Jon Shaw and Wendy Thornton got the bad news just 28 days before their wedding should carry on at a Holiday Inn (Image: BPM Media)
A Worcestershire couple’s wedding plans were dashed weeks shortly before the wedding after their venue was converted into a quarantine hotel.
Jon Shaw and Wendy Thornton were due to get married on July 17th at the Bromsgrove Holiday Inn – after 18 months of planning their big day.
But the coronavirus crisis stepped in again to throw their plans into chaos just 28 days before the big day.
Wedny was enjoying a wedding hairstyle and makeup rehearsal with bridesmaids on Saturday, June 19, when the chain called her out of the blue to say the venue was no longer available.
The couple from Redditch, Worcestershire, had received a tasting with the hotel’s chef and chose their wedding breakfast on June 8th.
But they say the venue “messed up” them and didn’t respond to emails prior to the announcement.
The Holiday Inn was closed to the public on Thursday before being used as a quarantine base for British arrivals from Red List countries.
Jon and Wendy now have an alternate venue for the same date (Image: BPM Media)
Jon, 55, said, “The Holiday Inn messed us up and none of it was pleasant in a happy time.
“The hotel hasn’t replied to our messages in ages, and then, 28 days before the end, they suddenly called to say we couldn’t get married at the hotel.
“They offered us alternative dates or locations, like the Holiday Inn in Perry Barr, but we didn’t have time to book the wedding in a new area on the same date as you need 28 days in advance.”
But thanks to close friends and registrars from Worcestershire who have gathered to save the wedding, Jon and Wendy will be able to get married on July 17th at a different location that was canceled at the last minute.
The couple, who met nine years ago while working at Wilkos in Redditch, are now set to get married at the Westmead Hotel in Alvechurch after the local registrar organized a venue change waiver that cost them an additional £ 120.
The couple met while working together nine years ago (Image: BPM media)
But the changes so close to the wedding were far from ideal.
Jon continued, “A poor event coordinator was hired to call all the couples whose weddings were canceled and she sounded really embarrassed.
“She was reluctant to tell us why, but ended up saying the Holiday Inn was going to be a quarantine hotel.”
Jon says the couple got stressed by the changes and started snapping at each other.
More: Coronavirus
They asked Holiday Inn to pay the additional cost, but received no response.
Jon said, “Just two weeks ago the chef and his team took us through a food tasting for our wedding breakfast and obviously had no idea what was going to happen.
“Wendy didn’t cry as she’s not that kind of person, but it was stressful and all we wanted was to sit back, relax, and have a special time leading up to the big day.
“That’s not how you treat people. I wouldn’t recommend the Holiday Inn to anyone as they ruined our anniversary. ‘
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Tieran Bhuhi, spokeswoman for IHG, which operates Holiday Inn, said she was unable to comment on how to proceed with quarantine or hotel selection.
Ms. Bhuhi said, “During the pandemic, IHG and our hotels were proud to support government-led programs around the world in which a small number of our hotels were used as vaccination centers while others provide isolation and quarantine accommodation.” including as managed quarantine hotels facilities for guests who
must be quarantined upon arrival in the UK, administered by the Department of Health and Welfare of the Government.
The Department of Health and Welfare has announced that it will expand the Managed Quarantine Service to provide enough hotel capacity to ensure UK citizens and residents can be quarantined upon returning from Red List countries.
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