A popular North East wedding venue that lost 400 events during the pandemic is to open a third site as marriages return to normal.
The South Causey Inn, which has been run by the Moiser family for the last 14 years, had two wedding venues - the Durham Suite and the Old Barn - which are popular with couples throughout the region.
Plans for a third venue called The Farmhouse were put on hold when the pandemic struck and the business had to cancel more than 400 scheduled weddings.
Read more: the frustrations of planning a wedding during lockdown
But now the new venue - which features a ceremony room, cocktail lounge, dining room, and a range of bedroom suites for guests - is to go ahead after the business secured a seven-figure Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan (CBIL) via Lloyds Bank.
The loan helped the business meet fixed costs and overheads while it continued to focus on building the new wedding venue.
The Inn has been able to hold ceremonies since March in line with easing Government guidelines and is hoping to hold around 250 ceremonies during the rest of this year.
Susan Moiser, director of South Causey Inn, said: “The pandemic has been extremely difficult for the wedding industry and for couples who have been forced to change plans for their special day.
“We saw all 400 of our bookings disrupted which was incredibly difficult for us. Luckily, we have a long-standing relationship with Lloyds Bank, and they were once again on hand to support us through this challenging period.
“For now, our main concern is the health and safety of our customers so we’ll continue to offer a reduced wedding service. If all goes smoothly, we’re hoping to offer the full wedding experience once more from June once restrictions further ease, and enjoy a strong second half of the year.”
William Harvey, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank, said: “Towards the end of last year the wedding industry was estimated to have lost around £4.8bn in the UK. This means more than 127,000 couples had to postpone their weddings having a huge impact on businesses like South Causey Inn.
“The Moiser family showed exceptional resilience to withstand the brunt of the pandemic and we were happy to support them through this difficult period.
“As lockdown restrictions ease further over the coming weeks, we’ll continue to stand by businesses as they look to bounce back this year.”
