AN iconic venue in Worcester is not taking anymore wedding bookings and has been forced to cancel others as a staff shortage has hit.
Debra Jones, the managing director of the Diglis House Hotel that has been a wedding venue for generations, has said it is “devastating” the hotel has been forced into the move which she says will hit the business.
She was speaking after rumours circulated the hotel had cancelled a large number of weddings - but the MD stressed to us it had been four.
“We have cancelled four weddings, but we are honouring weddings throughout the summer – we have one booked every weekend," the managing director said.
“The reason is because we haven’t recruited a wedding manager to be able to take on brides and help organise the events.
"Our current manager leaves on Tuesday (May 17). The ones we have had to cancel didn’t have necessary information - like table plans - to be able to go ahead. The ones that could go ahead already had 90 per cent of things in place.
“We have done everything we can to help those we cancelled, including providing details of venues available on that date.”
The MD explained the hotel had tried to recruit for the wedding manager position "for months", but she believed the wider issues with staffing in the hospitality industry had hit them.
“We have advertised everywhere for a wedding manager, on social media, linked-in," the MD said.
"We had some apply, but they weren’t ready – it is a demanding skilled job.
“During the pandemic people working in these jobs left and changed their career.
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“Some people don’t want to work weekends - when events are usually held - and European workers went back to their home countries and didn’t return.
“It is devastating, we aren’t in the business of cancelling weddings and turning away business, but we don’t have anybody to look after a wedding.
“We have looked at every option, but it is a horrendous situation and not a decision we take lightly.”
The managing director added as soon as they have appointed a wedding manager they would resume taking bookings immediately again.
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