USA TODAY International Edition
This couple lost thousands on dream wedding
Deposits paid for venues often aren’t refundable
Amanda Kertesz and Connor Dresser envisioned their destination dream wedding staged in a rustic setting with rolling fields, apple orchards and 150 guests traveling from miles away to southwest Michigan to celebrate their special day on June 27.
“The west side holds a special place in our hearts because it’s so beautiful there. You can’t get enough of Lake Michigan,” said Kertesz, 27, who lives in Plymouth, Michigan.
The bride and groom had to rewrite the romantic script after COVID- 19 was declared a pandemic.
The wedding’s outdoor setting moves straight to the backyard in Plymouth. The guest list will include parents, grandparents and others.
The $ 1,500 wedding dress remains in the garment bag, waiting for alterations one day and maybe a big anniversary party a year from now. Instead, Kertesz will wear a lovely $ 70 wedding dress – that she bought online – come June 27.
“At this point, I’m rolling with it,” said Kertesz, who estimates that more than $ 10,000 in deposits and fees could be lost because of a change in wedding plans.
The couple plan to use the same florist and drive to a halfway point the
“Between the venue, DJ, photo booth, caterer, Airbnb and my dress we lost $ 11,014 on the day.”
Amanda Kertesz Whose wedding was impacted by the pandemic
day before the wedding to pick up the flowers. “We figured we can use our deposit and help her out with getting at least a small order instead or no order at all,” Kertesz said.
Other deposits associated with a big destination wedding – including for weekend accommodations – add up.
“Between the venue, DJ, photo booth, caterer, Airbnb and my dress we lost $ 11,014 on the day,” she said.
June brides in Michigan and elsewhere face thousands of dollars in wedding bills for lavish events that need quick alterations or simply won’t happen this summer. They’re looking at a painful and many times costly redo long before anyone can whisper “I do.”
As of June 1, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s revised orders would allow the couple to invite 100 people or less if the wedding is held outdoors and there is social distancing. Indoor events remained capped as of early June at 10 or fewer guests.
Bridal consultants say paying extra fees to reschedule and losing big deposits are increasingly commonplace as vendors grow more rigid in their policies amid the economic crisis, according to Brides. com. “The Knot” wedding site has a “Guidebook for COVID- 19 Wedding Help.”
The Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula has seen wedding- related complaints on the uptick, particularly for smaller vendors, including DJs, said Laura Blankenship, director of marketing for the BBB office based in Southfield.
Some consumers said vendors would not cancel, maintaining that they would go through with the job or service despite the governor’s executive order.
“Most vendors are trying to work with the brides to find an alternative date,” Blankenship said. “This is an unusual situation.”
The BBB suggests that brides review their original contracts to see what the cancellation or refund policy says.
Many will find they’re stuck with some tough refund policies – and they’re losing hefty deposits made upfront.
“Plans change, hearts don’t,” Kertesz and Dresser wrote their guests in a note sent out May 9 announcing the ending of the dream wedding in the countryside.
“In light of current events, we are planning on moving forward with a small ceremony surrounded by our families and wedding party in our cozy backyard,” the couple alerted friends and family.
What happens to that upscale country getaway and the $ 5,500 that Kertesz and Dresser paid for their wedding venue, the MillCreek Wilde in Watervliet, Michigan?
The couple made an $ 850 down payment in December 2018 for the MillCreek venue.
As part of the deal, they handed over the remaining balance of $ 4,650 on Dec. 27– six months before the wedding date and what seems like a lifetime before anyone heard of the words “social distancing.”
Ever since late March, the couple have tried to negotiate with the owners of MillCreek Wilde in Van Buren County.
They went through a flurry of phone calls, emails, proposed dates for a possible switch for the ceremony and discussions that could involve spending thousands of dollars in extra costs if they want to rebook next year.
The tranquil venue covered its bases with a no- refund contract.
Husband- and- wife team Amy and Kirby Briske took their marriage vows in a private ceremony at a barn in 2003. They cleaned up the barn for their wedding, planning to renovate it for public use. They launched their business in 2004 and own three venues in the area – MillCreekWilde, the Blue Dress Barn and Sundance and the Secret Garden. They’re frustrated, too.
