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?

I’m an events director.

I agree with Holyshet that the owners/manager have made this call. So you need to arrange a face to face meeting ON-SITE for a walk-through of their proposed new arrangement.

While structural works do require a lot of planning, in my experience, there might be years/months of scoping and budgeting, but the decision to kick-start the project can be taken at extremely short notice - eg February is looking quiet, we’ve had two events cancel, let’s get the contractors in next Monday.

Having presented you with a fait accompli at such short notice, they will be expecting you to kick off and will be prepared to negotiate. However I feel certain the contract will have some mention of building works, and they will argue that the substance of the contract can still be fulfilled - reception, dinner, dancing. Be careful about disputing the waffly bits like atmosphere and stress and focus on ‘this is not the bar I contracted. This is not the location you promised me for photos etc,’

At the very least, they WILL suspend work for the day you are there. I have seen new carpet put in for one-day-only, fresh paintwork, window cleaners, contract deep cleaners, even fresh grass laid, for big events.

I would hold off on discussing what you want until you have met with the most senior person in the hotel and walked through their suggestion. Look at everything - mucky car park, bad odours, dirty windows.

Best of luck. I have been the person that has had to make such a call. Escalate it to the highest person immediately, and can I reiterate m6 advice, do not do this over the phone - arrange to meet at 10am this Saturday and bring your contract.

They are not providing what they agrre

They are not providing what was agreed. Why on earth would you book a venue complete with scaffolding outside and boarding inside. The costs should be greatly reduced. Do hope you manage to have a wonderful day none the less

This is absolutely disgusting.

BTW OP, I don't know if you have been counting but it's almost a unanimous YANBU!

I would be really upset about this too. It's the sneakiness of the venue and the fact that they have denied you the possibility of easily finding another venue.

How are you and your partner with f2f confrontation and can you get to the venue easy from where you live?

You need to draft your complaint letter now.

Also OP along with your contract can you print off any email correspondance with your wedding planner going right back to the original enquiry.

As others have mentioned contracts will have a clause, what you want to find is the wedding planner discussing the USP's of the venue such as..

''historic house perfect for pictures at our main entrance''

As proof that your choice to buy was based on what is no longer available.

Also done many events in my time so agreeing with others.
On site meeting with wedding planner AND general manager. Walk through the day from start to end - mud/trucks in the car park on arrival, walk through entrance door (contingency for rain/mud), look at each room you'll use (scaffolding over windows or rooms blocked off), where do taxis wait at the end of night. And don't just think of wedding day - what about the following morning for overnight guests you don't want noise too early.
Then wait for their proposal - discount, benefit in kind (ie drinks taken care of). A poster above mentioned don't be afraid of silences.
Good luck

Whereabouts in the Country are you?

Twenty etc given fab advice. Get them to explain face to face and get them to come up with a compensation number. Do not show your hand. You should not come up with a number: let them go first. And do not accept it even if it is more than you were expecting. Say you will go home and think about what they said.

So:

Contract
On-site meeting
Escalate to most senior person possible
Let them make offer first, do not accept it
Don't be afraid of silence
Stick to facts, not emotions

They really are trying to weasel out of this one- pathetic!!!!

What’s written in their terms and conditions in your paperwork from them? This seems very unreasonable but they may have this covered in their terms, also check with your wedding insurance you may get some compensation. I too would be very upset

That is really not on! when you speak to him ask him what he plans to do about the wedding photos! surely they must have some sort of back up plan? do they have any other pretty buildings on the grounds? This is for him to sort out so that your day is the way you planned it and booked for.

Hope you get a very big discount at least

@ShatnersWig there's always one, this time it's you.

Just because an op doesn't do things the way you would doesn't automatically mean they're not genuine.

User Not saying it's not genuine. But we do often get threads where someone posts on behalf of someone else, or a reverse, or all manner of things. If someone was posting on behalf of someone else, they wouldn't know what was in the contract, for instance.

Report it then ShatnersWig, if that's what you think.
Do as you want and leave the OP to her thread

David There's a big difference between suspecting someone of being a troll and wondering if there's an angle we've not been told. Or if it is a reverse in some form. I wouldn't report a reverse. I've seen plenty of threads where people have said "OP, we've continually asked you X which you are choosing to ignore". An OP can easily clarify. Very often a thread like this has people saying precisely what I did or far worse. Many times I see "This can't be genuine, this has to be a reverse" and they never get deleted. I clarified this quite clearly and used the very specific words "Not saying it's not genuine". Yet my posting is deleted?

Interesting that my posting wondering if we're missing something along the line gets deleted but the post immediately below mine which also thinks it's weird is allowed to stand. If I was accusing OP of being a troll then by association, so was HarrietKettle.

I'd be so upset, how soon is your wedding? I would be out looking at alternative venues and demanding full deposit / payment back. You should be entitled to this as they have changed their side of the agreement. You are at risk here of them upsetting you on the day. Like everyone else has said. You are entitled to massive discount and compensation and you could also find somewhere else more to your liking who would be prepared to help you out here. Believe me I would have gone ballistic if this had happened to me, its your special day, you deserve it to be perfect.

.

Did you manage to talk to the hotel/events manager today OP?

Any update?

Did you manage to sort anything OP?

This is pretty poor from them, especially the lack of contact.

OP did you find a new venue or get a good resolution and money off your chosen venue?