Couple out thousands of dollars as Hunter Valley wedding venue Calvin Estate goes into liquidation

A bride-to-be has been left ‘inconsolable’ after her dream wedding was thrown into disarray when the venue went into liquidation just weeks out from the big day.

Emily Faulks and Jacob Mosely from the NSW Central Coast were set to tie the knot at Calvin Estate in the nearby Hunter Valley on March 25 this year.

But after paying a deposit in January 2021 and another down payment in November 2022, amounting to $5,000,  they have now been left without the money or their chosen venue.

Emily Faulks and Jacob Mosely (pictured) were told just weeks out from their wedding that the venue the booked, paid for and organised around had gone into liquidation

See also  Oklahoma Starbucks accidentally charges $4,000 in TIP, forces family to cancel vacation to Thailand

The couple has friends and family coming from America and have had to rush to re-organise the entire day

Ms Faulks went on another tour of the country estate’s facilities as recently as Saturday and was given no hint the business was struggling.

‘They took us around, showed us everything… We explained how excited we were, that we had friends and family coming from America,’ Ms Faulks told NBN News.

The very next day Ms Faulks and Mr Mosely- along with dozens of other couples whose weddings were organised at the venue – were sent a message from the business explaining they’d been locked out of the site by the landlord.

‘It is with the deepest regret that we inform you that Calvin Estate weddings is unable to proceed with your wedding due to the business being liquidated,’ it said.

They have now been forced to change the date of the wedding because they’ve been unable to find another venue at such short notice.

The message from the business said they had been unable to meet their rental obligations and they would be seeking an alternative vendor, potentially at another site, to take over bookings.

As the business is in liquidation it also can’t issue immediate refunds.

Calvin Estate in the NSW Hunter Valley is a sprawling rustic country venue, ideal for a picturesque wedding day

The landlord elaborated that the function business, Venue 1, has had ongoing rent issues and is currently in arrears. 

Wedding venues were one of the industries hit hardest over the course of Covid lockdowns.

The landlord said it would be in contact with clients who had painstakingly organised weddings and would be actively looking for another operator to take over the business.

‘We understand the frustration of people who have booked this venue,’ the landlord said.

Ms Faulks and Mr Mosley will still be going ahead with their big day as their guests have made arrangements and the other elements of the day are locked in –  but they have now had to scramble to ensure it can proceed.

The landlord locked the wedding venue business out of the site over a rent dispute