Wedding Abroad (south Africa April 2021)

Hi,

My fiance and I are due to have our wedding in the South of France in June 2021. I don't think you are mad, it's more an issue if it will be viable due to covid or not... Have you asked any suppliers based in the region for local updates on the situation there? So far, we have not made any changes but will assess the situation 3 months out. Good luck!

Hi Ashton

My partner and I are due to get married very end of May 2021 in south of france too. Should this not be possible due to the situation in France being behind UK, I am keen to understand what this will mean for recovering some of the deposits given the companies are French and therefore perhaps we are not covered under Consumer UK laws. Do you know?

Thanks!

Hi lovely,

Sadly we have decided to postpone to June 2022 as our American and Australian family were too worried about being able to travel. Therefore I haven't explored the cancellation fee's as we have just moved dates. Only one supplier has made us pay a penalty. I think you are correct that any law that applies is french law as your contract is with them - unless you have contracted the whole thing via a UK based wedding planner in which case it may be different. As a starting point, I would advise you to look at all of your contracts and read the cancellation policies along with any Force Maeujure clauses which may help you understand what you may or may not be able to recover. In most instances, if you simply want to move dates suppliers are likely to be more flexible than an outright cancellation. The only other thing that could help is if you took out any insurance - even if not wedding perhaps travel insurance? Or if you made any payments via credit card you may have some UK based legal protections. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful. A final piece of advice is simply to be as polite and genuine as you can be in any correspondence. I know it's tempting to get frustrated but all the suppliers have had a terrible time too and many are trying to keep themselves afloat. In my experience, if you are kind (but of course you can be to the point!) you are much more likely to get an outcome that works for both parties than if you go in with legal threats etc. Not that you would do this - but I have just heard some stories where people have regretted their approach. Of course, if things escalate you may need to get harsher but it's all a negotiation at the end of the day and if they like you they are more likely to help you.

Good luck!