Melbourne wedding venue closes down before taking thousands

A historic Melbourne wedding venue has unexpectedly closed down, leaving dozens of couples out of pocket after staff promised big discounts for upfront payments. 

One bride is $8,000 out of pocket after popular event venue The Willows on St Kilda Road in South Yarra went bust less than a week before her 60-guest wedding.  

Another young couple told Daily Mail Australia they only found out their wedding plans had been dashed from their cake vendor.

Jordan Knox and Annie McAlpine (left) and Rhiannen Skelley (right) were left thousands of dollars out of pocket after their wedding venue promised big discounts for upfront payments

Jordan Knox and Annie McAlpine (left) and Rhiannen Skelley (right) were left thousands of dollars out of pocket after their wedding venue promised big discounts for upfront payments

The idyllic reception centre venue on St Kilda Road in South Yarra (pictured) cost Jordan Knox and his fiancee Annie McAlpine most of their budget

The idyllic reception centre venue on St Kilda Road in South Yarra (pictured) cost Jordan Knox and his fiancee Annie McAlpine most of their budget

Jordan Knox and Annie McAlpine told Daily Mail Australia they only found out their wedding plans at The Willows' 1890 Victorian mansion had been dashed from their cake vendor

Jordan Knox and Annie McAlpine told Daily Mail Australia they only found out their wedding plans at The Willows’ 1890 Victorian mansion had been dashed from their cake vendor

Jordan Knox and his fiancee Annie McAlpine, both aged 24, booked the idyllic reception centre venue in March last year and said saving for the venue took most of their budget.

‘We’d made an effort to save the money for the venue as it was most of our budget so when they came to us asking to pay the next installment early we just thought of it as something we could tick off our list,’ Mr Knox told Daily Mail Australia.  

‘We’ve tried calling and emailing but we actually heard about [the cancellation] from our cake vendor,’ Mr Knox said. 

‘I guess our wedding being in January was too far out for them to worry about messaging us yet.

‘We almost didn’t believe her because nothing was online yet about it but their website and Facebook page had both disappeared.’

Rhiannen Skelley is struggling to find an alternative venue after she was told her original plans were dashed when the venue (pictured) closed down from apparent financial difficulties

Rhiannen Skelley is struggling to find an alternative venue after she was told her original plans were dashed when the venue (pictured) closed down from apparent financial difficulties

'We’ve tried calling and emailing but we actually heard about [the cancellation] from our cake vendor,' Mr Knox said

'We’ve tried calling and emailing but we actually heard about [the cancellation] from our cake vendor,' Mr Knox said

‘We’ve tried calling and emailing but we actually heard about [the cancellation] from our cake vendor,’ Mr Knox said

Rhiannen Skelley is also struggling to find an alternative venue after spending two years planning her dream wedding.

She was abruptly told her original plans were dashed when the venue closed down on Friday from apparent financial difficulties.

‘It’s devastating because you have a vision and now that vision is ruined,’ Ms Skelley told 7 News.

‘It cost us our first home deposit,’ she said. 

‘I was talking to them on Tuesday about tables and our photographer went in there as well, my florist was trying to ring them on Saturday to go in,’ she told The Age.  

Weeks before The Willows went bust, staff had contacted couples promising them a discount if they pre-paid their weddings in full.  

‘It’s pretty disappointing but at this point we are just looking forward and trying to organise something else as quick as we can to get everything back on track,’ Mr Knox said. 

'I was shattered, I was really upset. I burst into tears. Six months to go until our wedding, what do I do now?' fiancee Annie McAlpine (right) said

‘I was shattered, I was really upset. I burst into tears. Six months to go until our wedding, what do I do now?’ fiancee Annie McAlpine (right) said

‘There’s plenty of time to be angry and try to get our stuff back once the wedding is put back into an organised state.’

‘It’s heartbreaking you get married one time and that was meant to be the dream place … I was shattered, I was really upset. I burst into tears. Six months to go until our wedding, what do I do now?’ his fiancee Annie McAlpine said. 

The couple said they have still not received a phone call or an email and believed there were still events held at the venue up until last weekend and mid this week.

‘We almost didn’t believe [the news] because nothing was online yet about it but their website and Facebook page had both disappeared,’ Mr Knox explained.  

The venue was owned by Aaron Lewis and his wife Estelle since 2002.

However, they have yet to provide an answer for why the business suddenly went into voluntary liquidation.  

Mr Lewis reportedly put his $1.5 million Mount Eliza home on the market. 

The couples are unsure if they will receive a refund and the venue’s website and social media channels have been shut down.

Daily Mail Australia attempted to contact The Willows but did not receive a reply.

The venue was owned by Aaron Lewis (pictured) and his wife Estelle since 2002. However, they have yet to provide an answer for why the business suddenly went into voluntary liquidation

The venue was owned by Aaron Lewis (pictured) and his wife Estelle since 2002. However, they have yet to provide an answer for why the business suddenly went into voluntary liquidation

  

 



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