Bride wins £16,000 payout after her luxury wedding to racehorse trainer’s son was ruined when 50ft yurt collapsed 24 hours before the nuptials

A ‘distraught’ bride whose ‘high-end’ wedding to the son of a top racehorse trainer was ruined by a collapsed dormitory has been awarded £16,000.

Charlotte Crane, 29, owner of the equestrian center, and William Easterby, 31, son of trainer Tim Easterby, had planned their special day for June 2024.

They held a lavish reception at Green Court Farm, near Guisborough, Yorkshire, which would offer 180 guests ‘spectacular’ views from the top of a hill on his father’s land.

The couple rented a 15-metre yurt with a fairy-lit ceiling and a ‘huge flower display’ for their guests to dine in, as well as a large tent for drinking and dancing afterwards.

But disaster struck on the eve of the wedding, when the structure’s roof collapsed and the bride was left “distraught, bursting into tears and unable to sleep.”

In a last-minute fight, the couple rented a smaller dining tent, but guests were so packed in that waiting staff couldn’t walk between tables.

One employee described conditions as the ‘worst’ they had ever had to work.

Mr and Mrs Easterby sued Yorkshire Yurts Limited, the company that supplied the unused dormitories, seeking a refund and compensation.

The couple rented a 15-metre yurt with a fairy-lit ceiling and a ‘huge flower display’ for their guests to dine in, as well as a large tent for drinking and dancing afterwards. Pictured is one of the large wedding venue yurts supplied by Yorkshire Yurts Ltd.

They were awarded a payment of £16,504 in York County Court; £10,000 of this payment was given for the stress and distress experienced by the couple, especially the bride.

Sentencing, District Judge Andrew Maccuish said the problems had caused ‘real distress’ to Ms Easterby on her wedding day, which was supposed to be a ‘once-in-a-lifetime event’ for a bride.

William Easterby is part of a racing dynasty, the son of famous North Yorkshire trainer Tim Easterby and grandson of legendary racehorse trainer Peter Easterby, who died aged 95 earlier this year.

Peter Easterby established the family stud business at Habton Grange, near Malton, and went on to become the only trainer to send out more than 1,000 winners in both flat and jump races and train the acclaimed hurdler Sea Pigeon.

Following his father’s retirement, Tim Easterby took charge of Habton Grange in 1996 and continued to train Classic winner Bollin Eric, who won the 2002 St Leger Stakes, and achieved further wins on mounts such as Pipalong, Faye Jag and Winter Power.

William rides for his father as an amateur jockey and serves as a senior executive in the family business, while his daughter-in-law Charlotte, the farmer’s daughter, owns a local equestrian centre.

After deciding to get married, the couple approached local firm Yorkshire Yurts, based in Aldfield, near Ripon, to rent a 15-metre yurt to use as a dining room, a tent for dancing in and a dining tent.

They paid £16,504, including a refundable £4,126 damage deposit, and by Thursday night, June 6, the yurt and tent were erected, ready for the wedding on Saturday.

The couple paid £16,504, including a refundable £4,126 damage deposit, and the yurt and marquee were erected ready for the wedding on Thursday night (6 June).

But on Friday morning it became apparent that the tent had ‘moved significantly’ and ‘began to collapse’, making it impossible to keep the struts holding its roof in place.

The couple were told by Yorkshire Yurts staff that the yurt was too dangerous to use unless it could be repaired due to ‘unusual’ wind conditions.

As a solution, they were offered a smaller dormitory as an alternative; this would require having to tell half the guests that they would no longer be able to come to the reception 24 hours before the wedding.

District Judge Andrew Maccuish, sitting in York County Court, said: ‘The burden of saving the wedding reception therefore fell on the plaintiffs.’

‘The solution collectively agreed upon by the plaintiff party 24 hours before the wedding was to use what could be used on the site and change the use of the tent to catering, moving the bar and dance stage from there to another tent, if available.

‘Although much smaller than the yurt, an extra tent and a freestanding caravan bar were found on extremely short notice for the reception’s after-dinner activities and were erected and set up on the morning of the wedding.

‘A large group of about 20 people assisted in this and carried the table and chairs, tablecloths, crockery, glasses and cutlery to the tent which the plaintiffs had purchased.

They planned a lavish reception at Green Court Farm, near Guisborough, Yorkshire, which would offer 180 guests ‘spectacular’ views from the top of a hill on her father’s property.

William is part of a racing dynasty, the son of famous trainer Tim Easterby (pictured) and grandson of legendary racehorse trainer Peter Easterby, who died aged 95 earlier this year.

‘The above certainly does not do justice to the drama that ensued as events unfolded… Many of the plaintiffs’ witnesses described how stressful it was.

‘This last edit wasn’t perfect. In her witness statement, Ms Sarah Readman, of wedding caterer Nabs Nosk Catering, said the marquee conditions at the wedding were the worst she had ever worked in in her 17 years in the catering industry.

‘The tables… were crammed together so guests could not move or sit comfortably. Dining staff had to pass meals like a conveyor belt because there was no room to walk between tables. He finishes his statement by saying it was the most difficult wedding his team has ever had to cater.’

After the wedding, the couple filed a lawsuit for the refund of their money and compensation for the damage they suffered due to the ‘loss of enjoyment or disappointment’ caused to them, as well as the extra expenses they incurred due to the failure of the dormitory.

However, Yorkshire Yurts fought the case in court, claiming it had the right to withdraw due to poor conditions; one member of staff blamed the “incredibly exposed” area and “very windy” weather.

Company manager Thomas Sterne also claimed in his statement that the dorm room was usable on the wedding day and could be repaired.

By then the wind had died down and he said he believed it could be ‘repaired and used’.

But the judge disagreed.

‘The defendant says the dormitories can be used, but this is absolutely not true,’ he said.

‘A contract was signed for the delivery of a dormitory and he did not fulfill it, contrary to the contract. He did not make every effort to deliver and erect a yurt. The installation method was incorrect and not enough personnel were assigned to undertake the repair work at the time.

‘The dormitory poles were erected on a wooden base, which meant they shifted in the wind and as a result the roof poles bent and fell.

‘The dormitory was not suitable for the purpose it was to be used for.

‘I accept that the defendant’s breach of contract caused real distress to the plaintiffs and I do so specifically on the evidence presented to Ms Easterby.

‘Mrs Easterby’s statement made it clear that she was distraught as her wedding plans had been ruined. She was stressed, couldn’t sleep and burst into tears.

‘This is very real and… the evidence you provide is still raw. I also saw some messages about this issue between the bride and groom the night before the wedding.

‘This isn’t the jitters the night before someone’s wedding. As Ms Easterby noted in her evidence, the plaintiffs, who come from farming backgrounds, are used to facing, confronting and overcoming adversity, but nothing like this.

‘Unlike a spoiled holiday, a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event for claimants. This is an opportunity for them.

‘This marks the beginning of their married life together and is celebrated by family and friends who gather on the day. This is it.

‘Something that cannot be repeated. It’s different from the holiday situation, because of course there may be other holidays in the coming years.’

The judge ordered the company to refund £6,504 for the unusable dormitory, saying ‘anyone can have a bad day’, despite admitting that Yorkshire Yurts had ‘good reviews’, with many receiving five stars.

He also included an award for distress caused, saying: ‘I think an award of £10,000 would be a way of compensating the claimants, as long as the money can provide it.

‘This sum mainly reflects the impact on Mrs Easterby, with allowance for Mr Easterby. The “appropriate amount” is £10,000.

‘Accordingly, an award of £16,504.00 will be made to the claimants.’