A West Lothian couple have spoken of their heartbreak at losing their dream wedding venue just two months before they were set to tie the knot.
As a result, the smitten pair are pleading with potential new venues to help save their wedding.
Erick Hanley, 53, and fiancée Carina Tomac, 46, from Bathgate, met in 2017 and decided that it was time to take the next step in their relationship by marrying one another in front of their loved ones this summer. The pair had picked out Airth Castle Hotel & Spa Resort in Stirlingshire for their special day on Saturday May 13 but last week they discovered that the venue had gone into liquidation.
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Erick, who works for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in Bo’ness, and his partner Carina, who is a project manager, were both working from home last Tuesday when they received a call from a friend out of the blue. Their friend informed them that they had read that Airth was in the news due to their liquidation.
Carina, who Erick says rarely cries, was left in floods of tears as they scrambled to try to contact the venue. They were able to speak to their wedding coordinator who they say seemed as devastated as them when he answered the phone.
They were informed that they could keep their deposit with the venue in the hope that a potential new owner would honour their original date but something did not sit right with them. Luckily the pair avoided handing over thousands of pounds for their second deposit during a planned tasting session at the venue next week.
But the whole ordeal has left a sour taste in their mouths. Both Erick and Carina have been angered by the lack of contact from Airth. They add that they have friends and family from around the world who had booked to stay at the venue that are now also left in the dark.
“We received a call from a friend who said that Airth had entered into liquidation and that triggered panic stations. We had heard zilch from the venue and they did not even try to contact us to warn us that they were in trouble”, Erick said.
“Both ourselves and our friends tried desperately to call the venue and after hours we managed to get through.
"Our wedding coordinator answered and seemed as devastated as us. He said we could remain with them in the hope something could be worked out but we felt that was not wise and asked for our deposit back.
“Unfortunately we were told that we were unable to get the deposit at this moment as liquidators had taken over.
"We were meant to hand over thousands of pounds to them as part of our deposit before they went under but luckily we had agreed that we would wait for our tasting session next week. This could have ruined us completely as they would have had a lot of our money before it went tits up.
“We felt total anger. It has not been handled well at all. No one contacted us from Airth to give us any explanation and no one has contacted us to say sorry.
“And there has been no offer of a refund or help. If it wasn't for Carina constantly being on the phone that afternoon then we would not have heard anything.
“Angry probably doesn’t even cut it. At the very least we thought we would have got an email from someone. We have not even had a formal cancellation of our wedding - if we did not see the press or had that call from a friend then we would have shown up next Sunday.”
The couple have not only been left out of pocket but Carina has family who had booked up with the hotel in advance from Sweden. They too have no idea whether they will be refunded for their booking.
They are now in a mad dash to try to find a venue that will help them to save their wedding day. Ultimately, Erick says they would require a venue that could offer them a similar price of accommodation and to be within their original budget for Airth.
Erick says that their wedding vendors have been very understanding but that their services can only really be guaranteed if they are able to book somewhere for Saturday May 13. Due to having international guests, the pair will also require a venue that has strong transport links alongside the on-site accommodation.
They have been through 35-40 venues in their search this week and have travelled hundreds of miles trying to rectify the situation. But they still need to find a venue that can meet their dates and needs.
“It has been an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. When we first heard the news we could not even talk to one another”, Erick said. “We were absolutely flabbergasted. There have been so many sleepless nights. It has been really difficult to see Carina so upset as I know she is not easily brought to tears.
“If there are any other venues that think they could help then do try to get in touch. We are really grateful to those that have already reached out to us.
“We feel it could be mutually beneficial as if you have not had a booking in place for that date then we would be able to fill that and you could also save our wedding. We have around 7-80 guests in total.”
The love that the couple have for one another is shown by the eight to nine months that Erick spent having a ring especially crafted for Carina.
The couple met on May 28 2017 and to mark this he had a 2.8 carat stone to signify the day, four more stones along with this marked the fifth month and 20 other stones making up 1.7 carats to celebrate the year.
Anyone wishing to help the couple can get in touch with Erick via his email at: Ecktheheck@gmail.com
Airth have been contacted for comment in relation to the couple's wedding booking.
The Daily Record, however, reported that a spokesperson for Airth Castle Hotel Limited said last week: “The coronavirus pandemic had a major financial impact on the operating company, as the hotel was forced to close for an extended period.
“Then, as the energy crisis unfolded and supplier costs increased, the company’s level of debt reached unmanageable levels and we have taken the reluctant decision to place the company into voluntary liquidation.
“Regretfully, around 26 full-time staff, together with a number of part-time staff, will be made redundant.”
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