Markshall wedding cancellations cause major headache for fiancés

Allyson Higgs, from Braintree, had paid a £1,000 deposit to get married at Markshall Estate during next year’s August bank holiday.

Since then Miss Higgs has paid £10,000 for a photographer, DJ, and caterer to work at the event.

But this week Markshall Estate told couples wedding bookings after October this year would be cancelled.

In demand – Markshall Estate has been a popular venue for many years (Image: Newsquest)

Miss Higgs says she found out via email about the decision on Tuesday, 45 minutes before a press release was sent out announcing the decision.

She has since tried numerous venues to re-book her wedding but has not been able to find one which is not already booked.

She said: “It’s difficult to find another date without incurring additional costs – I’ve tried four other venues and none of them are free [during the August Bank Holiday].

“For such a big place that’s been going for years… there was no warning.”

Miss Higgs confirmed she would receive her deposit back.

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But she says she was left panicked by the realisation everything would have to be re-arranged for 18 months’ time.

“First of all, I was speechless because it just came out of the blue,” she said.

“I was at work when I received a phone call from a random phone number.

“They told me to check my email and give them a call back – it felt like a bit of a cop-out.”

She said her partner was also left disappointed.

She added: “He was very upset because it was his dream venue – that’s why we decided on it.

“As soon as we got engaged, that’s where we wanted to have it – it’s all going to feel a bit second best now.”

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Markshall Estate has vowed to support couples who have had their weddings cancelled after announcing it will no longer hold weddings from October 1.

Bosses at the venue have cited loss of earnings during the coronavirus pandemic –and the pressures of inflation as the reasons behind the decision.

The estate has now confirmed it has had to cancel a total of 36 weddings.

Markshall Estate was contacted for comment and asked to confirm if all couples who had paid a deposit would be refunded.