Distraught couples lose tens of thousands of pounds over weddings cancelled by coronavirus as venue firm charges them an 80 per cent cancellation charge

•  Adam Gibbs, 36, and Sarah Summerskill, 33, had their wedding cancelled
• The Woking couple were told they had to pay a cancellation fee over £13,000 
• Couples have lost thousands as venues close due to the coronavirus lockdown
• Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

Brides and grooms around the world are heartbroken as they are charged thousands of pounds to postpone and cancel their weddings due to the coronavirus lockdown. 

All weddings booked in the next few weeks have been cancelled following the government banning all public gatherings – with the exception of funerals. 

Some couples are being charged massive cancellation fees as others are unhappy with the options they are given by wedding companies.

Adam Gibbs, 36, and Sarah Summerskill, 33, from Woking, were told their big day couldn’t go ahead after 18 months of planning.

Adam Gibbs, 36, and Sarah Summerskill, 33, from Woking, were charged an 80% cancellation fee of £13,600 when their big day was cancelled

They were then told they would have to pay the venue an 80% cancellation charge valuing £13,600.

‘It’s not the kind of money you find down the back of the sofa,’ Mr Gibbs told the BBC.

They were supposed to get married at Cain Manor in Surrey on May 9 with the Bijou Weddings Group. 

The couple had paid £13,000 out of the £17,000 wedding package when the venue closed and asked for a cancellation fee.

They were advised to claim the money back on insurance but the couple’s claim was declined as the venue closure was due to a government order. 

But Bijou Weddings since said it would be willing to rebook their wedding date on another date in 2020 free of charge. 

Managing director of Bijou Weddings Sam Cutmore-Scott told the BBC: ‘I should point out that Bijou has not voluntarily or arbitrarily cancelled any weddings – it has been forced to close its venues and halt weddings caught in the government’s social distancing restrictions.

 The couple were due to get married at Cain Manor (pictured) on May 9 and were told they had to pay a cancellation fee when the venue closed 

‘We have thus tried to accommodate the needs of couples who are immediately impacted, while still respecting our commitments to clients who have weddings booked in 2021 and beyond.’ 

He said most couples had successfully rebooked their big day.

Bijou Weddings are offering to pay the VAT on all new wedding bookings for all remaining wedding dates until December 31 of this year. 

Their offer applies to weddings at Cain Manor, Notley Abbey and Botleys Mansion.     

Jenny Maybury, 39, and Michael Bromwich, 36, from the Midlands, have had their wedding postponed until September and are unable to get a full £5,355 refund 

Vendors are trying to offer people new Friday or Sunday dates if their wedding has been postponed, but some couples are disappointed as they are offered weekdays. 

Jenny Maybury, 39, and Michael Bromwich, 36, from the Midlands, are unable to get a full refund after their wedding was moved from a Sunday in May to a Wednesday in September.

‘They’ve backed us into a corner and taken it out of our control. We feel angry and heartbroken,’ Ms Maybury told the BBC.

Only 12 of their 75 guests could make the new date so Jenny thought it would be best to ask the hotel for a £5,355 refund.

But Abel’s Harp, Shropshire, refused to compensate them for price differences or a reduction for amount of guests attending.

The couple are not insured for their wedding and Abel’s Harp did not respond when approached by the BBC for comment.

‘They’ve backed us into a corner’: Abel’s Harp, Shropshire, refused to compensate the couple for price differences or a reduction for amount of guests attending

WHAT DO I DO IF MY WEDDING IS CANCELLED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS? 

Your first port of call is to speak to the venue and any suppliers you have agreements with to try and negotiate an agreeable way forward – for example agreeing a new date. 

If your venue or supplier cancels, you will be entitled to get the money paid back for what has been cancelled – although you will still need to check for any exclusions in your contract.

If you have wedding insurance speak to your provider and check the terms and conditions of your policy. 

If you cancel or postpone, speak to your venue and suppliers, and try to agree a postponement. If you have to cancel, you could be on the hook for any fees already paid – especially if you’ve given a short amount of notice. 

By law deposits can’t be ‘non-refundable’, so ask for a breakdown of why it cannot be refunded.

Source: Which? 

As the most popular time of year for weddings approaches, vendors are seeing an unprecedented amount of postponements and cancellations. 

Although people are advised to see if they can get insurance for upcoming weddings, many insurance firms have said that due to coronavirus, they are unable to accept new applications for wedding insurance. 

John Lewis, Debenhams, Wedding Plan Insurance and Events Insurance are amongst firms to no longer offering new applications.

Wedding Plan Insurance’s website says: ‘As a result of the ongoing concerns regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19), we have taken the difficult decision to temporarily suspend issuing any new policies whilst we assess the impact of the virus both in the UK and abroad.

‘Please note that if you are an existing customer, your policy will continue to remain in force and is unchanged.

‘We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and aim to resume issuing policies very soon.’ 

Existing policies are unchanged, but for many coronavirus is not covered. 

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