to cry over hotel bridal policy?

[PrebendsBridge]

Getting married in 4 weeks v cheaply. Registry office, two guests as witnesses, no flowers, haïr dressers, cars or any of that stuff. £200 cream L K Bennett dress.

The only 'treat element' of the day was booking a night at a 5 star hotel, with dinner for our two guests.

That's all we can afford, and I didn't want to have to wait years saving to get married.

Only problem now is that I can't wear my dress to the hotel. They have a bridal policy of only one bride (their wedding package) at the hotel. So despite my not having anything ostensibly bridal, as my sheath dress is cream I can't wear it incase I offend a bride who can afford a massive wedding package.

AIBU to think this sucks??

Yes I think you should write to complain.
Don't complain about the policy itself, as the hotel is entitled to have the policy. Complain about your treatment. You were not advised of the policy when booking. Ask they would request other diners to leave if arriving in a similar dress. Ask if the policy applies when the hotel is not exclusively booked for a wedding, and if so why. Ask why it has been applied when there is not even a wedding booked. Point out that organising a wedding is stressful anyway and they have added to your stress. Say you are extremely disappointed that an hotel you considered a quality establishment should treat a booked guest like this. Ask for a response to your concerns.

I should think it is worth a free meal! If you don't get a satisfactory response, send them a link to this thread and point out that they have lost a lot of potential business.

Of course, you have a wedding to plan, so I don't blame you at all if you just walk away from it. It just makes me so cross I would like to send the letter!

Looks like they've taken their Twitter page down. Think they may have been getting some grief from MNetters over dressgate!

I live a few hundred metres from Rockliffe Hall, & can confirm it's lovely but rather got ideas above its station at times.
Weddings at Rockliffe cost tens of thousands of pounds and all the local great & good get married there (bit footballers' wives).

Although it is nice, there are loads of other equally lovely places in the area.
The Morritt hotel near Barnard Castle is gorgeous (so nice I got married there last year!)
The Bay Horse pub in Hurworth village is fab for a v posh pub meal.
Headlam hall near Darlington is beautiful
The George at Piercebridge has stunning views onto river & fab food.
There's loads of places, you're spoilt for choice!

Ps. Please don't anyone go too far & actually get Rockliffe closed down or anything, loads of my students work there!

Woah there, they don't even have a wedding on!!! Muppets, the lot of them!! They don't deserve your business.

And if they don't refund your deposit, we can all go ape shit on there asses until they are paying you to get us to stop!! #rockclifferuinedmyweddingday!

I'd want to be somewhere where the knowledge of the nature of our visit was met with a "Ooh how lovely, we'll be sure to make it an extra special stay for you" rather than "Ok. We'll take your money. But at no point must you resemble a couple on your wedding day under any circumstances."

This. Exactly this. OP, they are being complete arses about this - this is meant to be your wedding night, they will totally ruin it by being in a haughty grump with you. They sound like total snobs from the tone of their email, no way would I go there still (I'll happily join MN in a boycott).

I've only read first 150 posts, I bet this is resolved and I'll get calls to RTFT won't I?

I nearly choked laughing at Bruno's penis crocheted wedding dress. I inhaled an oat cake. Ouch.

Oops, just saw you got somewhere, the Tontine is lovely, you'll be well looked after there I'm sure

Just saw their twitter comment about the policy to 'protect' their brides.

Well, I bet you're all reassured to know that should you want to book a wedding you'll be 'protected' from another woman wearing a white dress.

Ok, caught up. Have you heard if they'll refund you yet? They bloody well should since you were going to wear an elegant dress which wasn't even from a bridal collection. Arses.

Delighted that you changed the booking. That's a fantastic dress and it's ridiculous that a hotel should presume to suggest that you shouldn't wear it or that you should run your choices past them. They did not deserve your custom. Have a brilliant day!

It's because someone else has a contract saying only one wedding on the say at the hotel, and may have paid somewhere around 500 pounds for it to be there!

However I wud wear the dress, and shit it goes on trip advisor about how they ruined ur wedding.

Notice their Twitter feed doesn't actually mention the fact that there wasn't even another bride or wedding booked in for that night - which is only 4 weeks away so chances are there wouldn't have been any issue anyway!

OMG! I have never heard of the "one bride policy" and the final reveal that there wasn't even a wedding booked on that day in the first place... wow. The world's gone mad. Isn't it supposed to be the hospitality industry? Not very bloody hospitable!

What a lovely dress. Ideal for a wedding but equally something that could be worn to any other celebration. Provided you don't come in covered in confetti bearing a wedding cake, I'm not sure the hotel have a leg to stand on.

holidays there is no other wedding at the hotel on the same day! That's the irony of it!

cancel the booking, get your friends to re book in their name and turn up wearing wearing your lovely outfit. and tell new husband to keep his mouth shut! (now that's awful advice to give a newly wed, sorry!)

oops, didn't resd far enough, see you have changed venue.

have a wonderful day

Refund confirmed, and DP got an apologetic phonecall. Think we can all call off the wedding flash mob now.

Do they protect the Grooms from other men wearing suits?

Glad you're not giving them any money.

I'm glad you found somewhere with more class and decorousness. I hope you have a wonderful day.

Gorgeous dress Op - just perfect for a low key wedding.

Glad all is sorted.

I'd love to sit in on their staff meeting this week, when they justify their decision to each other and try to re-word their t&c to make sure no bride other than those who are getting married at the hotel, or those who will wear only primary colours and not be at all celebratory can be within the perimeter fence.

Ask if this is ok for the groom and his mates?

I can't get on their twitter. Have they shut it down due to the wrath of Mumsnet?

Damn was looking forward to a mn bridal flash mob!

Glad it's all been sorted