Matfen Hall defends weddings price hike

A number of couples have taken to social media to say they have been “ripped off” by Matfen Hall after it wrote to them last Friday to say it can no longer provide the venue at the fees agreed last year. It has raised the minimum spend to £20,000, which couples must pay if they want to keep their booking.

Although Matfen Hall has assured people who have cancelled that they will get their deposits back, couples could incur additional costs from suppliers unless they can rebook a new venue for the same date.

A statement issued by Matfen Hall said: “We unreservedly apologise for the hurt this decision has caused. It was never our intention to cause any upset for the couples involved.

“Every wedding is a special occasion – the most precious day in a couple’s lives – and it has been our privilege to host hundreds of weddings and play a part in those special moments. We will have honoured 119 weddings by the end of the year booked under the previous management.

“We have invested heavily in upgrading the wedding experience at Matfen Hall to make those occasions extra special for our guests and as a result, many people have been booking their weddings for 2022 with us.

“It is clear that we have not explained this to a number of guests and that has caused a lot of hurt. We know it is up to us to put things right and to explain to those guests who had booked under the previous management how their wedding would be vastly enhanced.

“As is always best with matters like this, we are working privately and individually with the couples on a solution.”

• Have you had to cancel your wedding at Matfen Hall? Email [email protected] with your details.