An English couple was blindsided when a venue canceled their wedding two months before the big event.
The heartbroken couple believes the reason behind the cancellation is they are a gay couple.
Kevin Chaffe and his fiancé Ken had their wedding date set for March 28, 2020.
A venue is the foundation of wedding plans. One of the first steps to planning a wedding is booking a venue.
After the location is locked down, everything falls into place around it. Though the planning process is notoriously stressful, it's all worth reaching the ultimate goal of having a celebration of love between you and your partner for your family and friends to enjoy.
But that was almost ruined for this couple.
Chaffe and his partner were all set to say "I do" at Priors Tithe Barn, a rustic-style venue in the Cotswolds, south central England. The happy couple were anticipating their wedding date to be unforgettable.
The date became unforgettable for the wrong reasons.
According to Pink News, Chaffe unexpectedly received the news from his wedding planner that the venue had canceled the event.
Chaffe was told that the cancellation was due to it being a same-sex marriage.
He later called the venue out on Facebook.
He began the post:
"So our wedding reception venue cancelled on us today because we're gay!He expressed his disappointment that something like this could happen in 2020.
He had multiple correspondence with both our names in it ....."
"I think this is just disgusting that in a modern world where u can by law express the love for your partner irrelevant of the gender , we could get married in a church by law!!"
Luckily, the couple's wedding planner, Kerry Jones, was able to save their big day.
"It has been a devastating blow to myself and ken but with that being said our truly amazing friend and outstanding wedding planner Kerry Jones had us another venue within the hour , I can't thank kerry enough for the support she has provided us today even when faced with such horrific news kerry your amazing and a truly wonderful human being ."
Chaffe then encouraged others to share his post about the incident:
"I've posted a picture of the venue that doesn't agree with same sex marriage so by all means share this post far and wide , there's not room in this world for this type of blatant discrimination And homophobia .Jones commented, expressing, that as a wedding planner, the ordeal was heartbreaking to go through.
Love is love"
Kerry Jones/Facebook
People went in on the venue.
Kelly Guest/Facebook
Sarah Kirby/Facebook
Jack Brint/Facebook
Helen Lee/Facebook
Jacquie Poole-Voyce/Facebook
People began swarming Priors Tithe Barn's page with negative reviews.
Kitty Darling/Facebook
Imogen Locke/Facebook
Lucy Weatherwax/Facebook
Megan Parker/Facebook
The venue's 5 out of 5 rating quickly fell down to a 1.1 out of 5.
Chaffe later gave The Daily Mail more details about what had happened.
The owner of Priors Tithe Barns, Tim Wiltshire, allegedly told a caterer for the wedding he "didn't believe in same sex marriage." The discriminatory comment made it back to Jones, who then shared it with her clients.
It's not clear who actually canceled the event.
Wiltshire claims that Jones was the one to cancel on behalf of the couple, but Chaffe says that their planner passed on the message they were no longer welcome:"[Wiltshire] basically said he doesn't agree with same sex marriage and we can no longer use the venue."
Chaffe believes the sudden cancellation, despite Wiltshire having seen their names in emails, is due to the owner assuming it was a mistype.
Wiltshire is blaming the couple's catering company for the misunderstanding.
As he tells it, there was a miscommunication while speaking with the caterer and the issue has "grown out of proportion." Though, one must question what the conversation entailed for such a misunderstanding to have happened.
He has also argued that the wedding was never officially booked:
"The venue position - we are legally licensed here for weddings - is that obviously within that license all couples of the same sex can be married here, but the reservation came through a catering company, I have personal views that don't relate to the official wedding venue views."
Wedding planner Jones has vowed to never work with the venue again.
Jones posted on her business's, Cotswold Chic, page about the incident, following up her initial acknowledgment of the controversy with a positive update on Chaffe and Ken.
Jones updated the concerned public:
"As I am sure many of you will be aware Saturday we posted a distressing statement regarding the discrimination one of our couples faced from their Wedding Venue."
She thanked everyone for supporting the couple:
"The outpouring of love and support for the couple has been so overwhelming that myself, Kevin & Ken would like to thank you all for your kind words at such an emotional time for them both."
She made it clear that their intentions were to bring light to the issues LGBTQ people continually face even in modern times.
