Common Questions:
Q: What exactly did Adamshurst Albury Do?
A: We booked our wedding reception with Adamshurst. Originally we booked for midday, but the staff member we talked to suggested changing to a night time reception. We agreed and were told to confirm the change via email
When we were ready to get invitations printed, we emailed Adamshurst and asked for confirmation that we had the venue booked on the correct day and that we could have it at night. We got an email back with confirmation.
Just over a week before the wedding day we emailed them a runsheet for the night (speeches, cake cutting etc) and found out that they had booked another group in for that night. When we called Adamshurst, we were told that they had decided to offer the venue to the other group (a 21st birthday), and that we could discuss alternatives with them.
Our booking was just as valid as the other group, but we were not given equal consideration, in fact, were were told that there was no way that we could keep our booking unless the other group offered to give up theirs. To me this is totally unfair, and unacceptable.
Q: Are you angry at the 21st Birthday that took your venue?
A: Not at all, in fact, they didn't TAKE the venue, they were offered it.
To my knowledge, they were asked if they would like to give up their booking. If I was asked if I would like to give up my wedding reception venue, my answer would be "no". So they did exactly what I would have done had I been in their situation.
My problem lies in the fact that they were given that option in the first place, where as we (who had an equally valid booking, deposit paid and date/time confirmed) were told that we had no choice in the matter.
So no, I hold no grudge against the Birthday party. My issue lies with Adamshurst's management for their handling of the situation.
Q: Did Adamshurst offer to help you out?
A: Kind of. We were offered a smaller room for our 60 guests. The problem was that the smaller room was (in my opinion) not big enough for 60 guests, and would have been in very close proximity (in the same building and a few doors down) from the larger 21st birthday.
I'm not sure if anyone else would like to have their wedding reception that close to a 21st birthday party, but I know I wouldn't. I am sure the 21st party would not be too happy about having another party that close to them either.
Another option they gave us was for them to find us another venue and cater for it. Well, with less than week to go, we had already rung around and found a venue (I think we had a choice of two that were not booked out).
And as much as I would love to have food cooked at one venue, then driven to another venue to be re-heated and served, I think the new venue's offer of freshly cooked food from their kitchen on the premises sounded a better option.
Aside from those offers, we were asked if we could change the wedding day, which would not sit well with all the non-refundable preparations we had made, not to mention the family that had flown in from around the world
Q: Why go to the effort of making a whole website about it?
A: For me these things are all relative. If I ate at a restaurant, spent $70 and found that the food was horrible, the wine had been opened 3 weeks ago, and the wait-staff were rude, I would complain to the manager, tell all my friends, and if I was 70, I might even write to the local paper about my poor experience (and complain about the youth of today while I am at it).
Well, I didn't eat at a restaurant, I booked an early 1900's ballroom & professional catering for a wedding reception that would have cost me thousands of dollars. My Wife and I (and our families) had the stress of re-organising a wedding within a week, and calling everyone so that no one turned up to someones 21st Birthday. Spending $10 for a domain and spending a few hours on the interweb making some web pages is really not much compared to that