A couple who hoped their big day could be salvaged after a huge fire tore through their dream wedding venue have been dealt another devastating blow.
The bride-to-be, who wished to remain anonymous, was due to marry her best friend at Thornton Manor Hotel in August this year.
With friends and family booking flights from overseas, the couple had their sights set on tying the knot after getting engaged back in 2018 at the “dream location” in Wirral.
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On February 5, a huge blaze tore through Thornton Manor devastating the Grade II listed building and throwing the wedding plans of hundreds of couples into doubt.
This week the couple received an email from the hotel stating that not only was their wedding booking to be “cancelled”, but their £6,000 deposit would also not be refunded.
The email, seen by the ECHO that was sent earlier this week, said it is “with a heavy heart we are no longer able to host your wedding at Thornton Manor”.
It reads: “Unfortunately, we are not financially able to refund you at present for your venue or accommodation booked. We do advise that you contact your wedding insurance or bank directly to resolve this matter.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your understanding and patience during this difficult time.”
The bride-to-be told the ECHO : “We received the email on Tuesday night that basically said they can’t host our wedding there and they have had to cancel.
“They told us they can’t offer a refund and we were advised to go through the insurance, who have told us it has to be paid by Thornton Manor.
“We paid £6,250 for our deposit which we won’t be able to get back. I tried to support them a few weeks ago, hoping we could make a change but now I’m angry.
“Now our wedding may not be able to happen at all.”
Last month, fire crews were called to the hotel in Thornton Hough after a fire ripped through the building.
Devastating photos showed the damage caused by the blaze, which had been described by emergency services as a “significant” incident.
The bride-to-be added: “This was my dream location but there’s nothing I can do, they’ve got that money, it can’t just appear on a tree.
“So many of us are distraught. It’s disgusting how they think this is OK, they don’t seem to care. I’ve been planning this wedding since about 2018 and have been saving up.
“We have family living abroad who have paid for flights and accommodation. This is peoples’ lives and dreams and we can’t book anything else because they’ve got a big chunk of our money we can’t get back.”
It was hoped additional measures could be in place to allow the hundreds of weddings to still go ahead after that date, but guests said Thornton Manor staff told them the decision “will not be budged in any way”.
In another email seen by the ECHO, it stated they will be putting in a “new planning application” placed on the “grounds of restoring” after the recent fire caused significant damage.
They added: “We are trying our very best to ensure that all weddings booked continue to go ahead.”
Thornton Manor has been approached for comment.
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