So with just under 2 weeks to go i've just had a really upsetting phone call from our venue.
We are having ceremony and reception at a gorgeous country hotel. We are using a small room for ceremony, their orangery restaurant for meal and then what they call the pavilion - which is a converted barn - for the evening section. Outside the restaurant there is a gorgeous garden area with a swimming pool, lawn and gorgeous flowers. If you picture it the resturant with huge floor to ceiling windows and terrace just outside sits on the top side of swimming pool (ie short side). The terrace continues at a right angle and goes down the long side of pool (with lawn in between) and outside the pavilion. The pavillion has its own bar and dance floor etc etc. After dinner we are having drinks and a jazz quartet on terrace outside restaurant and in evening a BBQ. Still with me?! We've got big garden candles to go around the swimming pool and loads of lanterns etc to generally contribute to a lovely evening atmosphere....
The driveway to hotel is about 1/2 mile long and at the other end there is a new barn they are converting, it's hidden away up a bank and totally separate to where we are. They told us all along there might be another function in there in the evening, maybe even a wedding reception but as its so far away from the hotel we werent concerned at all. The assured us that because of the way we were using the rooms there would be no other wedding in the main bit of the hotel - something i felt really strongly about as it's not a big hotel at all and i did not want to be bumping into another bride or having strangers wandering about in our reception.
So phone call tonight - venue saying the other building wouldnt be finished and they had an evening reception booked there for our wedding date (nice of them to tell us!). Would it be ok if we didnt use our evening room (beautiful converted barn with fairy lights on beams and a big stage etc) and stayed in the restaurant (way smaller, barely room for our band, dancing and 1 or 2 tables - we have 100 in evening). Not only that but we'd be literally 10metres away from the other wedding and both sets of guests would be out on the lawn/swimming pool area (with all my lovely decorations)......i said no.
They accepted that but are basically trying to work out how to fit in both weddings......the other might end up in resturant which would be as bad as the above option. We'd all be mixed together and their music would mix with ours - all our guests would mix. They'd be wandering about through our BBQ.
I'm totally devastated as its just not what i've been planning for 18months. Also feel like a dreadful person as i realise the other people are in a worse boat and cant imagine how awful that'd be but i feel like i have to be a bit selfish here. I only get on wedding!!!!Plus we are paying really quite a lot of money for this place - i'm not paying it to share my day with someone else.
My mum is on case and phoning them back as i didnt feel i could explain how i felt properly without getting really upset - mum is calling them now. I just dont see how it can possibly work out without it being completely different and completely ruined.
I also cant believe they've only realise it wouldnt be finished 1 week and 5 days before the wedding?!?!?!? Ridiculous - and it turns out their wedding co-ordinator is away for a week which is really ehlpful and the poor girl on phone seemed totally overwhelmed.
I'm sorry for essay i'm just so upset - i also feel dreadful for other people which makes me feel worse. Its going to be completely different and ruined 