"The situation has created lots of attention and has raised awareness of the fact that discrimination still exists in this day and age and we are thankful for that as there is no place for it in modern society."
In opposition to Chaffe's post, Jones discouraged people from attacking anyone.
"Cotswold Chic, Kevin & Ken would like to ensure that people know that the situation they were put in was published to create awareness and not create a hate campaign against anyone in particular. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs regardless if we agree with them or not and our grievance was the fact that these beliefs lead them to be treated unfairly in this instance."
Jones requested privacy while they resolve the dispute and vowed to continue to speak out against bigotry.
"We are now going to be dealing with this situation privately in order to resolve the matter amicably however we shall continue to campaign against discrimination as a whole and not just against one company/individual."
Most importantly, the happy couple are about to embark on a loving marriage together.
"I am keen that the real issue here which is that Kevin and Ken are looking forward to declaring their love for each other and we need get the excitement back by continuing to move forward with their wedding plans privately.
Thank you all once again and remember Love is Love xx"
A website called Citizen's Advice details what qualifies as discrimination due to sexual orientation in the United Kingdom.
The organization offers help in tackling discrimination, as well as advice on steps one can take to combat it. They offer support to people who feel they have been discriminated against due to age, gender, sexual orientation and race.
And while a candidate is fit to lead remains to be seen, we rely on our instinct to choose someone with whom we can relate.
But sometimes, our options are limited and we inevitably go with someone who is the lesser of two evils.
Curious to hear from strangers online about a hypothetical, Redditor Cashmeresquid2309 asked:
"Americans of Reddit, would you vote for an openly Atheist presidential candidate? Why or why not?"
Redditors were quick to point out the answer was a no-brainer.
We Already Know The Answer
"Asking Reddit if they'd vote for an atheist..."
"I feel like the answer would be obvious."
– sarahmagoo
Sci-Fi Analogy
"Americans of Reddit, would you vote for a Star Wars fan who heckin loves doggos?"
– WitnessChemical
For The Atheists In The Crowd
"Atheists of atheistville, would you vote for an open atheist?"
– nixcamic
Others weighed in with a range of opinions.
About 45
"What's funny is how many of them would probably say no, even though they voted for Trump and would do so again. Say whatever else you want about him, but I seriously can't understand how anyone could genuinely believe Trump is a Christian. He's so obviously faking it and is undoubtedly the most atheistic president we've ever had or are likely to have for a long time."
"This is a guy who's never even so much as read the Bible or attended church, who told a conservative radio host his favorite Bible verse was 'an eye for an eye', who told evangelical interviewers that he's never asked God for forgiveness because he's never done anything wrong, and who routinely commits all 7 deadly sins (pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth) without remorse."
– empfindsamkeit
From A Different Perspective
"Not an american but interestingly according to this survey on 1006 people from 2007, being atheist was the worst thing you could be as a candidate (of the things asked) with only 45 % of people saying they'd vote for one."
– ilovecatfish
An atheist candidate isn't necessarily a big strike.
Double Negative
"I wouldn’t not vote for someone just because they were atheist."
– HabitualEnthusiast
Credibility First
"This is it. If they’re running on platforms I support with a history to back up those campaign promises, I don’t care if they belong to the church of the flying spaghetti monster. They could literally be a member of the satanic temple and I, an actual practicing Christian, would give less shi*s than a constipated sloth."
"Edit: yes, I realize the Satanic Temple does not actually worship satan. I used it for that purpose. The Church of Satan has some…problematic views and I probably would not vote for someone who literally holds a platform of eugenics."
– Phoenix_of_Asclepius
Some view the role of religion in politics as important.
It Depends
"Religion can be relevant: I would have strong reservations about voting for a Scientologist, even if I agreed with the policies they proposed. I would have strong reservations voting for a member of an apocalyptic cult or, possibly worse, a follower of the (highly heretical) 'prosperity gospel,' which unfortunately includes more and more so-called 'evangelicals' — I didn't vote for George W. Bush, but it's not because he was an evangelical."
"It depends on the role: I'd probably be more flexible with a legislator than an executive (mayor, governor, president), as their character is IMO more important than for a legislator and their policy stances somewhat less important relative to a legislator."
