Wedding Planner Trouble

caimitator

Hi All,

Sorry if this post is in the wrong place, and sorry for the length of post!

I'm just looking for a bit of advice.

Got engaged May of 2016, and originally the plan was to get married in Spain. However, in May of this year we decided that getting married in Ireland was better for us and began looking at venues. As you can imagine, looking for a weekend wedding next Summer has been challenging in terms of availability (totally our own fault). Furthermore, we're looking for a venue that would do a Friday wedding with a Saturday second day option (I know, I know, we're pushing it).

Anyway, we've gone to see 8 venues, and at the weekend we were offered a venue we really like for the Bank Holiday next year in August which is ideal.

At the start of June, we met with a wedding planner and decided to go ahead with her. On the first day we met her, we told her how the wedding we had planned in Spain was to be on the 1st September but that we'd be looking for earlier if it was in Ireland. When we filled out her consultation documents, under "Date of Wedding", we put "July/August 2018".

Before we went to see the venue in question, the wedding planner emailed their availability and mentioned the August Bank Holiday. After we saw the venue, she mentioned that the venue were still willing to offer us the Bank Holiday and would we like her to hold the dates for us? Of course we said yes.

The next day, we received an email from her stating that she's actually not free on the August Bank Holiday 2018 and that she's really sorry she didn't realise this but that she's going through an illness in her extended family and she has been distracted and she didn't check the dates when we said it.

Has anyone else experienced something like this? How did you proceed? We have paid a deposit, but not the total fee.

Thanks, sorry again for length

DaeryssaOne

Haven't been through it myself but I would imagine you should be in the position to receive a full refund of your deposit on account of the fact that the planner got the dates wrong herself. If she sent an email stating that she incorrect and the fault is on her side you should simply just ask for your deposit back.
It will be easier to find another wedding planner than a venue you love that's available on the long weekend. A wedding planner isn't all that necessary but obviously a suitable venue is! Best of luck with it.

SozBbz

Is the venue somehow contingent on working with this wedding planner? If not, simply request that your deposit is refunded and start looking for a new planner if you still think you need one.

Your requirements for the venue are quite a lot given the time of year and essentially wanting to book it out for two days, so I'd suggest if you have a venue that fits that and you like, hold onto it.

PhoenixParker

By wedding planner do you mean the hotels wedding coordinator?
So the venue is booked out?
Not much you can do except get your deposit back and move on.
Alternatively you could switch to a different date in the same venue, maybe using your annoyance to leverage a better deal.

I'd suggest looking for somewhere with availability on the Friday then finding a nearby pub or restaurant to accommodate day 2. You'll have far more options.

caimitator

Sorry, should have been clearer. External wedding planner. Wedding venue still has date we want.

PhoenixParker

Just get a new wedding planner so, if you even need one now that the event is in Ireland. Seems like you have grounds to break any contract and get a deposit back as she first said the date was ok and then said not.

Wheety

Go with the venue. Does the wedding planner need to be there on the day? If so, can she not send someone else?

huggles85

Things like this happen. Take it on good faith that she made an error and kindly ask for a refund of your deposit as soon as possible which of course you are entitled too.

GingerLily

Have you asked her yet for a return of your deposit?

caimitator

Haven't asked for the return of deposit yet. We are due to see the venue in question again tomorrow morning before we make a final decision on it.

GingerLily

caimitator wrote: »

Haven't asked for the return of deposit yet. We are due to see the venue in question again tomorrow morning before we make a final decision on it.

Have you paid a deposit to the wedding planner? Has she received any money from this so far? If not can't you just proceed with the venue and get a new wedding planner?

caimitator

Yes, have already paid over a deposit.

Bacchus

caimitator wrote: »

Yes, have already paid over a deposit.

If I have this right... you have paid a deposit to the wedding planner who isn't available on the date you want... but you haven't paid a deposit to the venue that is available.

