7 On Your Side helps couple get full refund after wedding was canceled during COVID pandemic
STATEN ISLAND (WABC) -- Five years ago, the world was shut down due to a global pandemic.
COVID-19 canceled everything, including a Staten Island couple's dream wedding.
Along with it, all the money they paid for their special day.
They reached out to 7 On Your Side just in time for their 5th wedding anniversary.
Five years ago, when Desiree Harty and Amanda Barcklow became Mrs. and Mrs. Harty, they had a real celebration.
The pandemic shut down the world and their wedding venue aboard a Hudson River party boat.
"We're gonna be celebrating our five-year anniversary like, it's like we lost our whole wedding day," Amanda Harty said.
"We understood the city, everything is shut down," Harty said.
They said the venue canceled 10 days before the wedding.
It was paid for in full, almost $20k for an open bar and dinner for 150 guests.
"Yes, we still got married and we still got married on our day, but I had my friends and family on zoom. It just wasn't the special day we had planned for it to be, we paid for it to be," the Hartys said.
The dinner cruise company offered to reschedule the reception for 1 year later.
But in 2021, the world was still masked and distanced.
"We never got a response on if we needed masks, vaccinations, if there were only going to be 50% capacity," Harty said.
Also adrift on the water, their $19,700.
When they tried to reach the venue owner for a refund, they were met with radio silence.
"So my dad was like, you know, because he's a big, avid Channel 7 watcher, you know, he goes, 'You know, I just, I just saw Nina Pineda, you know, and she got money back for another couple,'" Harty said.
7 On Your Side contacted the venue owner.
And just in time for their 5th anniversary party, Mrs. and Mrs. Harty got all of their wedding reception money back, $19,700.
"We couldn't be more grateful or appreciative," the couple said.
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