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May 2020

Last Updated: 24/05/2020

Business

Wedding in ruins for Harrogate nurse and paramedic after hotel firm collapses

by Tamsin O'Brien

| 25 May, 2020

Ali and Ben had their wedding reception at St George Hotel cancelled in May, they then rescheduled to New Years Eve- now the hotel chain has collapsed

"I've had enough" Ali Farr told the Stray Ferret after her wedding plans have been left in ruins.

Ali, a community nurse in Knaresborough and Boroughbridge, and her partner, Ben Cross, a paramedic, had planned to hold their wedding reception at the St George Hotel on May 1st. More than a hundred guests were due to arrive from as far away as Singapore and Australia. Then lockdown struck and the date was cancelled.

So Ali and Ben re-arranged the whole thing -on the anniversary of day they got together 12 years ago, New Years Eve. It meant moving everything, it was more expensive and they had to sacrifice the wedding ceremony at St John's Church. Then a few days ago, Ali heard the St George had gone into administration:

"I've had no correspondence from anybody. We've already paid £5,000 - most on credit cards but I think the £800 deposit will be lost because we booked it on a debit card two years ago.

"My dress is at the seamstress, I've got the bridesmaid's dresses, the boy's suits, I've paid a lot of money for the entertainment, the photographer, the videographer and a car.

"I've had enough. You don't know what's going to happen do you? It's just tough."

Throughout the crisis Ali and Ben have been working on the front line of healthcare.

"I am a nurse, Ben's a paramedic, we've got a little girl. We've worked throughout the crisis as key workers.

My would-be guests have been lovely - on May 1st they made a video for us. On the day we had a cake to cut, we gave each other a present on the morning and my little girl threw some petals around - she was supposed to be our flower girl. "