Wedding venues helping couples amid Pialligo closure

The Canberra Times understands around 100 weddings were impacted when the venue announced its permanent closure, leaving couples in the lurch.

Venues, event companies, catering businesses and wedding photographers quickly took to social media offering up their services to affected couples, with one even holding a wedding originally booked for Pialligo Estate as soon as the weekend following its closure.

Owner of Lake George Winery Sarah McDougall, who ensured the wedding would go ahead, told The Canberra Times she was met with a wave of enquiries following Pialligo's closure.

Wedding and special event executive at Hotel Realm, Amy-Lee Nairne, said the venue held a wedding for a couple last weekend, which had been booked for the same date at Pialligo Estate.

On top of that, they have had an additional 10 other enquiries, despite the difference in the nature of both venues.

She said losing a venue like Pialligo was a big loss for Canberra's wedding industry.

"It's always sad when any establishment within the industry closes like this," she said.

"But Pialligo was such an amazing and unique venue, totally different to what we offer here at Hotel Realm.

"It's definitely reduced the kinds of options available for couples, there's no doubting that."

General manager of The Ginger Group at the National Arboretum, Lissa Keogh, said what happened to Pialligo was reflective of the difficulties the hospitality industry was still facing after COVID.

"It's just shined a light on the fact that things are tough in the hospitality industry at the moment," she said.

"COVID might seemingly be over but hospitality venues are still trying to make back the revenue that was lost in lockdowns.

"Last year was great, and much needed after the years before it, but it's hard to make back what had been lost in the two years before that in just one year."

She said there has been an increased interest in the National Arboretum for weddings following the closure too, but their already existing popularity has meant they have limited availability during the popular times.

They are willing to help as much as they can, especially in the coming winter months.

Venues as far as Nowra have also been reaching out to help couples affected by Pialligo's closure.

Director of Nowra wedding venue Merribee, Amelia Birch, said there has been interest from affected couples after they took to Facebook to advertise their availability to help.

"We've had one couple from Pialligo book in for November 2024," Ms Birch said.

Merribee has winter dates and more time in 2024 available, and Ms Birch said they would be discounting any couples impacted by the closure 25 per cent off the overall costs.

"The wedding industry has been so significantly impacted over the last three to five years with bushfires, COVID and floods. We know what it's like," she said.

"We completely empathise with both Pialligo and the couples alike for how devastating this moment is.

"It's such an important and memorable time in people's lives and we very much hope we can help."

When Pialligo Estate made their first announcement of what was then labelled a "temporary" closure, couples were some of the loudest to speak out about their confusion and upset.

The permanent closure has left those who had weddings booked without their deposits, unsure if they will get them back at all.