"Satanic temple — well, that's just an organized group of atheists and humanists with an intentionally inflammatory choice of name. They're generally fine people."
– alyssasaccount
A Bad Rap
"The Satanic Temple is an excellent organization that every decent person should be able to respect. A Church of Satan member, not so much."
"There's a huge difference between them!"
– StarsEatArtBooks
And Redditor boganvegan said it best.
"Better an open atheist than a fake Christian."
It all boils down to trustworthiness. Without full transparency, how could anyone put their faith in a candidate who spews nothing but lies?
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I'm always freaked out when I'm home alone. Lights on. Yeah, my electric bill is high.
Dorothy?
Wind Conan Obrien GIF by Team CocoGiphy"I dreamed the front door blew open at the exact time the house alarm went off... I hopped up and sure enough, the front door was open. No intruder."
fatowl
I See You
"Not home alone but only one in right side of the house. Went to my mom's bathroom to wash my hands and saw a pair of feet behind the half open door. Laughed and said 'very funny Ma, I see you.' then finished up and left. Bumped into my mother in the kitchen unpacking, nobody else was in the house. I'm glad whatever was behind the door didn't peek out."
SatanWithFur
“It’s Doug!”
"One night I had forgotten to lock my apartment door and woke up in the middle of the night. My bedroom door was about 2 feet from my front door, as you walked into the apartment. First a big dog ran by, then a person. Holy crap I was so scared and I screeched 'Who is it?!?!!'"
"A man said 'It’s Doug!' As I was thinking to myself, who the f**k is Doug, he said 'oh, crap.' He turned around to go back out the front door saying 'Sorry.' I asked 'Didn’t you have a dog with you?' He said 'Oh, yeah. Hey, c’mon!.' He left, his dog ran out after him and I locked my front door."
"Edit: glad you all thought this was funny, because I did too, once my heart quit trying to beat right out of my chest! The next day the girls at work thought I was crazy for not being upset, but eh, done is done. Peace!"
scarletohairy
Confused...
"My sister and I were home alone and we heard someone big running up the stairs. The stairs make lots of noise with slight pressure so when there’s someone big on them you can tell. I went out of my room to check but saw no one anywhere and my sister also came out of her room and she asked if that was me I said no and we both looked around to see if there was anyone but found no one in the whole house. We were confused and called our parents and just waited until they got back and that was that."
JtSudbury04
I See You
Staring I See You GIF by QuikTripGiphy"I very clearly saw a guy walk into my room. But when I went after him there was nobody there. I checked in the closet, under my bed, everywhere one could hide in my room."
HighlyOffensive10
This is why home video surveillance is key.
"NO"
Season 5 No GIF by The OfficeGiphy"My parents were on a road trip, just left, and I sat down at my desk. I thought 'Weekend alone by myself' and a voice yelled into my right ear 'NO' so loud it hurt."
Th4ab
Wild
"I managed to lock myself out of my house on my birthday during a tornado while trying to bring my cats to the basement for safety. I later found out that the tornado was approximately a couple miles or less from me at that exact time. The sky was green and it got weirdly calm and then I could hear what sounded like a train coming before I found an unlocked window to climb through. Wild times."
SilverGnarwhal
Saturday morning in the 80s...
"I wasn't home alone but I was awake by myself one Saturday morning in the 80s when I was around 7 or so. I believe my mom was the only one home because my dad went to the lake to go fishing that weekend, and I'm not sure where my older brothers were, maybe they went with him, idk."
"Anyways, my mom's sleeping in, and I'm in the living room by myself, watching Saturday morning cartoons and making a fort out of sheets and cushions. Something made me turn around and I saw my dad in his pajamas standing in the hallway entrance with his hands on his hips, looking the mess I was making and shaking his head."
"He then turned around and walked into my room, which was just off the hallway entrance. Dude. I didn't even look, I just booked it to my parents room and woke my mom up. I don't remember what happened after that, this was around 35 years ago. And yes, my dad was fine, nothing had happened to him."
smriversong
Get the Bat...
