A bride and groom have had a legal claim settled after nearly 30 people – including the bride – had severe food poisoning after their Bromley wedding.

Emma and Stuart Seaton got married at The Manor in Bickley on March 30, 2018.

They said that while the venue was at the top end of their budget, they chose it due to “hearing positive reviews”.

The newlyweds had planned for their honeymoon to take place straight after the wedding and the they flew from London to Los Angeles on April 1, 2018.

News Shopper: Emma and Stuart SeatonEmma and Stuart Seaton

Their itinerary included going to Disneyland California, followed by a seven-day cruise in Hawaii before finishing the trip in Los Angeles.

However, Emma, 34, started to feel unwell on the flight to California, experiencing irregular feelings in her stomach.

She says her symptoms, including a fever and diarrhoea, grew worse as the day progressed – before becoming more drastic as the holiday went on.

Emma told the News Shopper: “What was supposed to be one of the best memories of our lives was devastatingly tarnished by the severe food poisoning myself and almost 30 of our wedding guests experienced.

“Stuart and I had been dreaming of our perfect wedding and honeymoon for years and we invested a lot of time, money, and emotional labour into making it a reality.

“What could have been a magical time for us at the beginning of married life turned into a nightmare.

“I was too unwell to enjoy our honeymoon together and Stuart had to look after me the whole time.

“I cannot even look back on my wedding day with fond memories as they have all been overshadowed by the harrowing ordeal caused by the food poisoning.

“The added stress of having friends and family get in touch while we were away to inform us of their illness was unbearable, as well as the realisation that this is how people would remember our special day.”

As their holiday continued, Emma says she had a headache, fever, dehydration, disrupted sleep, weight loss, diarrhoea, and painful stomach cramps which persisted for the duration of their three-week honeymoon.

Additionally, she had to go the bathroom roughly every 20 minutes, and the couple were forced to take taxis instead of public transport so that Emma would be more comfortable, which increased their expenses.

Adding to the distress, 28 out of 180 wedding guests, reported feeling ill due to food poisoning after the wedding.

On October 19, 2018, Emma and Stuart received the Public Health England’s report dubbed "An outbreak of campylobacter among wedding guests at The Manor at Bickley, Bromley, March 2018” - which confirmed that the point source outbreak of Campylobacter among guests was most likely caused by the chicken liver pâté which had been served at the wedding reception.

Emma added: “We struggled to get any acknowledgement from the wedding venue, The Manor at Bickley in Bromley, and we were left feeling isolated and in the dark.

“The cumulation of all the stress has taken its toll on me long-term and still impacts me to this day.

“I am pleased that Leigh Day was able to secure a settlement for us and I hope with all of my heart that no one else has to go through what we did.”

The fallout of the food poisoning cases, ruined honeymoon and tarnished wedding memories took its toll on Emma in particular.

She says the experience triggered a deterioration in her mental health including feelings of depression and chronic anxiety, leading her to seek CBT through her GP.

Angela Bruno and Jennifer Ellis, part of the Food safety team at law firm Leigh Day, successfully concluded the claim on behalf of the bride and groom and 28 wedding guests who also suffered from food poisoning.

Leigh Day lawyer Angela Bruno said: “Emma and Stuart’s memories of what should have been the best day of their lives and of a honeymoon of a lifetime will be forever tarnished.

“The settlement will never redress the loss they felt from being known as the “food poisoning couple” but will go some way in helping them move on with their lives and form new memories.”

The Manor, Bickley has been approached for comment.

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