I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS! VENUE NIGHTMARE! UPDATED - new venue booked!

Have they offered you a refund? If so you could probably explore other options in London. I've assumed you mean London but it may be another part of the Thames? It is prime wedding season so may be difficult! If they have only offered you their alternative venue then I don't know, it may be worth calling your insurance to see if it is covered...

I completely understand why you're stressed. Are you getting married there too or just having the reception?

If you can get your money back then I'm sure people on here will have options and maybe you can put on a coach/bus to take people back to their hotels?

The other venue have just called back and have offered me a discount for the last minute booking, but the difference is still £3800. I'm seriously considering getting a loan and going with the other venue anyway.

My wedding insurers aren't answering the phone!! Aaarrrrggghhh!!!!

Yes, we could have photos outside by the Thames but we will be getting married in front of one of the windows at the venue which will be covered in scaffolding. I was hoping for this photo, but that won't happen now.......

I have nothing useful to add, just wanted to say I am so sorry you are going through this! What an absolute nightmare, you are right to be livid. I'd say if you can find a way to afford the other venue, get it booked, and then pursue the original venue/insurers to reimburse you. Surely you have a good case, unless the work is 100% essential - if it's their choice to put it up during peak wedding season, then they should be liable (I have no legal knowledge tho)

Good luck!!

Wedding insurance only kicks in if a (close) relative dies or there's a financial failure of a wedding supplier or the costs if one of them do not turn up.

Unfortunately in your case I don't think your insurance will cover you since it won't meet their criteria.

It's absolutely terrible they've left it til 6 weeks before your wedding and also inexcusable that they've left someone else to break the news whilst the manager takes a rather convenient day off.

Hope you get something sorted though or at the very least a gigantic discount.

Thank you. We're viewing the other venue tomorrow night. Although we will be losing out on the view over the Thames for our ceremony, it's actually a much nicer and mre expensive venue, plus it has a car park which is a bonus! I hope we can get it, I don't think I even want to get married at the original one now. I'm so angry!!

Oh, and I forgot to say that they broke the news by EMAIL. I had to phone THEM!!

The other venue might be able to do a last minute deal for you, failing that demand a partial refund off of your current venue as they have not warned you of this work and haveny provided the venue as described.

As for your insurance you would have to contact them and see where you stand regarding this. They may be able to help you. Sorry to hear about this, and I hope you get it sorted :-)

Awful news. The email bit is ridiculous!!! I think you are handling it in the only way you can - getting livid with them should help you sort it out! If this venue is now out of the question I would check you can transfer/rearrange suppliers like caterers and venue decorations then book the other one! Good luck, really feeling for you with this one, keep us updated!!!

Luckily we actually haven't paid our venue yet, just a £300 deposit........ The other venue are offering a discount but it's still £3800 more.

I'm hoping suppliers won't make a difference as the new venue is next door x

How ridiculous would it be to get married at their other venue? They might agree to put on transport to get your guests there and back from the hotel they have booked? If not, I would kick up a fuss to get your deposit back - even if you don't have any legal standing?

Do they have set caterers at the new venue or could you use your existing ones?

That really is terrible, I would be asking the venue for some sort of compensation because you only booked the venue because of the views or could they negotiate with the other venue to get a better deal?.☹️

I'm heartbroken for you, this is terrible. I don't have any advice I'm afraid but as others have said I really feel your venue needs to pull their finger out and compensate you or get you a better deal with other venue.

i know it won't make you feel any better but I truly believe everything happens for a reason and that it will all work out for you.

You poor thing - not what you need to hear in the run up to your wedding day!! Hope all goes well with the viewing, fingers crossed it works out better for you.

I am sure the venue will have more leverage to get you a better deal with the other venue, I would be screaming down the phone at them, I mean to tell you by email wth.

You would have to give notice again.

Is the original venue likely to charge a cancellation fee?

Tell them u want composition for the fact u have printed your venue name on invites etc!! Just becareful the other venue don't get wise and bump prices up because they know people will want to change. Such bad management from your venue. Surly they would of known a while ago the plans as projects like that don't happen over night xx

That is appalling - I am livid for you! Name and shame girl!

Depending on the landlords lease with the tenant it might be that they have only just been notified. OR it could be that the works have just become apparent and they are emergency and therefore they've had to exercise the shortest notice time they can.

Either way it absolutely sucks to be told my email and maybe it is a blessing in disguise if you have to deal with this management style ON your wedding day!!!

Really hope the other venue comes up trumps and sorts things out for you. What a nightmare for you both - praying that it will work out xxx

If it is emergency work then u need to question if the venue is safe to use!! Plus what lengths are they going to to make sure the scaffolding is safe? Is it near cars? Could children play on it? Will workers be there during your wedding. If they start arguing with u over compensation you need to raise these points and ask for a copy of the full risk assessment that has been done.

xx

Indeed, is their insurance still valid????

I would be asking for compensation based on distress.

I would be intersted to know the venue if you would email me rather than post it on here....

