Wedding in ruins after venue boarded up
A Christchurch woman is dreading getting married in an ‘‘abandoned warehouse’’ after her wedding venue was shrink-wrapped and boarded up without her knowledge.
Julia Walker booked the Christchurch City Council-owned War Memorial Community Centre in New Brighton more than a year ago.
It ‘‘wasn’t much’’, but she loved the spectacular beachfront view.
On Thursday, nine days before the wedding, she rang the council to arrange access to the building. She was told the building had been shrink-wrapped, surrounded by scaffolds, and the view had been covered up by wooden boards. Her dream wedding became a nightmare.
‘‘There is no way we can use that venue. We have no access to the deck, there is no view of the beach, even though it is literally a beachfront venue,’’ she said. ‘‘It would be like getting married in an abandoned warehouse.’’
The council had emailed Walker’s fiance, Jimmy Williamson, on July 15, exactly a month before the wedding, informing him of the repairs. He did not see the email. They did not receive a follow-up call to make sure they knew.
In the email, the council said it knew they would be ‘‘disappointed with the news’’, but told them it would be a ‘‘plus’’ that they would be the first to use the resurfaced floor.
On Thursday, in another email, it told them stilettos were forbidden because of the resurfaced floor. It offered them a $250 discount from their bill as compensation.
They were now scrambling to find another venue which would take the caterer, DJ, and decorations Walker had secured for the wedding.
‘‘To find another venue which will allow all of that. It’s just a bit too much, to be honest,’’ she said.
Council community facilities rebuild manager Darren Moses said the council had been in ‘‘regular contact’’ with Walker over the last month.
Walker said this was not the case, and she had received only one email before she found out on Thursday.
The council would try to arrange an alternate venue, Moses said.