I called today to pay our deposit for our wedding venue, and they informed me they have no record of us booking. I have screenshots of messages between myself and the venue on Wedding Wire proving that we booked our date, but they are refusing to honor their commitment. They say they already have someone else booked for that date. The date we booked for is 10/10/2020. The screenshots show that on 2/18/2019 they agreed to book our wedding. Today they email me and outright said for us to pick another available date or find a different venue. They are not even owning up to the mistake, saying they cannot find these messages on their computer. Regardless of whether they can find the messages or not, I have them as proof. on February 18,2019 we were told the date was available and we booked it. They told us they could not accept deposits for 2020 weddings until December 1, 2019. So, clearly who ever has now booked it, booked after us, and has not/can not pay their deposit until December 1, 2019. What are my options here? Shouldn’t it be first come, first serve?
Obviously this is ethically wrong, but without a contract, you don’t have anything booked. A WeddingWire message won’t suffice. At this point, does this really seem like the kind of company you want to do business with?
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It’s very upsetting and inconvenient. You’re right, I’d rather not do business with them at this point. Even if I got the the date we agreed on, I feel like it would not be a happy day working with them. 😢
No fault with the venue it's a job to them and without a contract and deposit holding that day they have zero fault in booking another couple on that date. I do think they should've contacted you (if they indeed had you down of wanting that date to get marrief) and let you know another couple was wanting that same date and gave you guys that opportunity to put a deposit down and do a contract.
Sad thing is Money talks and I'm sure that other couple had the deposit and was ready to sign the papers to seal their date. I've learned some vendors do hold your date without a contract yet (example: this florist I want has our date booked in her schedule since this summer and we don't have a contract yet because we were still a year out but I got to reach out to her after the new year to sign our contract and put down a deposit). But some vendors won't hold your date unless you sign a contract n put a deposit down.
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They agreed to hold our 10-10-20 wedding date in the messages I have from 2-18-19. They made it very clear in multiple conversations that no contracts would be signed or deposits taken until 12-1-19 for our 2020 event date, but the date would be held. So in this case, the couple who has now booked the date after me has not paid a deposit, because they clearly state that no contracts or deposits are done for 2020 events until 12-1-19.
I just saw this on The Middle TN Facebook page! I’m so sorry about that. It’s weird that they are honoring the couple after you since nothing has been paid. I agree, all around shady and not worth it. I saw there were a lot of recommendations for venues in the area you’re looking in on fb! Good luck!
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I’ve gotten a lot of recommendations from the group and I’m so grateful for them. However, most of them are already booked. 😢 It is a popular date for the year, which is why I booked with the venue in question so early. It’s such a let down because I’ve been under the impression that everything was taken care of since February 2019. Hopefully I’ll catch some of that good luck though! Thank you! 🤗
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Girl I totally get it. We’re also 10/10/2020 and booked early so my fiancé and I were so bummed for you when we read that. I can’t imagine. Really hoping it works out!
I would report them to the BBB. Most companies do not like getting investigated by the BBB. I would also write a review online/fb page. It will get their attention and it will hopefully help them to reconsider how they treat your situation. I do not like how marriage is being handled by businesses these days so many scams, inflation, and manipulation because they know we are excited and impressionable. I hope this works out in your favor!
I'm so sorry you got burned this way! The other couple might be having a bigger wedding which means more money for them. Unfortunately money talks. You don't want to work them. I feel like I wouldn't enjoy have my wedding at a place that's so shady. Definitely write reviews for them on every and any site you can. It sucks that you have to start all over again but sometimes things work out even better than you imagined. Good luck!
I haven’t “booked” via WW so IDK how that works. But did you sign a contract with the venue? If not, I wouldn’t consider it booked simply from sending messages.
We also had a “booking window” of a year out. So I was fairly regularly in touch with our venue since deciding on it this May and obtained menus or answers to questions. But we couldn’t officially sign a contract until 10/10/19. Our venue is within a hotel on the Vegas strip but it isn’t quite “wedding-ish” so I don’t think we were competing very much. But with wanting a popular date of 10/10/20, I was still a bit concerned. We were also told that if the hotel itself booked an event in that space, they didn’t need a year window and could book whenever. So that was another concern which made me email each month to see jf it was still available in case we needed to go with our 2nd or 3rd choice. But thankfully it was available.
All that to say, that possibly your venue had the same policy where ”inside” bookings of an event trumped outside bookings. So sorry to hear that happened. Had you been in contact with the venue between February and today? What do your screenshots actually say?
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They will not sign contract or accept deposit for any 2020 event until 12-1-19, but agreed to hold date. This means no one has paid a deposit or signed a contract for that date, and I was the first to book it. So it should be first come first serve.
Realistically your options are to find a new venue (what I would want to do) or change your date. Unfortunately with you being the only one who has record of the conversations, them saying the conversations never happened, and not having a signed contract, there’s nothing legally obligating them to host your event on that date. Even if it should be first come, first served they don’t believe your messages took place so you (to them anyway) wouldn’t have been first.
It’s pretty crappy on their part but I don’t really think there’s much you can do about it. I wouldn’t want to do business with them at this point anyway.
Technically your only option is to find somewhere else. Without a contract, the date belongs to the other person. It sucks and it is frustrating but hopefully you will find somewhere else you love!
Wow, that is crazy. They don't have good customer service. This may be a blessing in disguise. Although it may be a hassle to find another venue, it beats having to deal with people like that.
