Alan

I am due to get married on saturday and booked my venue about 18 months ago.

Very typically the venue host only told me yesterday that they went yesterday morning to get the license and did not get the extention on the bar until 1am. I now have the issue of an hour interval of no music or booze before the coach arrives and a ruined schedule.

Firstly I don't believe they even applied as I have not seen any eveidence. I therefore want to find out where the hearing would have been, so I can check everything was above board. The venue is in Kingswood, Surrey, and I think the application would go via Epsom Police.

As you can imagine with wedding venues you must book them early. Initially the service was good, but they had a change of staff. Everytime we go there, the meeting starts with "I got some bad news for you"

Eg Our fee for extented license has changed from 15 to 100 pounds
The corkage has changed from 5/10 to 15/25 pounds
The room hire has increased

Now I have argued the point that when we booked the prices were agreed. The last bit about the extended license just 4 days before the wedding day is the final straw. Oh yes they are polite and show to be helpful, but they are trying to do me over.

I am not going to do anything now, and I'm not going to get stressed, but if everything is not in order, then I will be calling the shots after the wedding.

Thanks for any assistance.

Alan

seejay555

Licence application heard at local Magistrates Ct - 'phone up and ask to speak to someone who deals with licensing. They should be able to tell you if the venue applied or not.
If you agreed prices/a contract at the outset, tell them to get lost on the increases. They have no right to put the prices up unless you agree or you signed something at the start whiich allows them to pass on price increases to you, or even just put the prices up. Check the small print if you did sign something.

Mo

And I bet they didn't state what size the bottles must be

julllie

It would be very unusual indeed for a magistrates bench to decline an extension for a wedding unless the Police had made an objection to it and in this case the police would normally tell the licensee that they were objecting prior to the hearing. The bench would have said why they were declining the extension anyway. Thats the situation round this neck of the woods anyway. All sounds a bit odd to me!

joni

Ask to see the Manager of the venue. Deal reasonably and firmly explaining your concerns.
Assuming you have paid a deposit, this would have been an acceptance of the original quotation. No alterations can take place unless you have agreed to this.
Julllie is correct in that as a legitimate "special occasion" there should be no reason that an extension to the licence should not have been granted. The only objections that I can think of would relate specifically to any shortcomings concerning the venue or the management.
You have a right to hear the reasons for refusal which would have been made clear in court.
Seeing the manager will make the venue aware at the highest level of your concerns and need not be a confrontational meeting.Any action that you may need to take afterwards will have more legitimacy plus you have every chance of setting your mind at rest. Sometimes it is neccassary to deal with the organ grinder.

Victoria

FYI, Magistrates courts charge a flat fee of £10 for any application of this type. There is no way the fee would have increased, although it is not uncommon for a licensee to charge the client more. Also if the licensee puts in several applications at one time the fee is still only £10, so they can make a good profit this way.

Victoria