Coronavirus - Wedding venue not accommodating

That is really poor communication! All our vendors (apart from my wedding dress supplier) have been brilliant about contacting us and as helpful as possible.

If I were you, I would wait and see what happens - August is a while away, so I think it's a bit early to be cancelling or postponing yet.

This coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic has given me perspective - I have come to realize the scamming, duplicitous nature of the wedding industry in full view. I have also realized just how unregulated the entire industry actually is. Venues will rob you of your money, and kick you in the nads to boot. My daughter's wedding has been postponed indefinitely, and I had paid the venue organizer in full. Now he is refusing to refund. I am at a loss of thousands of quids now. My daughter feels guilty for it all, but it's really not her fault, but the malpractices of this entire industry.

I understand your feelings towards the venue that you cancelled at short notice and they do seem to be acting harsh in the current circumstances. But please don't tar the rest of the wedding industry with the same brush

But you have highlighted an issue in that it is not regulated, another other issue is that it can attract those who see it as an ideal part time extra income source. Over the years on this forum there have been so many instances of (insert supplier) not responding to communication or not delivering on promises. Not always but they tend to not have a proper email address or website and only have a Facebook page.

In my own field of the industry there are so many people advertising themselves as a professional wedding photographer when they also have a full time job, which means that they are not professional.

I am not sure which country you are in but in the UK any clauses in the contract have to be fair so conditions that state you have to pay 100% if you cancel 2 years in advance are not fair but the closer to the date you cancel the greyer the issue becomes. These clauses are there to actually protect you in a round about way,

In a non pandemic scenario imagine it the other way around and the venue cancelled your wedding at short notice because they have gone bankrupt because of other wedding couples cancelling at short notice.

For my own part I do not have any cancellation clauses in my contract apart from the loss of the booking fee.

The entire situation is crazy. We have offered to still pay everything by the original dates, all we have asked is that we move the date. This would also allow another couple that have had to their wedding cancelled in April or May to have a wedding in the summer. We are also not even looking at taking a 'key day' such as a Friday or Saturday.

To us this isn't about money, it's about protecting our family and doing what is right - but I certainly can't say the same for the venue!

Correct that nothing is monitored or regulated and yes there are many 'professional photographers' out there that are not. I suppose the phrase 'everyone has to start somewhere' does apply to some but it would be nice if it could be regulated.

And I'm sorry that your daughters wedding has been cancelled - hopefully the venue will see sense give you a full refund or offer an alternative date.

Yes there is - the people have to start somewhere conundrum but there are those within photography that have no intention of giving up the day job yet still call themselves professional. What then happens is that real professionals get tarred with the same brush when a non professional acts -- er in a non professional manner.

Maybe im too old school but when I started I did not call myself a professional until photography became my main income and my self assessment tax form said "wedding photographer"

Consider this also, if a person shooting weddings has got a proper full time job that pays the mortgage then would they have the same motivation to maintain their reputation.

It is not everyday that one has a wedding in their family. My daughter, about to be married for the first time, is a marriage in our family happening after 30-odd years. The deal with the venue in my case, was that they said retroactively, "any cancellation T-minus one month to the wedding will not be entertained". Truth be told, I was hopeful that the wedding will go as planned, as back as the first week of this month. This sudden scenario has shaken up a lot of folks and establishments. My gripe is that the entire industry, for the profit margin it reaps, is severely under-regulated.
~Sanjeev Nanda