Did the wedding planner bring this hotel to your attention? Has she already put in work on this? Has she put in any other work for the planning?

I say be clear with the wedding planner. You want to go ahead with the hotel on that date and unfortunately that means you can't go ahead with her. Try and negotiate whatever you can get back from the deposit. I'm not sure what your agreement is for the terms of service but there must be some provision for the event that she is not available on the date itself. I mean surely it happens on occasion.

caimitator

Bacchus wrote: »

If I have this right... you have paid a deposit to the wedding planner who isn't available on the date you want... but you haven't paid a deposit to the venue that is available.

Did the wedding planner bring this hotel to your attention? Has she already put in work on this? Has she put in any other work for the planning?

I say be clear with the wedding planner. You want to go ahead with the hotel on that date and unfortunately that means you can't go ahead with her. Try and negotiate whatever you can get back from the deposit. I'm not sure what your agreement is for the terms of service but there must be some provision for the event that she is not available on the date itself. I mean surely it happens on occasion.

Exactly. Have paid the deposit to the wedding planner, and haven't paid deposit on venue. This is due to happen tomorrow morning.

The wedding planner has brought this to the venue's attention. However, we do not want this to affect the venue's understanding of our eagerness to secure the Bank Holiday weekend. As in, we don't want the venue to think "oh their wedding planner said she wasn't available on that day, so we can release their provisional booking."

No other work has been put in, other than arranging viewings of venues (none of which she attended). She is due to attend the venue with us tomorrow as it is probably the one we are going to go ahead with.

I'm sure she will suggest that she can do the work up until that point and delegate the actual day to someone. I just don't know if I'm comfortable with that option.

Wesser

This is not really that complicated.
Just get a new wedding planner.
Do you even need one?

Humour Me

Go to the venue tomorrow, confirm the booking and pay the deposit. A wedding planner is not required for that. Make it clear to the venue that they are dealing with you directly and not the planner, therefore any changes in planner will not impact the booking.

Separately have a conversation with the wedding planner to see what contingency she is putting in place for your wedding date and ask her to put it in writing. If you are not happy with her response, tell her that as you are not getting the service you were originally offered, you don't want her to act as your planner any further.

Have you signed a contract with her which confirms if your deposit can be refunded?

caimitator

According to the contract, the deposit is non-refundable

Faith

caimitator wrote: »

According to the contract, the deposit is non-refundable

That presumably only relates to you cancelling, not her double booking herself. She can't fulfill her end of the contract, thus it's null and void.

Bacchus

Faith wrote: »

That presumably only relates to you cancelling, not her double booking herself. She can't fulfill her end of the contract, thus it's null and void.

The timeline would actually really help clear up where the OP stands with the coordinator deposit. The following line in the OP introduces a bit of ambiguity...

At the start of June, we met with a wedding planner and decided to go ahead with her. ... When we filled out her consultation documents, under "Date of Wedding", we put "July/August 2018".

Is this the point at which you paid the deposit or was it only when you had the date confirmed?

If it was at this point then it appears to be a sort of find the date/venue deal and perhaps she's technically not breaking it as long as she can find something for you in "July/August 2018".

If it was only at the point in which you confirm the date and venue with her, then yeah it's all on her breaking the contract with regards the double booking so get on to the hotel directly and get your deposit in.

caimitator

Bacchus wrote: »

The timeline would actually really help clear up where the OP stands with the coordinator deposit. The following line in the OP introduces a bit of ambiguity...



Is this the point at which you paid the deposit or was it only when you had the date confirmed?

If it was at this point then it appears to be a sort of find the date/venue deal and perhaps she's technically not breaking it as long as she can find something for you in "July/August 2018".

If it was only at the point in which you confirm the date and venue with her, then yeah it's all on her breaking the contract with regards the double booking so get on to the hotel directly and get your deposit in.

Apologies for the lack of clarity.

