A wedding venue refuses to refund a couple who held their ceremony at the bedside of the groom because he is terminally ill.
Martin McMullan, 36, and fiancée Lindsay Grice, 33, had planned to wed on November 1 but the groom’s cancer spread rapidly to his liver and it became clear he was too ill to leave hospital.
The couple, from Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, were told nine days before the planned ceremony that Mr McMullan was too ill, so they brought the date forward.
They were married in Lister Hospital, Stevenage with just a few friends and family who were allowed in to the ward on October 26. While staff lined the corridor to welcome the bride, and her father with respect, they remained socially distant.
The original plan for November 1 had included a £6,400 reception at the Shenley Cricket Centre in Radlett, Hertfordshire. However, the contract stated that the booking would be void if the event was cancelled after a specific time.
As a ‘goodwill gesture’, the venue refunded Mr McMullan £1,800, but kept the remaining £4,600.
Martin McMullan, 36, and fiancée Lindsay Grice, 33, had planned to wed on November 1 but the groom’s cancer spread rapidly to his liver and it became clear he was too ill to leave hospital. With only a few close friends and family, they were married at Stevenage’s Lister Hospital on October 26.
The original plan for November 1 had included a £6,400 reception at the Shenley Cricket Centre in Radlett, Hertfordshire. However, the contract stipulated that the booking would not get refunded if the event was cancelled after a specific time.
Paul, the father of the bride, stated that he believed that the couple would retain some money under certain circumstances but not so much.
“They said that their chefs had been paid a retainer which meant that they could not refund the full amount.
‘But that still doesn’t come to £4,600. It’s not just about the money. It’s a moral thing.
The groom was discharged from the hospital and is now being cared for at his home.
MailOnline reached out the Shenley Cricket Centre to obtain comment.