"I was at home by myself on a call with some friends when all of a sudden my dog begins to bark like crazy, which was odd since it was the middle of the night and he's usually sleep. I go downstairs to check on him and find him barking at our hall closet, terrified I grabbed my bat that I keep in my room just in case and open the door. There was nothing out of usual at first at then I look down and notice a familiar looking object at the bottom of the closet."
"It was my mom's necklace she had lost when I was 9, (i'm 15 now just to put in perspective how long it's been). I showed it to my mom at breakfast and she was just as shocked as I was. I still have no clue how it got there or how my dog knew it was in there, definitely one of the oddest occurrences of my life."
SomeRandomIdiot14
Meow
Happy Cat GIF by ChubbiverseGiphy"Many years ago, I was 14 or so, my first night alone in the house when my parents were out. Lying on the living room floor reading, my cat sleeping next to me."
"Suddenly, cat wakes up, stares intently into the dark corner of the room behind me, hair on end, growls and then bolts out of the room and upstairs. I look behind me and see nothing, but follow cat upstairs and hide under the covers. Freaked me out."
LairdofWingHaven
Thank God for alarms. I hate being home alone.
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The body freaks me out. But it's all I've got. So teach me some things.
Minutes...
death GIFGiphy"The fastest killing virus takes around 4 days to kill you. That would be Ebola. Your immune system can kill you in 15 minutes."
will477
'locked-in'
"If your brainstem (the part of the brain that mediates most motor control for all of the body) is damaged, you can get 'locked-in' syndrome. That means you're fully conscious and aware of your surroundings but unable to move or speak. The only muscles that remain unaffected in most people are the muscles that move they eyes and the eyelids."
"You're essentially trapped within your own body with your only way of communication being blinking or moving your eyes It can be caused by toxins, blockage of the basilar artery which is the main artery of the brainstem, or other brainstem damage."
4oodler
Explosions
"Some people suffer from Exploding Head Syndrome, which causes them to hear a loud bang when they wake up."
ToraMix19
"When I was younger I believe I experienced this a few times. Sounds I heard were: about a million people talking and laughing all at once, a train that irl would've been about a foot away from me based on the volume of the sound, and a door slamming loudly."
aliaisacreature
Pain
"Not sure if this is by design, but I totaled my car once, almost completely uninjured somehow. Then I looked down to my right hand which I remember jabbing into my dashboard at 55mph. Luckily (unluckily?) only my pinky took the blow. But instead of a floppy-udder full of bone-sand, my pinky was 0.5 inches long."
"Broke no bones, but instead perfectly stacked my phalanges, or finger bones, INTO my hand. This is fixed by a muscular Russian murse grabbing your pinky with both hands and pulling very hard. God I wish they gave me more lidocaine."
TelevisionOlympics
Functions
animation art GIFGiphy"If you have a surgery where they need to move your organs around they might not function for a day as the body assumes that they are dead."
tonythebutcher13
Move things around? You mean that's not fake when it happens on "Grey's Anatomy?"
Basketball Wives Ugh GIF by VH1"The only reason you are not aware of it is because the ambient noise kind of drowns it out because your ears focus on it. If you go to one of those super-silent rooms that absorb all sorts of sounds, it is a really weird way to reacquaint yourself with your body."
Black_Handkerchief
The Mouth
"Idk about the most disturbing but how bad human teeth are. We’d think it’s our sugary and processed diets these days that cause it, but even Otzi the iceman discovered in Italy was found to have terrible teeth, mouth diseases and cavities. It’s odd that even with the most basic of diets our teeth are so bad."
Dorianisconfused
In the bowels...
"I noticed this after my abdominal surgery. When I turned over in bed my guts seemed to fall from one side to the other. Mentioned to my doc and she confirmed it was my bowels rearranging themselves."
squatter_
"Apparently the doctor just throws your intestines back in there higgeldy-piggeldy because there isn't a correct way to pack them neatly."
LostDesigner9
A Quick Burst
"There are a vast number of ways that your body can malfunction and kill you with little or no warning. An aneurysm can go undetected until it bursts and kills you. Getting hit in the chest just the right way can stop your heart. You can encounter an allergen that never previously provoked an immune response that freaks out your body so badly that you die. You literally just never know if your body will just... die."
Unsolicited_Spiders
The body is such a conundrum. Sexy and gross all at once.
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