Devastated brides and grooms may have to delay weddings by YEARS due to virus
DEVASTATED brides and grooms are having to delay their weddings by YEARS or not have the big day they wanted because of coronavirus.
Thousands have been forced to postpone their nuptials — and problems rearranging them are causing fresh heartache for many.
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Venues are struggling to reorganise ceremonies and receptions to suit the couple’s wishes, and in some cases are charging more for the new date on top of the original cost.
Heartbroken Katherine Platt, 36, and fiancé Ricky Briggs, 42, stand to lose the £20,000 they spent on their wedding unless they delay the event until 2022.
It is the second time Katherine, a communications manager, has had to cancel her big day as her late father Christopher was too ill with terminal cancer to attend the original date in 2018.
He died the very hour the couple — who have been together 18 years — were due to exchange vows.
Katherine, from Banstead, Surrey, said: “The venue has offered us alternative midweek dates in December or else the earliest possible spring-summer date for a Saturday when family and friends can make it is 2022.
“We had set our hearts on the place and the problem is the insurance won’t cover us for coronavirus so we either stick with that place and have the wedding in 2022 or lose £20,000.
“I know with what’s going on in the world our cancelled wedding is trivial compared to people who have lost loved ones and I know we shouldn’t be moaning but it’s all so heartbreaking for us. I really don’t know when we will get married now.”
Chelsie Foster, 26, and Jacob Gill, 29, a telecoms engineer, have also re- scheduled but are not getting the wedding they had saved up for.
They were looking forward to their barn wedding on June 13 this year — a peak date — but their venue has now offered them a new date of March 20, during the off-peak period.
The steps you need to take
- CHECK the Ts&Cs of your venue contract for any mentions of rescheduling in an unexpected event like this – if there is any price protection in place then you can exercise your rights using the contract.
- Call your wedding insurer to see if it will cover additional costs for moving the event to next year. Many of them are willing to do this for up to 25 per cent of your original cost, depending on your contract.
- If you can’t find a way out of extra costs, are you able to negotiate with your venue? For example, will they waive the corkage or cake-cutting fee or allow you to serve cake as dessert if you are having a three-course meal. If they are offering an off-peak date in exchange for a peak date, ask for a video call meeting to discuss the difference in costs.
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Chelsie, who works for a cruise travel agent in Chorley, Lancs, said: “We were a bit heartbroken.
“My husband-to-be feels like he’s worked and worked for a higher budget wedding — which is costing us £25,000 — but we are getting a lower budget wedding and won’t get a refund on the difference.
“If we had booked in March originally, we would have paid around £3,000 less for the venue. But we know that we’ve been a lot luckier than others — some haven’t been able to postpone.”
Another couple Sun Money spoke to were being charged an extra £1,500 for their venue and £2,000 more for their catering costs — in spite of rearranging for the same time next year.
Helen Pye, deputy editor of wedding planning site hitched.co.uk, said most venues and suppliers are being flexible and helpful about rearranging.
She said: “The majority are honouring like-for-like dates next year or rescheduling without any charges.
“However, if their weekend dates are already booked up for the remainder of this year and into next, a midweek date may be the only alternative.
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“That’s a big change for couples to get their heads round. Equally, it may mean some guests are no longer able to attend.”
Katie Watts of money savingexpert.com added: “If you end up accepting a date or price you aren’t happy with, you can always try to haggle, and politely ask them to throw in extras.
“Whether it’s champagne, lighting or chair covers, if you need an add-on, try seeing if they’ll give it to you for free as a goodwill gesture.
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