Couples rejigging wedding plans due to Caesars closure

Lucky in love — unlucky in venues.

Workers at Caesars Windsor have been on strike for seven weeks now, and some couples are scrambling for a solution, or at the very least, a back-up plan for their wedding.

"We had one couple reach out to us who had 30 rooms booked for their guests [at Caesars] ... there was one hotel left downtown that could accommodate them, and we got them booked in there," said Nancy Campana, president of Nouveau Events Planning.

"My advice to ... couples that are getting married at Caesars in the next month ... is start thinking about alternate plans," she said, noting June is an extremely busy time for weddings.

"Don't wait until your wedding is cancelled."

While Caesars Windsor declined to speak with CBC News about what they are doing for couples affected by the closure, Campana said the casino has been "fantastic" with couples.

"[They're] really trying to accommodate couples as they've had to cancel rooms and banquet facilities," she said. "From what I understand ... Caesars wedding and banquet staff is being amazing with trying to get as many of those alternate plans in place for couples."

A venue being unavailable due to a labour dispute is a very unusual scenario, according to another local wedding professional.

"I sit on a board of wedding professionals out of the U.S., and we've talked about a lot of things," said Sheryl Davies, publisher of The Wedding Guide Windsor-Essex County. "What we've never discussed is a property being closed because the workers are negotiating a contract — never heard of it, never happened." 

She hasn't heard any horror stories about the cancellations so far, but says the strike has been a jolt to would-be newlyweds.

"I feel really badly for them. When you look at the labour unrest that's existing right now, the workers need a good deal. The guests and the clients of the property certainly are looking to have delivered what they paid for," Davies said. "It's got to be resolved."