Hi I can't believe they haven't offered your money back when you haven't had your wedding there through no fault of your own that's outrages ,I don't care that they are a small business they should have Insurance for cancellations due to sudden illness ,they have given nothing yet expect to keep your money unbelievable ,anyway if I were you I would have a word with a Solicitor and let them know you mean business ,Best Wishes .

I have contacted a contract law firm just to see if I have any legal standing. The word discretion is very vague, but with a diagnosis of cancer, one would think her humanity would take precedent over her business. Not in this case. What if someone was to die? Would it be a case of "well sorry about that but tough ***". Every other company involved from make-up artist to florist have offered us our deposits back as a good will gesture. We didn't ask for it. We simply told them we had to cancel. So good will does exist in some. Her? Heart must be a swinging brick. The emotional and financial distress on top of cancer is something nobody needs. 

I couldn't agree more no empathy whatsoever ,as you say more bothered about money than someones health ,its not like you are asking for her money its yours ,I don't think she'll get away with it ,this is what's wrong with the world today too many money minded people willing to take it even if they haven't earned it ,go get her lol let us know how you get on ,thumbs up from me .

Talking to others, it seems a 50/50 split. Legally yes she has a right to refuse refunds but morally, she is corrupt. But it's the legal part of it that matters. The other thing to do is trash her on social media or the media itself. As soon as a business gets negative reviews, they soon change tune (I've received many refunds and vouchers for giving negative reviews. Don't worry, it's not a hobby I have). But cancer gets people emotions. When folk find out someone with cancer has been ripped off or mistreated, it seems to sway opinion quite a lot. Playing on the emotional side of it might be a way forward as well. 

At the end of the day she can't morally keep your money just because you booked a wedding she didn't have the money before ,she hasn't provided anything for a wedding for you you just booked the venue ,she must be desperate for money that's all I can think ,but yes I think if you keep on at her she might have to give so she can sleep at night ha ha .

She took from us last year as well when we originally had to cancel. We didn't want a refund, just to move it to 2023. Refused and took the money. This year, refused and took the money. There's clearly a theme. You're right, she hasn't provided anything whatsoever for this wedding. What have I seen for my circa 15k (11k this year and 4 last year) Nothing.

We're down to one wage. We have 2 young kids. This doesn't matter, she has a business to run. 

If it were me my next step would be to send a letter stating the facts of why you need this refund explain that you now only have one wage and 2 young children sometimes this is better than just doing it over the phone if she still doesnt care then you know exactly what you're dealing with but it will also let her know you are not going away .

Hello Matt110,

                        still trying to understand why you would return for a second bite after the first refusal of a refund.

Two things strike me,firstly why no insurance taken out by yourselves,,especially for the second time.

Secondly, whilst there would be justification on her part to retain some monies, this should only reflect the loss of profit, not the total cost if no outlay on her part was involved.Of course in saying this l am unaware of the timings of the cancellations and what if any expenses had been incurred. But at any rate you should have been supplied with an itemised account of where  and how monies had been expended on your behalf

l write this both as a cancer survivor and a former hospitality owner,and whilst l can understand how in the wedding business,cancellations lock out the ability to replace, l also understand that retaining any monies over and above lost profit alone is not correct. 

l assume you must have entered into and signed an agreement into the outcome of any cancellation, and would therefore be bound by the conditions laid out in that document. In the unlikely event that this was not the case, and no such written agreement exists, you should certainly respond by a legally witnessed written reply asserting she only has grounds to retain monies as outlined above.

On a personal note l am appalled by a business model that operates on peoples misfortunes which thankfully l never resorted to in twenty years of welcoming our guests, for us hospitality was more than just a word.

Good luck and a last thought would be to retain a copy of any correspondance which could be put into the public domain if a suitable response was not forthcoming,

                                                                                                              David

The second bite of the cherry was on me. My thought process was that if I have a wedding at the end of my treatment, it would give me more reason to battle through. Yeah it's more theological rather than scientific but that's how I saw it. I've seen both sides of the argument. Insurance was difficult to obtain. Money, so far, hasn't been spent. I can't imagine her having already purchased 50 steaks and stuck them in the freezer 6 months in advance. A lot of the flowers that line the aisle for example are described as fresh, so they won't have been picked. She won't be paying any staff. Her refund policy was based on her own discretion rather than anything else. Although if the event is fully paid up and you cancel within 4 months of the date, she will refund 20%. So she does actually have a refund policy in place.