Tried to cancel our venue

Our venue is trying to keep funds for services that aren't in the contract and that they are no longer providing as a result of "downsizing" their business.

Our venue is trying to keep funds for services not in the contract that they can no longer provide as a result of "downsizing" their business. These were just optional add on services, but add up to thousands of dollars. Our lawyer is now involved.

View quoted message Thank you much appreciated! I was able to find one through a friend. She’s currently helping me out. I just hope this works out for us!

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Hey! my brother is a contract lawyer. I spoke to him and he would be willing to help you out. You can find info on his website. aaronmilleryourlawyer.com good luck! (located in Toronto)

The venue owner has a bad business prospective of dealing with clients about cancelling events. As a couple to have your day and facing this situation isn't easy to face them hearing this news. Good call to get a lawyer to get an answer to you and what action can be taken upon this situation of the venue. The contract is what you signed and reflects their end to fulfill on the written terms. It would be sad to see this venue get bad reviews and contract awareness to others out there. I hope you get the answer and the money back if they don't honour their contract.

View quoted message Yes it’s crazy! In our contract there is absolutely nothing that says anything about canceling. I’m trying to get in contact with a contract lawyer so hopefully that will help us. So frustrating

Wow i cant believe youre venue is being like this. i would be calling screaming at them! this is completely unfair and NOT your guys fault. its not like youre cancelling for fun. what does your contract with them say? any loop holes?

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That's good to hear you have help, because something is not right.

Good luck.

What venue is this??? We are thinking about cancelling or trying for a postpone, but waiting to see what happens at the end of the month!

You should definitely talk to a lawyer.
One thing you could try is not rescheduling. Unless there is something in your contract about rescheduling, the venue can’t force you to. If you don’t, they’ll have to cancel and refund you. If you cancel (and this goes for a lot of contracts), they can get you. I’d ask your lawyer if that’s an option.

I wouldn't even go through a lawyer (unless it's a friend who won't charge you). If there's literally nothing written in the contract that states you have to pay to cancel, then there's nothing they can do to you. Nor would anyone whose sole business is events be in a financial position to get a lawyer themselves to pursue such a stupid case. No lawyer would bother with such a ridiculous proposition and any judge worth their salt would dismiss this immediately.

Worst case scenario, you lose your deposit unless your contract has stipulations around force majeurs and government mandated closures.

View quoted message Not our venue but a vendor. Sorry - tried to type a longer response but it's limiting me to 10 characters.

View quoted message Yeah it’s through one of my friends thankfully! Yeah my friend forwarded our contract to the lawyer and they will be contacting our venue on our behalf. Are you going through the same thing with your venue ?

View quoted message Hi Alicia,


How did you find a contract lawyer? I've been Googling wedding lawyers but I keep getting divorce and prenups. Does contract lawyer include wedding events? Sorry, today has been incredibly stressful.
Sorry to us all having to go through this. It's nuts.

View quoted message That’s amazing! See our venue was trying to defend themselves by saying it’s written in the contract that we have to pay in full if we want to cancel. But the lady couldn’t even find it herself. There isn’t even a section for cancelation. So I got a contract lawyer involved. I’m not paying them anything else to cancel

OMG how horrible are they.

Our venue is wonderful and are working with everyone. No extra fees plus we will have 2020 prices.

When you asked for your deposit or part of your deposit, what did they say? That sounds fishy, "you have to pay to cancel"

For sure check the contract - my venue had a "Force Majeure" section that stated that "[Venue] will not be required to perform its obligations under this Agreement in the event of flooding, fire, government authority, disaster strikes, disorders, or other emergencies any of which make it illegal or impossible to provide the facilities and/or services for your event. This Agreement may be terminated for any one or more such reasons by written notice from [Venue] to the Bride and Groom, the client, without liability to [Venue]. In such event, [Venue] will return you deposit."

BUUUUUUT it also had a cancellation part, so if they haven't cancelled/tried to postpone your wedding date yet and you are the one cancelling then this is where you might have a problem.

Overall you're right for going the way of getting a lawyer - sorry they are being so unforgiving about this (especially given the reason being a Pandemic going on).

The venue can't really uphold their end of your contract right now will all the restrictions in place so they shouldn't be forcing you to uphold payments. I'd get a lawyer involved if they continue to be difficult about it, I'm sorry they are treating you poorly in this already stressful and trying time.

View quoted message Yeah it’s crazy what they are doing. We are trying to get a lawyer that will help us. Because in the contract it doesn’t state it anywhere that if we cancel we have to pay in full.

That is horrible! I'm sorry you are going through this. They are not empathetic at all. I would definitely get a lawyer involved in this...

View quoted message Thank you the whole process is stressful as it is and they aren’t making it better. I just hope no one else goes through this

View quoted message Agreed. I’m so sorry you’re going through this

View quoted message That’s what my fiancé and I are going to do. I just find it a bit ridiculous. I know they have to run a business but they shouldn’t be doing this to people with everything that’s going on.

Oh no... so sorry to hear you shouldn’t have to pay for the whole thing. Check with a lawyer because all you would lose is your down deposit

I think until the venues are told they CAN'T host events they are assuming the events are going ahead.

For my bridal shower, the venue basically told us to sit tight with our May 3 date and then called me yesterday to postpone my event to June. Venues don't want to lose the revenue, so they are trying to hold on to events until they absolutely have to cancel them due to COVID.