As might be imagined, not many couples want to spend $ 5,000 or so for a wedding venue when state restrictions allow only 10 or fewer guests at a banquet hall.
The Briskes hoped the governor’s revisions June 1 will create some room for those who want to holdweddings outdoors.
“This changes everything, as we are open- aired venues,” Amy Briske said.
She said the plan is to resume business at 50% capacity like restaurants and bars. She said Tuesday that would mean 140 people inside or outside as the maximum capacity is 280.
The first wedding of the season will be Saturday, she said, with 70 people.
Once Whitmer issued her first “Stay Home, Stay Safe” emergency order March 23, engaged couples couldn’t envision any way to hold large gatherings.
Since late March, the governor has extended stay- home orders and made various revisions.
The governor’s order issued June 1 allowed retailers to reopen June 4 and restaurants to reopen Monday, both subject to capacity limits.
Whitmer and other governors warned that they may need to change the rules if a state or certain regions in the state experience spikes in COVID- 19 cases. The unknowns about what will be allowed and when triggered frustration for families who planned big weddings this summer.
The Briskes said they’ve been fair to their clients, but they were troubled by a lack of clarity in April and May, when they began hearing from couples who didn’t know what would happen to their weddings in July or August.
The Briskes have worked with several other outdoor facilities in the region to craft a proposal for open- air seasonal wedding venues. They call themselves “the Michigan Wedding Barn Coalition” and reached out to the governor’s office with their proposals for safe weddings.
They said they’re doing their best to try to work with couples to reschedule when possible. They had some openings in late October because of cancellations. Many are happy; some aren’t.
As of the start of June , the venue had moved 55 couples to later dates in 2020 or 2021. “They’d rather move their date,” Amy said.
Some May weddings moved to July or August. Some June weddings moved to August or October.
“A majority of those dates,” he said, “were moved at no cost to the client.”
They’re willing to give a $ 1,000 discount for people who want to delay the wedding a year and opt for 2021, but they’re not offering refunds for 2020, and a couple would need to pay another fee for next year that might range from $ 4,250 to $ 6,000, depending on the date and services.
“It’s not like we aren’t incurring losses in this,” Kirby Briske said. “We’ve incurred tens of thousands of dollars in losses.”
Some clients who had a deposit but needed to pay the balance due in late March or April – six months before the wedding date – canceled and lost their deposits. He stressed that most venues have no- refund policies in their contracts when it comes to weddings.
“Our cancellation policy is clearly stated,” he said. “One might think COVID- 19 throws it out the window, but it doesn’t.”
The contract does indicate that if management must cancel because the facility has been rendered unusable because of “fire, natural disaster or other unforeseen conditions,” the client would be refunded money when management received insurance money to cover loss of income.
Management cannot be responsible, the contract said, for any other costs incurred by the client. The contract suggests considering purchasing event insurance.
Insurance doesn’t cover COVID- 19 for management, the Briskes said, so there are no refunds being given. They noted that their insurance agent told them no insurance policy can be purchased that covers bacteria, virus or pandemic.
“We are making adjustments,” Amy Briske said. “Our livelihood is being affected. Next year is going to be very limited on profit.”
“If things don’t change soon,” Kirby said, “we will run out of dates we can give away to remain solvent next year.”
After an extensive phone interview with the Free Press about Kertesz and Dresser’s frustrations, the Briskes reached out to offer a date of June 27, 2021 – with no extra fees – something that hadn’t been offered before.
The wedding would have moved from a Saturday to a Sunday next year at the Mill Creek Barns.
“We have not heard back from Amanda after we offered her the same date next year 2021. We are happy to have them at MillCreek Wilde this season on June 27, 2020, or next season on June 27, 2021, at no cost to them,” Amy Briske said.
Kertesz said she felt the offer wasn’t sincere and more of a way to garner positive publicity.
“We will be moving forward with the backyard wedding June 27th,” she said.