It was supposed to be lucky a third time, but a couple was forced to postpone their wedding again after its venue turned into one Coronavirus vaccination center .
Jessica Chappell and Jamie Morris, who live in Porthcawl, have had to cancel their wedding three times this year – first because of lockdown and now because their venue is being used as part of the Covid-19 vaccination program.
The couple, who have been in a relationship for six years, got engaged on New Years Day 2018 and have been looking forward to their big day ever since. The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place in March 2020, but the couple found out that their wedding at Margam Orangery in Margam Park had been canceled with just four days of warning due to the initial lockdown. They postponed it first for August this year and then again for April next year.
30-year-old Jessica, who is an administrator helping respond to Covid-19, described it as a “nightmare”.
“My other half’s father died just a month before our wedding in March,” she said.
“We still wanted to participate, then people canceled and said they were too scared – they didn’t know what was going to happen.
“The churches closed so we couldn’t have our ceremony, and a few days later we were locked anyway.
“We thought it would be okay for August, but then we wanted to hold the wedding in the orangery. All registry offices were closed, so we couldn’t register our marriage. That had to be canceled.”
Jessica Chappell and Jamie Morris got engaged in 2018
(Image: Jessica Chappell)
After the date was postponed to April 2021, the couple recently received a phone call announcing that Margam Park has been selected by the Neath Port Talbot Council as the location for a new vaccination center, which means it would not be possible in 2021 either to get married there.
The couple have lost “hundreds” to getting refunds from suppliers, some of whom have themselves fallen victim to the pandemic.
“We had to cancel all of our wedding suppliers now, too,” said Jessica.
“Now we’re trying to get our money back from other suppliers. The DJ company went into liquidation, so we lost our money on it.
“We lose a lot of money, even though the orangery refunds us the full amount, which is nice. We lost a lot of money from all the deposits made,” she said.
She described the news as a “total shock”.
“I heard a number of venues were being discussed – they ended up choosing Margam,” she added.
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“I was really, really upset. It’s difficult because deep down I know it was a good thing and it’s wonderful that we have a vaccine.
“When I first heard the news that a vaccine was coming, I was really excited because I thought that would mean that I could have the wedding I wanted and I could have more people there .
“I didn’t think something like this would happen – it was just a really bad year. It just brought our lives to a massive standstill. We wanted to have a family and everything is being pushed back. “
Instead, the couple are getting married in April 2021 at Margam Castle, although they cannot have a reception.
“We never wanted a long engagement. We always wanted to plan it and then get married – now it’s taking a lot longer than we expected, ”Jessica continued.
“It was really stressful. The orangery was really brilliant, to be fair, it’s not their decision and they offered us the castle on the same day in April. I was just worried and thought I was just preparing for another . ” Disappointment.
“We’re just going to hold the ceremony and we won’t have a reception at all – I just feel like it’s too late to book anywhere else.
“And even if we don’t know whether we will have the full number of guests, it is terrible to narrow down the numbers as well.
“We’re going to hold the ceremony, hop in the car and then go somewhere in the UK for a mini moon. Maybe in a few years when we can meet again we can book a reception so we can.” celebrate together.”
Jessica and Jamie aren’t the only couples in this position – a total of 64 weddings at the venue have been known to have been postponed.
Simon Jones, 38, and Jenna Roberts, 34, of Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taff recently spoke up after learning that they had to postpone their dream wedding in the orangery twice due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement from the venue last week said: “With sincere regret, weddings booked for Margam Orangery in 2021 have to be postponed.
“This decision was not taken lightly as the Swansea Bay University Health Department and Neath Port Talbot Council recognize the disappointment and inconvenience this will cause couples.
“Margam Orangery will play a critical role in the Covid-19 vaccination program for the residents of Neath Port Talbot. 500 vaccinations are planned per day, seven days a week, in order to ensure the health of the residents as quickly as possible.
“This vaccination program is scheduled to begin in the New Year. The orangery was selected after a careful review of 12 potential sites offered by the Neath Port Talbot and Swansea councils.
“It was one that was best able to provide all the facilities required for mass vaccination, including accessibility, parking, size and safety issues.”
It is not possible to bypass the wedding dates that have already been booked, although this option has been considered, according to the venue statement.
“Because the vaccination facilities need time to set up and dismantle, each wedding would mean three days are lost for the program, which equates to 1,500 vaccinations per wedding.
“This would have resulted in significant delays in protecting the health of our communities and it is likely that some people would have become seriously ill or died as a result.”
