Businesses step in after Yarm wedding is cancelled

Rebecca Pye was due to get married to Danny Currie later this year

A couple waiting for the refund after their wedding was cancelled say they have been overwhelmed by businesses offering to step in for free.

Rebecca Pye and Danny Currie are among several couples waiting for their deposits to be refunded by Judges Hotel, near Yarm.

The hotel has said it will only issue refunds once the business is sold, which some fear could take months.

Now venues and celebrants have offered the couple their services for free.

Miss Pye, 40, and Mr Currie, 45, were due to tie the knot in July and had spent more than £8,000 on the luxury venue.

However, the pair, from Stainton near Middlesbrough, were told earlier this week their wedding had been cancelled.

They criticised the venue for withholding their refund until a sale was completed and said they could not afford to pay for an alternative location.

The hotel informed customers their weddings had been cancelled

But after hearing their story, a number of businesses offered to waive the cost if it meant they would still be able to get married.

Angela Davidson, a celebrant from Sedgefield, County Durham, said the couple's story had "pulled at my heartstrings".

"The situation is heartbreaking and I really feel for them," she said.

"My son was married last year and I know how much planning was involved and I just wanted to do something to help and offer my services".

A celebrant usually provides planning for a wedding ceremony once the legal process has concluded and can cost up to £700.

Ms Davidson said she was willing to waive her fee for the couple, which could include up to 20 hours of work.

Angela Davidson has offered her services to the couple for free

"If my children were going through this, I'd want someone to come and fix it," she added.

The couple have since been contacted by a number of venues and suppliers also offering their services for free, or at a discounted rate.

Ms Pye said they had been impressed by the support from the community "because they don't have to".

They said while other businesses should not have to foot the bill, it was "marvellous" to have been offered various packages.

However, they said they were unable to proceed until they knew when a refund will be issued.

Danny Currie and Rebecca Pye have been left waiting for their refund

Mr Currie said: "The response has been overwhelming, but unfortunately we're stuck because we can't move forward because we don't know when we'll get a refund.

"We have already done this [paid for a wedding] once, but if we know the property will be sold on a particular date then we can have the opportunity to move forward."

The hotel is yet to publicly confirm it could close, but an email addressed to customers said it "completely understood" the cancellation of weddings "will be stressful to hear" but apologised "wholeheartedly for the inconvenience" caused.

The hotel did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the BBC.