We paid the wedding planner's deposit at the end of June, before we found any venue/date we liked.

The contract includes, "on the day attendance and coordination, including second day arrangements." This part obviously cannot be fulfilled now. However, this is probably not enough to transform the refund into a refundable one.

GingerLily

caimitator wrote: »

The contract includes, "on the day attendance and coordination, including second day arrangements." This part obviously cannot be fulfilled now. However, this is probably not enough to transform the refund into a refundable one.

Ask for your deposit back first

tuisginideach

Why do you need a wedding planner?

caimitator

We don't need one, but some people want wedding planners, including us. The decision about whether we want one or not has been made.

The original post was asking for advice regarding the current situation, not whether we should have one at all.

I know that probably doesn't answer your question, apologies.

GingerLily

caimitator wrote: »

We don't need one, but some people want wedding planners, including us. The decision about whether we want one or not has been made.

The original post was asking for advice regarding the current situation, not whether we should have one at all.

I know that probably doesn't answer your question, apologies.

Can you not just ask her for your deposit back? It might be just that simple.

caimitator

I'm hoping it is that simple. I was wondering if someone had been in this situation before and what the conclusion was, i.e, allowing delegation to happen and if it was successful.

Obviously we also need to consider the fact that as the wedding is occurring on a summer Bank Holiday in Ireland next year, it's going to be hard to find a good planner that's available. It is relatively short notice at this point.

tuisginideach

caimitator wrote: »

We don't need one, but some people want wedding planners, including us. The decision about whether we want one or not has been made.

The original post was asking for advice regarding the current situation, not whether we should have one at all.

I know that probably doesn't answer your question, apologies.

Sorry, I didn't mean that as a rude question - what I was trying to say was can you not just go ahead with the venue etc without the wedding planner (hopefully getting your deposit - or most of it - to her back).

caimitator

tuisginideach wrote: »

Sorry, I didn't mean that as a rude question - what I was trying to say was can you not just go ahead with the venue etc without the wedding planner (hopefully getting your deposit - or most of it - to her back).

Sorry for the defensiveness, some people have asked that question quite rudely before and I guess the wedding stress is starting

We could definitely go ahead with the venue without her; however, it's the flowers, photographer, the coordination on the day etc that we were really hoping she would take over.

Ghekko

I imagine if she offers someone to attend on the day it will be someone she has 100% faith in. She's not likely to ruin her reputation by handing over to an amateur. As long as the delegate is up to speed with all that's happening then they should be professional enough to handle the day itself. At that point all the organising has been done anyway. She may not even offer this option if she's a sole operator and in that case I would request part of the deposit back - taking into account she is travelling to the venue with you tomorrow.

caimitator

Ghekko wrote: »

I imagine if she offers someone to attend on the day it will be someone she has 100% faith in. She's not likely to ruin her reputation by handing over to an amateur. As long as the delegate is up to speed with all that's happening then they should be professional enough to handle the day itself. At that point all the organising has been done anyway. She may not even offer this option if she's a sole operator and in that case I would request part of the deposit back - taking into account she is travelling to the venue with you tomorrow.

She is a sole operator.

I agree, would not be asking for 100% of deposit back, as she has done some work (sourcing venues and arranging viewings and attending the viewing tomorrow).

If she offers to take on a delegate, I guess we'd be worried that she would be looking for more money for taking on same - although this is unlikely. If this is an option, we would probably want the delegate to be attending the majority of meetings and walkarounds in order for us to have complete trust in them. This requirement may be unrealistic on our part.

Senna

If the wedding planners name is Helen, run a mile.

Even if it's not her, she has already made mistakes and is making excuses, do you really want that start with a planner. Planning is their job, she has already failed that once.

caimitator

Haha it's not Helen, but if we do decide to go with a different wedding planner I will be sure to be on the look out for any Helens.

I suppose we'll see what solutions she comes up with before letting her go and whether we can get the deposit back.