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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

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Original poster

Cancelling a wedding

44 replies

Lacey2019 · 02/05/2019 17:45

Hello all

I am in the process of cancelling my wedding. I should have been walking down the aisle in 4 months time. We have paid 4500 venue hire fee already...and in the contract their is a 4500 cancellation fee :( has anyone been in this situation. I know the venue is losing out, but this seems extortionate!

In addition I have a honeymoon booked through virgin for sandals. We have paid £350 deposit. Does anyone know how this works? Do I have to pay the rest

Thank you

OP posts:

TeenTimesTwo · 03/05/2019 08:17

I don't think wedding insurance pays out if either party declines to get married, does it?

myhamsteratefreddiestarr · 03/05/2019 13:27

Good point teen I hadn't considered it wouldn't cover a change of mind.

SpiderP · 03/05/2019 13:47

Was £4500 the total venue hire fee? Or did you have a balance to pay? It doesn't make sense to charge you more than 100% cancellation fee because they would be charging more not to provide the service than if you go ahead. If that's the case just don't cancel and let them serve dinner to an empty room!

flowery · 03/05/2019 14:24

As everyone else says, it means you lose the £4500 you've already paid, it doesn't mean you need to pay an additional £4500.

Northernlass101 · 03/05/2019 18:32

Did you find out?

How did he take it / family & friends

Fmlgirl · 04/05/2019 19:08

I did this three weeks before the wedding. It was hard but I made absolutely the right choice and am very happy now living by myself.

Regarding vendors, it really differed from vendor to vendor. The venue didn’t give me any money back for the deposit, nor did the registry office. M&S gave me my money back for flowers and cake despite the fact that it was technically too late to get a refund. I rang them up and explained my story and they were courteous. It doesn’t hurt to speak to everyone but you may not get money back. I sold my wedding dress on eBay and it took me a long time to pay everything off. However, I’m reminding myself that it’s just money and what is that really compared to my happiness for the rest of my life.

OhioOhioOhio · 04/05/2019 19:20

My divorce is costing much, much more than £4500.00. Well done for being so brave.

PerspicaciaTick · 04/05/2019 19:32

Please talk to your venue, although cancelling is a complete pita and a big chunk of income for them they will be understanding and it does happen a lot. The last thing they want is publicity suggesting that they took financial advantage of a painful situation, so let talk to them and see what arrangements you can make.

Original poster

Lacey2019 · 15/05/2019 07:32

Thank you everyone. Still in the process of arguing this one with the venue :(

OP posts:

icanthelpyou · 15/05/2019 07:37

Goodness really. So they do want another 4500 on top?

Windmillwhirl · 15/05/2019 07:41

Just wanted to say stay strong, op. In years to come this situation will be a distant memory. Hang in there. As others have said, better to end it now because a messy divorce would be far more costly and drawn out.

VanillaCoconutDove · 15/05/2019 07:43

How much was the venue going to be in total if the wedding was going ahead? I’m trying to work out what proportion £4.5/9k would be.

Gamble66 · 15/05/2019 09:02

If they want another 4.5k how much would it be to use the venue and just have a bloody big party?

Merchant · 15/05/2019 09:13

Surely it shouldn’t just be you paying? There were two of you in that contract!

taffia43 · 15/05/2019 15:21

if the hire cost is 4.5k which you've already paid, just take a packed lunch on the date you hired and sit in the middle of the hall for an hour

Needsomebottle · 15/05/2019 16:20

I'm with taffia - if you end up losing as much as you would pay for the hire I'd keep the booking and go, even alone, just to prevent them keeping your money and getting someone else in for a wedding where they will charge the same amount and make a killing on the bar.

Sorry you find yourself in this position.

BabyDueDecember2019 · 16/05/2019 22:18

How are you feeling?

Sosayi · 16/05/2019 22:29

That doesn’t make sense
If the total cost is 4500 and you have already paid that amount then they can’t charge you a further 4500 for cancelling
Otherwise your wedding cost in total is 9000
However If say you have paid. 2000
And the venue cost is 4500 and you cancel
You may very well owe them a further 2500 to get to the original amount of 4500

SusieOwl4 · 19/05/2019 00:42

I think that the disproportionate fee argument could hold up especially if the venue does get booked out which it might. There was a legal case like this with a holiday where it was cancelled by the customer and they were penalised by paying 80% of the holiday. Subsequently they proved the holiday had been resold so the courts ruled in their favour and they received a refund .

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