A newlywed couple are in dispute with managers at their wedding venue after paying for guests who they say were unable to attend, many due to Covid-19 restrictions.
In 2018, Benjamin and Kerry Gibson paid just over £8,000 for their wedding at the hotel. However, it became clear in the days leading up to the wedding in January 2022 that many would be unable to attend.
The couple said that they received messages from some people who had tested positive for the virus. Many of the Scottish guests said that they could not attend due to the coronavirus restrictions which still remained in place, Teesside Live reports.
At the time of the wedding on January 22, the guidance for people in Scotland was still to keep social interaction at home and in indoor public places to a maximum of three households. The Judges Hotel in Yarm argued that there were no such restrictions in England at the time.
The couple and hotel are also in dispute whether the final numbers were provided before the set deadline. Benjamin and Kerry, who live in Hemlington and who have a young daughter called Blossom, said that despite the reduction in numbers they provided the final total "well in advance" of the deadline.
The couple originally had a guest list of around 75 during the day and another 45 on the evening. On the day of the wedding, 46 people attended. The hotel said the final figures given on January 12 were 52 and another 20 for the night.
But Benjamin, who is a full-time carer for Kerry, 37, who has cerebral palsy, said the hotel was told "well in advance in writing" that the numbers were reduced due to coronavirus. And the 38-year-old believes they should be refunded for the guests unable to attend for reasons beyond their control.
The hotel said they were made aware just the day before the couple tied the knot that a further six had cancelled due to catching covid or being close to someone that had.
Regards travelling guests, the wedding coordinator said she did not recall discussions about being unable to attend for legal reasons, "just that the Scottish side of the family wouldn’t be coming."
Following the wedding, the couple were offered a £1,500 credit to spend at Judges and its sister hotel, which the couple said was "entirely unacceptable".
Benjamin said: "For me, £1,500 doesn't feel like a fair or acceptable sum. Coronavirus was a natural phenomenon which we couldn't have foreseen at the time."
He added: "Our Scottish relatives weren't allowed to come. Additionally a number of guests had actively had Covid-19 and were legally unable to attend the wedding on that basis."
Hotel manager Ari Nauni told Teesside Live they had several discussions with the couple since and also offered them a £300 cash refund which they declined. "I think it is fair and a generous offer," he said.
"They told me they are after about £2,500 which I don't know where that comes from."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
