The average cost of a wedding has climbed to nearly £24,000, but a 24% rise in wedding scams last year, combined with a record number of firms reporting critical financial distress, means some couples may not get what they paid for.
But, she says, things began to unravel last summer, when the company she had paid to supply the tipi disappeared, along with her £1,800 deposit.
Origami Marquees, the trading name of Bristol-based Origami Group, was set up with a sole director, Luke Graeme-Wilson, in 2022 and, within a year, there was a proposal for a compulsory strike-off from the Companies House register.
Couples contacting the Observer say they were not informed the company had ceased trading and, since they had to pay deposits by bank transfer, their money is not protected by banking chargeback schemes.
The 30% deposit was paid by bank transfer last May, 12 months before the wedding.
