To be annoyed at wedding venue?

[LolaDo]

I’m getting married in 3 weeks at an English country house hotel type venue.

They have called me today to advise that there will be roof works going on on my wedding day complete with the usual scaffolding etc. Fine. However, this goes round the perimeter of the whole venue so will be at the entrance. This means no pictures outside or under the beautiful archway. There’s a huge path leading up to the entrance with gardens either side so I won’t be able to have pictures here either as the scaffolding will be in the background.

They have also “advised” that the main bar and sitting lounge (it’s like a cigar lounge type thing where guests would have waited when they arrived) will be boarded off for refurbishment and they will be putting a temporary bar/ lounge round the back of the hotel.

I have guests coming from all over and the first thing they are going to see it bloody great scaffolding/ tarpaulin and builders.

I am so upset. What would you do?

We have spent a huge amount of money on this venue because it was “perfect” and now I just feel like the whole day will not be as I imagined. Am I being over dramatic?

Are there posts on their Facebook/Twitter pages from other disappointed BTB?

I am a wedding manager and tbf to the coordinator at your venue, they won't have had a say in the building work.
If, say a pipe has burst the repairs will be an emergency job and this could have a direct impact on the bar.
For whatever reason it is the general manager/owner who has made this decision. Agree with PP who has said if it has been scheduled then it'll be because this is off peak season, which would mean doing this to your wedding could be the lesser of 2 evils for them- upset a bigger/more expensive wedding or more weddings, or yours.
It is shit but knowing what our contracts are like it will have a clause to say that the venue reserves the right to do necessary building work if required and you can't claim against this. However they may offer you a partial refund as a 'gesture of good will'.
I would read your contract thoroughly before you speak to the coordinator in the morning.
Questions I would ask

1. when was the work commissioned?
2. why did it take them X amount of time to tell you?
3. is the work essential/urgent?
4. what contingency plans have they got in place for cases like this?
5. how do they now see your day running?

I would also follow up with how will they be compensating you for the inconvenience. They will probably have an amount in mind that the have 'written off' that they will be expecting to pay you. You need to find out their figures before you propose your own

This would have broken me! I really hope you can get something sorted!

A hotel near us recently had renovations overrun. They had a few weddings affected and helped every one find a suitable alternative venue plus paid compensation.

Is this sort of thing covered by wedding insurance?

This exact thing happened to me OP I was distraught. I'm so sorry they've done this. Getting a discount wasn't an option for me as I'd booked the venue for the very reason it was a country house with gorgeous gardens etc. If you'd not have been. Ordered about the venue you could have booked the church hall. They are awful for doing this to you.

I kicked off big time with the manager and in the end they agreed to do the work with a platform lift. They tried to tell me it was urgent work but I knew it wasn't as they hadn't scheduled it until after their wedding fayre!!

It isn't a hotel in Cheshire is it?

I would get everything written down too and communicate by email. I do hope you get it sorted out

We had this happen to us. It didn't massively bother me but I got about 1.5k off which was super and fair as it's not what we were sold! I just asked what were they going to discount us with and hinted by saying how I'd picked the venue through extensive online research looking at reviews . Other couples went to the press and did sad face articles and talked of ruined lives...

Don’t spend money on an app to record calls.

Use a landline on loudspeaker with your mobile phone recording via Voice Notes if you have that.

Just looked back through my emails and it was a 2.5k discount they gave me. Get bargaining! Ours went towards a fab honeymoon.

Just thought of something op. Have you paid for any of the installments of the venue costs by credit card? If so you may be able to get the credit card company to force through a refund.

Do not record the call without first checking the other knows and agrees. Recording without their knowledge and/or consent could land you with trouble you don't want later.

No, don't record the call. Write your own notes and follow up every call with an email to confirm what was discussed and agreed on the call

If you do go ahead at the venue then when you are negotiating your discount ask that extra costs to photographer are covered. Ie. Photoshop extra hours to touch up your outdoor images. Also ask that the scaffolding is kept to a minimum (no banners with logos on etc) as most scaffolders will put banners and netting around. It will be much easier for a photographer to edit out some thin poles and boards compared having to photoshop out large blocks of vinyl/netting.

I wouldn't get into discussion with the planner.

I would listen to what they say, say you are not happy and you want a meeting on site (at your convenience/asap) with overall manager available. At which you will review their proposals for how they will fulfil their side of the contract to your satisfaction.

Note in full and email back.

You shouldn't need to record it as it should just be a call you keep short.
You need a meeting on site.
Unless they open with offering you a full refund then and there.

Many of us asked what your contract says but you haven't told us OP.

I don't think a call from the planner is sufficient. You should be going to the venue to look at this properly and having a formal meeting with the planner and general manager, urgently, having done your research of what your contract says.

Look forward to hear how you get on.

it wasn’t even my event planner who let me know. He was “off today” apparently yeah right. So it was the poor receptionist (I presume?) that had to break the news to me, and no doubt many others.

That is shocking. They're transparently trying to avoid confrontation.

I would be very upset. They should be offering a steep discount, and you should kick up a fuss. Has the scaffolding gone up yet at the front? If not, see if your photographer can go take some shots of the facade. S/he may be able to edit photos from wedding day and replace scaffolded facade with the previous pictures. But you need to act fast.

Wow, they must have known, is there anywhere else to take the photos. I’d be furious too.

I would expect a huge discount and insist that when the work has finished they pay for a photographer, a new bouquet/button holes, suit/dress hire so you can have some photos reshot

Did you speak with the wedding planner OP? Any update?

Find another venue

This sounds awful, and I agree you should be asking for a massive discount - they're not providing what you've paid for.

I've not read every post so this may have already been mentioned, but people can work wonders with photoshop these days and it may worth asking your photographer about it? They could probably edit out the scaffolding if you still wanted your photos at the front of the venue. Any additional charges to be paid by the venue of course!

What happened OP? Did the wedding planner call you this morning as promised?

How did you get on OP?