A couple experienced their worst nightmare when their dream wedding had to be canceled because the location they had chosen suddenly closed.
The young couple had paid £ 7,500 to get married in the “beautiful” Newton House Barns.
The ceremony was supposed to be held at the venue in Newton Lane, Newton Solney, near Burton last month, but in February the two went on the company’s website to check final details and were concerned that they were down.
Their concern turned to shock when they found on a real estate website that the venue was for sale.
They contacted the venue and were shocked to learn that Country Barn Events Limited had ceased trading and the large house where their wedding was to take place was being put on the market, reports Staffordshire Live.
Administrators have since been called in and the company has been declared bankrupt, which one report suggests owes a total of £ 98,853 to 13 consumer creditors and £ 2,020 to two commercial creditors.
The couple from Burton managed to get their wedding money back and have now asked everyone else who should get married there to contact the administrators.
The couple managed to find another location and got married on a different date in April, but they said the incident was very worrying and caused a lot of stress during one of the happiest times of their lives.
They said, “It was our worst nightmare. We paid £ 7,500 for the wedding. That’s a lot of money for a young couple.
“We made it to the financial ombudsman and managed to get the £ 7,500 back, but other couples may not be as adamant about getting what they are due back.
“Newton House Barns was a beautiful venue. They had good business there.
“Our wedding should have been in April this year, but we found that the company had stopped trading by going to their website, which was then removed. Then we saw the house for sale.
“It was just a disaster. We thought we’d lost all of our wedding money and weren’t going on a date.
“It had a happy ending for us and we managed to get married, but in a much smaller place, but we feel good with other couples.”
In a financial condition report for the company, it was announced that Country Barn Events Limited called on bankruptcy and business rescue specialist Begbies Traynor on February 8, 2021.
On February 16, it was ruled the company could not pay its debt after ceasing trading on December 7, 2020, according to a report by Begbies Traynor.
Country Barn Events Limited was founded in April 2016 and began trading as Newton House Barns in June 2016, offering wedding ceremonies and events.
The report said it had sales of £ 292,350 for the year ending April 2019. Then the UK entered a national lockdown in March 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, which resulted in the company ceasing to trade.
The report said, “This has had a huge impact on the company’s cash flow as many customers canceled and requested refunds.
“Trading resumed to a limited extent in the summer of 2020. However, the UK’s Covid restrictions increased, causing the company to once again cease trading. This also resulted in a dramatic loss of sales for 2020.
“The lack of sales meant that the company could not pay its debt when it was due.”
According to the report, the company owed £ 98,853 to be paid to 13 consumer creditors and £ 2,020 to two commercial creditors.
Employee claims, including outstanding wages and holidays, are estimated at £ 423, the report said.
It added that Santander gave the company an unsecured loan of £ 50,000 under the bounce-back loan plan and has owed the full amount.
The directors of the former company have been asked to comment.