************@*****.***

Hi everyone, thanks for the replies. I've calmed down a bit today but we both sat and cried last night. It was our dream venue, we chose it because of the beautiful views of the Thames.

No calls or emails from them this morning, I had to call them again and they tell me that the Manager is not coming in today again but that they have been advised to tell everyone that they will not be compensating in any way. SO disgusting. Even our wedding invitations with their details on are £160. I just can't believe how they are treating us.......

We've now got two venues to look at this afternoon, I'm hoping we will fall in love with the cheaper of the two because I don't want to have to take a loan out and start married life with debt!!

Thanks to whoever mentioned about speaking to the registrar, you're right we do have to give notice again (which we have to pay for again!) so I've booked another appointment for next week.

Thanks everyone, hopefully we'll get something sorted and then we will ruin them on social media!!

Ps: I'll name and shame after the wedding so that I don't jeopardise anything!!

Only just seen this!

How awful!! I really feel for you! Its disgusting they aren't compensating and that the manager is such a coward!

I really hope you find a replacement venue!!

Oh Hun, I really feel for you! I'm sure there are some things that can't be helped in terms of building work and repairs, and that someone will be affected by it, but the way that your venue has gone about it is appalling and unacceptable! Iv worked in the hotel trade so know what it's like to have to deal with complaints and fall outs, so for their General Manager to go AWOL when ruining peoples weddings is more than just being unprofessional.

got my fingers and toes crossed for you that you can move to one of the other venues! X

I know this is probably not you want to hear right now but this may actually be a blessing in disguise. If they is how they treat you, imagine how bad your actual wedding day might have been if you had gone through with your wedding with this venue & GM in charge. Doesnt bear thinking about.

It will all turn out for the best & you will have an immensely perfect wedding. Good luck & keep us all informed. x

That is appalling behavior from the venue. I would focus first on finding an alternative venue and moving suppliers and then on taking the other venue to the cleaners!

I know the current venue have said that they will not offer compensation, double check the clauses in the contract for cancelling though. They may still require anything up to 75% of the estimated costs for cancelling so close to the day.

Glad someone else mentioned giving notice again!

Is the other venue close enough to the river to go down and get some better shots right on the bank? If I am honest, that photo you flashed, I couldn't really see the river outside!

Awful Awful Awful

Is there anyone higher you can go with this? I find it shocking that they will not offer any financial com,pensation at all. I am really sorry you are having to go through this

I'm going to go against the flow here and tell you that everything is going to be OK.

Of course you are disapppinted, understandably so, but your venue, catering, groom, family, dress, flowers etc are all fine. Speak to your TOG and see what can be done: I've seen some brilliant phtoshops tricks doen by the TOGs on here: it may be that your tog can recreate the window shot you were after even with a few scaffolding pipes to brush out.

They haven't ruined your wedding: they have ruined the wow factor as people drive up, but that is all: that is a 10 second reaction which is immediately overshadowed by the inside of the venue/catching up with old friends/wowing over you in your dress. It was a significant part of the reason why you chose the venue in the first place but that decision is made now. There is no way that the 10 second initial impression is worth over £3000 to you is there? Really?

Take a deep breath and, once you are over the initial shock/disappointment, reassess again before you spend any more money.

They have confirmed they are refunding our deposit, I'm waiting for the bank transfer to arrive.

It's certainly not about the 10 second view when arriving!! We have four huge floor to ceiling windows along the whole of our venue and they will be covered in scaffolding, limiting the view of the River Thames all day. The balconies are now out of use and there will be no photos outside the building which is what we wanted and what we booked for. I understand that we still have a wedding venue if we want it, but I don't now! The way they have treated us is pretty disgusting.

JUST LOOKED ON THE COUNCIL WEBSITE AND THE PLANNING PERMISSION WAS SUBMITTED IN SEPTEMBER 2013!! WE BOOKED IN DECEMBER AND HAVE NEVER BEEN ADVISED OF THE WORK.

I've cancelled the original venue so currently we don't have anywhere to get married but we're looking at 3 tonight and all have our date available x

Last year a venue rang me up to tell me they were having scaffolding put up and said it would be up on one of my weddings at that venue, the venue was only 30 minutes away so I went and took loads of pictures of the out side where the scaffolding was going to be just in case I needed to edit any photos after the wedding, luckily the scaffolding was taken down before my wedding so I didn't need the photos.

What I am saying is and I know it wont be the same but if I was shooting your wedding I would get down to the venue now and take some photos before the scaffolding goes up, I know it wont be the same because on the day you will remember the scaffolding but at least it can be edited to show no scaffolding, even the window shot can be done, anything is possible and quite easy to do if you know how to do it.?

The scaffolding is already up I'm afraid, it went up in May but I was assured it would be down in June. It's still up and they're now adding to it all over the front windows so unfortunately that's ot an option.......

Damn and they knew back in September, I would still go for compensation for all the stress, don't let them get away with it.