We all know how expensive weddings can be, but one couple’s big day has ended up costing them a lot more than they bargained for when they tried to cancel on a reception venue.
Tarryn Sohn and Jason Conway have been ordered to fork out $12,000 for a wedding they never even had, after they were successfully sued by Elsternwick venue, Maison Melbourne, the Daily Mail reports.
The couple had booked with the venue, but three months out from their big day went to a tasting where they were unhappy with the food and drink quality, saying the food was "cold" and they didn't like the cocktails nor the non-brand soft drink served.
Deciding to go elsewhere, the couple refused to pay the cancellation fee of 75 per cent of the total costs (which were roughly $16,000) that Maison demanded. So the company brought the dispute with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Sohn and Conway hit back, launching their own claim to try to get the $4219 deposit they had paid to the venue back. They argued the group had "engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct", the Daily Mail reports.
Listen: Goodbye, flower crowns. It was nice having you. (Post continues.)
The judge sided with Maison, ordering the bride and groom to pay the outstanding amount of $8298.50 towards the $12,517.50 cancellation fee.
The couple were married earlier this year and celebrated their reception at another venue - meaning the newlyweds have essentially had one wedding for the price of two.
It's not like weddings are getting any cheaper either.
The average Australian wedding cost has risen to $48,625, with a huge chunk of this going to venue costs. But as Anna Pedersen, from the Bride's Diary, told Mamamia earlier this year, what makes that average so high is that more and more Australian couples are opting for more 'unique' wedding venues, which cost more than the traditional options.
If there's a lesson in all this for other couples planning their big day, it's that you should always, ALWAYS ask about a cancellation fee before you make any bookings.
Have you ever been forced to fork out for services you never received?
Top Comments
Probably the lesson to learn from this is don't finalise a wedding or make a deposit BEFORE you've tasted the food and beverage package you want. But either way - absolutely ridiculous refund policy.
What an outlandish cancellation fee! I will remember not to use that venue!
Unfortunately, it's pretty standard. I'm in the middle of wedding planning and this is about the norm.