An Ottawa bride was forced to find a new wedding venue after the one she booked 18 months ago was sold.
Mary-Jane Testa looked at dozens of wedding venues after she got engaged three years ago before finally setting on the Rideau Tennis Club.
"It was beautiful. There is a big old house with a veranda, so guests could sit there and our wedding could be beside it. There is also a park right there so we would have beautiful pictures," Testa said. "We wouldn't have to leave the spot."
But five weeks before the wedding, Testa got a call from the RA Centre saying it had sold the Rideau Tennis Club and the new owners were not going to honour the wedding date.
"I was shocked," she said. "Then I started getting pissed; They can't do this because it's our wedding."
Testa said she was told the tennis club's new owners were not willing to postpone renovations, slated to start in late August, in order to accommodate her September 9th wedding.
To help ease the shock, the RA Centre offered Testa some compensation, help with decorations and both and indoor and outdoor space on the facility to host the wedding.
"We want them to have a memorable experience and we understand that this is tough and that it is a special event in their lives," said Bryan R. Merrett, the Director of Partnerships and Engagement at the RA Centre.
With most venues already booked and the RA Centre offering a venue and caterer at no additional cost, Testa said yes to getting married at the sports facility.
"We've saved up for three years to have this beautiful wedding, and it's not going to be the same, but it's still our wedding," she said.
The RA Centre loses possession of the Rideau Tennis Club as of August 21st, 2017. Testa is the only major event impacted by the sale.
