably illegal.

The manager also sent someone to the local supermarket to buy cans and bottles as they ran out of drinks because the pumps weren’t working. It was warm though and at that point people started leaving. Obviously the hotel lost all their food in fridges and freezers.

Without going to a solicitor we don’t know what the legal situation is but that costs money too and they’ve already lost out.

OP posts:

mrs2468 · 10/09/2018 14:48

Did the bride not have wedding insurance

Namechanger1776 · 10/09/2018 14:51

She needs to go and either see a solicitor or she needs to pull a daily mail sad face to try and get her money back.

I would suggest she asks the venue to put on another event for free. You all go back and give her the wedding she wanted/paid for.

Original poster

thedowntontrout · 10/09/2018 15:05

I should say this was an evening wedding celebration for friends and family that could not be at the actual wedding which took place elsewhere.
They did not take out insurance for this event.

OP posts:

SinkGirl · 10/09/2018 15:09

So few people take out wedding insurance and yet I, and many others I know, have had issues that would benefit - my venue went bankrupt and cancelled five weeks before our wedding!

She needs to keep hassling them - I recommend cc’ing bbc watchdog, and then a load of tweets with the same if they’re not getting an adequate response!

BifsWif · 10/09/2018 15:15

Emergency lighting is a life safety system - I would threaten to report them for that alone.

Did your friend have insurance?

cloudtree · 10/09/2018 15:19

She didn't have wedding insurance and that was a mistake. She saved the money the insurance would have cost her and took the risk. It didn't pay off.

Defrack · 10/09/2018 15:27

Even if she doesn't have insurance if the company didn't provide a service surely she needs refunding

Defrack · 10/09/2018 15:28

I would go to a free consultation with a solicitor and take all the paperwork you've and go see.

I also would keep a lot of all the messages she sends and that he hasn't replied as it's poor not to even reply and say there's nothing we can do.

If I don't get a reply would then publicly shame them unless my solicitor suggested different.

Original poster

thedowntontrout · 10/09/2018 15:39

Defrack that’s exactly what I said 👍

OP posts:

Catsingangs · 10/09/2018 16:30

Emergency lighting is a life safety system - I would threaten to report them for that alone

Why ? It came on when the power went off. All it's supposed to do is temporarily light the emergency exit routes which it did.

BifsWif · 10/09/2018 21:01

The post says that the EME lighting went off and guests couldn’t see.

How long did it stay on for OP?

BifsWif · 10/09/2018 21:07

And no, it’s supposed to stay on for three hours and be tested 6 monthly to make sure it does.

I doubt you’ll get anywhere with it OP; there wasn’t an emergency after all, but it’s worth pointing it out if your friend decides to make a complaint.

What was the cause of the power cut? Could she take it up with the energy company?

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