Heartbroken couples want action after Melbourne venue The Willows goes bust

HEARTBREAK has turned to anger for couples who are thousands of dollars out-of-pocket after a Melbourne wedding venue went bust.

HEARTBREAK has turned to anger for couples who are thousands of dollars out-of-pocket — and with their wedding plans in tatters — after a Melbourne wedding venue went bust.

Heritage-listed mansion The Willows on St Kilda Rd closed without warning at the weekend, with some couples getting emails from the owners about the voluntary liquidation.

More than $1.3 million is being sought by creditors including former staff, suppliers and crestfallen lovebirds, according to documents.

GUESTS LEFT FOR MACCAS: $13K COMPO FOR WEDDING ‘DISASTER’

FORCED TO PAY TWICE FOR WEDDING

VENUE CLOSURE LEAVES BRIDES IN LIMBO

Heritage listed The Willows in happier times. Picture: Instagram

Bride-to-be Rhiannen Skelley had paid more than $8000 to the venue for her nuptials due to be held at the venue this Saturday, when she found out about the “horrible” closure.

“We have put through a letter of demand and started an investigation with the ACCC,” Ms Skelley told the Herald Sun.

“It’s just horrible … hopefully we can get somewhere too and get everyone’s money back.”

The teacher said she thought the email was a scam until she checked The Willows website and social media pages.

“I had everything taken care of, and for this to happen is just awful,” she said.

Thankfully she was able to organise a venue for her big day in time, but the pair will have to withdraw funds from their first-home savings account to pay for it.

She’s also launched an online fundraising page so they can try to recoup some costs.

Others received no warning the company was about to close.

A DJ booked for her January wedding told Caroline Huggard the venue had shut down.

“I’m just devastated. We were actually about to post out our wedding invitations,” Caroline Huggard said.

“I started crying as soon as I heard … it’s really sickening.”

The mum said she had been saving with her partner for the wedding along with a home deposit and funds were low.

Clive Amery is another disappointed customer who said he had received no news after making a sizeable payment for an end of year wedding.

But they aren’t the only ones chasing money from Lewis Hospitality Management Pty Ltd which ran the venue.

More than $92,000 worth of superannuation is being claimed by the Australian Taxation Office on behalf of staff, ASIC documents show.

A former employee, who didn’t wish to be named, claimed some staff weren’t paid penalties during the time they worked at The Willows.

“Staff were also not getting paid penalties for working in the late nights, some finishing at 2am or 3am.”

The director of the company is listed as Aaron Lewis, who has run the venue since 2002 alongside his wife.

The New Zealand-born man is a chef by trade and a listing on an event website said he has been in hospitality for 25 years.

Calls and emails to The Willows and addresses associated with the business have gone unanswered.