Couples set to tie the knot at a countryside wedding venue have been left heartbroken after it fell into administration.
The devastating news has been posted on the website of Little Silver Country Hotel in St Michaels, near Tenterden.
Many couples with bookings are now being forced to scramble to find a new venue to host their big day.
It comes just a fortnight after Thanet wedding venue St Augustine’s also shut suddenly after entering administration.
Among those impacted by Little Silver’s struggles are bride-to-be Ashleigh Pritchard, 28, and her partner, Jamie Bolton, 32.
The Rainham couple explained: “We were meant to get married in July. Gutted is an understatement – we are devastated.
“With only five months and 10 days to go, we are now left without a venue and the possibility of not getting married at all.
“All our money has been put into Little Silver and now it’s a waiting game to even see if we can get our money back.”
When asked how much they have paid the company, Miss Pritchard replied: “Just over £4,000 so far, but that’s not including all our guests that have paid deposits to stay the two nights as well.
“We have had no contact with the venue at all. I tried to phone them seven times yesterday and had no answer.”
Niamh and Frazer, who had booked to be married on a particularly meaningful date in April next year, have also been left in limbo having already spent £1,000.
“It is a shame, definitely,” said Niamh, 26, who asked for her surname not to be used.
“Initially our wedding was booked for April 2025 on the anniversary of our baby’s boy’s due date, who we sadly lost due to being born premature.
“So finding a venue with this specific date available was so important for us. We recently welcomed our rainbow baby so spoke to them in October last year to move our wedding to April 2026.”
Niamh says they only learned through social media about the venue going into administration, with their efforts since to contact staff proving fruitless.
She added: “Currently, we are searching for venues to allocate for guest numbers, theme, date, accommodation, dietary requirements and definitely a budget.
“We were not told [when we booked] they were in any struggles or financial worries.
“We still have not been contacted by anyone – we only found out they were going into administration through a Facebook post which, as you can imagine, was a complete shock and deflating.
“Our family members married here 20+ years ago, as well as had anniversary celebrations in more recent years, so there was a special place in our hearts for this venue.
“It is very emotional at the minute.”
Little Silver, which sits just off the A28, has 15 boutique-style bedrooms and event space for up to 120 guests.
Prices range from £6,999 for a wedding between October and April to as much as £10,950 between May and September.
A statement on its website says it was placed into administration on Wednesday, with Julie Humphrey and Paul Atkinson, of FRP Advisory Trading Limited, appointed as joint administrators.
Lisa Marsh and husband Craig married at the venue in 2001 and had booked to hold their 25th wedding anniversary celebrations there next August.
Mrs Marsh, 45, from Maidstone, said: “It’s such a shame – we feel very sad.
“We’d booked to have our silver wedding celebration with family and friends there next year, and feel really disappointed that we can’t do that now.
“We haven’t heard anything from the venue. I’m glad we hadn’t prepaid for the event.”
KentOnline has made several efforts to contact Little Silver but there has been no responses to our phone calls or emails.
Attempts to contact the venue through social media have also been unsuccessful after the company’s Facebook account was deleted.
Administrators have also been approached for more information.
Little Silver was originally a country house built in 1935.
Named after a village in Devon, it was converted into a hotel by its first owners – Dorothy Lawson and Rosemary Frith – in 1986.
The site was then bought by Olly and Christine Johnston in 2000, who built up the venue’s standing on travel website TripAdvisor by embarking on a programme of improvements, including an extension and bridal suite.
When the pair retired, the hotel was purchased by former Canterbury guest house owners David and Elaine Kemp in 2019.
Both had held jobs at Little Silver almost three decades prior.
David, a qualified chartered surveyor, worked behind the bar in the 1990s, while wife Elaine supported the hospitality team.
Both are still listed as active directors of Little Silver Country Hotel Limited on Companies House.
However, the Johnstons, who resigned as directors in 2019, are listed as the applicants for the notice to appoint administrators.
The closure of St Augustine’s in Westgate-on-Sea was blamed on “ongoing financial difficulties”.
Earlier this week, KentOnline revealed an award-winning studio offering bridal parties a place to prepare before the big day is also shutting.
Samantha Beeny, owner of The Pretty Prep Studios, which has sites in Ashford, Canterbury and Tonbridge, said: “With rising rents, rates and utility costs, I had to come to the horrible realisation that the business was no longer financially viable.”
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