Can our wedding venue do this??? Any lawyers?!

[RedWineRage]

Posting here for traffic....and also some perspective/help/ideas!

Getting married this summer. Reception venue is stately home-type place which is open to the public but also does weddings, has done successfully for years. Top listed wedding venue in various magazines etc and very good reviews. So - not some shady outfit.

Email out of the blue this week - all rather breezy - due to several incidents at recent events, just to let you know we will no longer be serving red wine at all, with immediate effect.

But don't worry, we'll just swap that out for rosé in your drinks package.

What???

My mum only drinks red wine. Several family members prefer red wine. We planned to have beef as a main.

Totally unacceptable, right? They appear to be relying on some woolly clause in the contract around "it's a historic building, changes may need to be made to your wedding plan that are out of our control due to operational reasons" etc.

We're genuinely considering trying at short notice to get another venue, and trying to claim money back through small claims. Has anyone done this? Any ideas on how likely we are to be successful?

My mum can't not have an alcoholic drink at my wedding. Sorry I'm ranting and probably not being very rational.

Perspective and advice welcome!!

What, it's literally the only thing you can drink? How odd.

Some very sanctimonious people on this thread.

Yes by those who are looking down their nose at those that dare to like rosè

I agree that the casual way it’s been handled is the infuriating part-a generic email to say that they’re no longer serving the traditional beverage accompaniment to beef, I.e., changing the client’s catering without any prior consultation, is rude.

Good to hear that you’re speaking to them, OP, I hope they offer you a discount, tbh, this was poorly handled.

@FilterWash where have I said it's the only thing I can drink? How odd you think it is?

It's quite a big deal - this is a pricey joint, & punters are no doubt paying enough for the privilege. They're going to expect the full range of standard drinks to be available.

It's a bit like going to a hotel, & them saying "due to several incidences, bedrooms will no longer have pillows".

It's really not the same as that. It's more akin to saying "sorry we no longer have feather pillows, we will give you hollow fibre ones".

This thread is hilarious, though not for OP. Why are people so shocked that others enjoy drinking at weddings?! It's sort of a given that people will drink at weddings... And I say this as a formed wedding & event manager.

I've literally never worked a wedding where people didn't drink other than the odd person here and there. In fact, one of my first questions to customers was what was their and their immediate families preferred drink so I could make sure we had plenty available.

Often when serving wine, we'd find that most people drank white wine, and those drinkers would also drink spirits or prosecco, whereas red wine drinkers drank that most of the night so it was more important to have their choice in stock.

Op you have every right to be cross. It would piss me off as well especially since they haven't given you a straightforward reason or tried to reach a mutually agreeable decision.

I agree with the deposit idea btw

That's ridiculous. Do they have white carpets or something?

I'd be furious. Where is it? I want to avoid them!

I would ask could you take red wine or see what others will drink.

I would ask could you take red wine or see what others will drink.

I like rose but it has to be a particular kind. I love to drink cold Sancerre rose with seafood on a really hot day at lunchtime in the shade. I wouldn't like it with beef. I don't know whether that's sanctimonious, it's just what I like..

Bridezilla vibes.

There’s an English Heritage place near here which has stipulated no red wine and flat shoes only for years!

No red wine- oh the humanity. I bet this makes to the Daily mail.

You’re overthinking this. Yes, it’s annoying, but anyone who only drinks red wine will just have to do without a drink for the day 🤷‍♀️ Also, what’s the big deal about rose with beef? Honestly, no-one will even remember what they ate at your wedding within about a week, let alone 6/12 months. Just focus on enjoying the day.

Seems unreasonable to me. I'm guessing that the PM and his SPADs/minions/other work event guests have been liberally splashing the vino tinto around on previous bookings, but I don't see why you should be penalised for the bad behaviour of prior users of the venue.

IADNOL, so I've no clue about the legal/contractual position. Although I expect that such a venue has inserted sufficiently weasely legalistic wriggle-room into their agreement with you, unfortunately.

If their clause says 'they aren't serving red wine', could you get around it by popping those little airline size ones on each place setting with a ribbon as a wedding favour? You can even get custom labels made with your names / photos on! 😅

Red wine is my favourite tipple not to have it at my wedding would seriously piss me off.

I think I would change the menu. I would not serve beef with white wine or rose. I think that changing the menu would be much easier than changing the venue.

Don't cut off your nose to spite your face. You are very unlikely to find another venue.

I'm afraid this can be par for the course in listed venues. I was bridesmaid at a wedding in a major stately home where the bride had to ring around all of the guests two weeks before to let them know that high heels had been banned after major damage to some listed parquet flooring.

Well 3 of our top table didn't drink alcohol at all. The world didn't end.

Get a grip

i'm not a lawyer, but i'd guess this is not a major enough change to invalidate the contract.
so you would lose your money.
or you could argue for some financial adjustment to compensate for disappointment, but honestly the hassle isn't worth going to law over. and i doubt it would fit the small claims criteria, so that would be outlay for legal advice/representation as well.
also there is probably a clause in the contract that they would relay on.
it's not a major change, ie change of date, is it.
just be flexible and enjoy the day.

Most venues dont allow this.

Of the few that do they usually charge eyewatering corkage fees.

And its safe to say the no read wine thing means no red wine not bring your own... its clearly been banned due to the fact it has damaged the venue.

But red was wasn’t on the banned list when she booked it, was it? It’s the changing of the rules half way through that really annoying. I’m off to a wedding tomorrow. I’m a white wine drinker. But it would spoil my day if I couLd have my favour tipple.

Maybe your Mum could practice drinking rosè between now and then. She might develop a taste for it, and be able to find her daughter's wedding somewhat bearable.