It is the biggest day of your life - with a bill to match.
But weddings, a major new investigation has discovered, can cost you even if the wrong kind of hitch means they do not take place.
Council Trading Standards officers up and down Scotland say venues are imposing unfair fees on couples who have to cancel, and not just because one of them gets cold feet.
The average British wedding currently comes at a pricetag of more than £30,000, including nearly £4000 for the reception venue and nearly £3000 for wherever you hold the ceremony itself.
Trading standards officers at 11 local authorities in Scotland check the contract terms of 57 wedding venues, finding unfair fees were a “regular occurrence”. Some venues, the found, were charging 100 per cent cancellation fees.
The exercise was organised by the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland or Scots. Its chairman, Peter Adamson, of Moray Council, said: “If a couple book a wedding and then decide to cancel due to a change in circumstances, change of mind or whatever reason, they are likely to have to pay a proportion of the agreed price to the venue.
“This is fair, as the consumers are in breach of their contract.
“However, the venue should only be compensated for the actual losses that they incur as a result of the cancellation. For that reason, venues are not entitled to rely on blanket terms such as “Deposits are non-refundable” as terms like this do not take account of the individual circumstances of the case.”
The Scottish exercise came after the UK Competition and Markets Authority warned some 100 venues that their deposit and cancellation rules could breach consumer law.
Couples relatively frequently cancel their weddings, for any number of reasons, including rising costs, break-up or the illness or death of bride, groom or a close family member.
Trading Standards admit venues can suffer high costs from cancellation, especially if it comes shortly before a big day, However exerts said it would be questionable that a loss of deposit, found to be at least £500 and often £1000 or more, would be binding on the consumer if a cancellation was made just a few days after booking.
Mr Adamson continued: “There is no doubt that businesses are likely to incur significant costs if a booking is cancelled and these will increase as the planned date approaches.
“They are entitled to protect themselves and be compensated appropriately. The point is that the actual level of charge which is fair will depend on the individual circumstances of each case.”
Some venues have been warned to comply with the law and can expect follow-up visits. Mr Adamson said couples and their families should not simply put up with hefty fees.
He said; “Consumers will often accept terms which might be open to challenge, particularly where they are similar across a trade sector, as appears to be the case in this sector. We intend to do more work on this area, part of which will include making sure that consumers are aware of their rights. We will also work with businesses to ensure that they are aware of their obligations and can compete in a fair marketplace.”
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