A company behind a popular wedding venue has gone into administration, KentOnline can reveal.

Couples booked to be married at St Augustine’s in Westgate-on-Sea were left unsettled after a wine tasting evening and Burns Night celebrations were axed last week.

Speculation surrounded the firm’s future as bosses remained tight-lipped and brides-to-be struggled to get answers.

But today it has been exclusively confirmed to KentOnline the company – St Augustine’s College Ltd – has entered administration.

A spokesman for accountancy firm Kreston Reeves told this website: “We have been appointed as the administrator.”

More details are set to follow in the coming days.

Sarah Deadman, who had planned marry her partner of almost six years, Peter Smith, at the venue on March 15, told KentOnline earlier this week: “We have been planning it for years and we have been saving for three years so we could afford it. It has cost us £6,500 for the venue.”

The mum-of-three says she started to worry last Thursday when she saw posts about events being cancelled.

“We went there on Friday and didn’t get any answers either,” she said.

“There are less than seven weeks until the wedding.”

A wine tasting evening due to take place was cancelled at short notice, with a note attached to the venue’s door stating: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, the venue is closed today.

“For business clients, please contact them directly. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

A Burns Night event was due to take place last Saturday evening, with 90 guests due to attend, but this was also axed.

Its organiser Thanet and District Caledonian Society president David Walker says a voicemail message was left for him blaming a “change of companies”.

Those with events booked have made several attempts to contact the venue for more details.

An email was sent to some customers last Friday and later shared on social media, which said no administrators had been appointed.

“It is with deepest regret we are contacting you in this manner but we have a duty to you to keep you informed of the current situation,” it says.

“I appreciate there has been a lot of scaremongering on social media over the last 24 hours and this has no doubt affected you greatly in respect of your booking with us.

“We can confirm at this stage as of midday yesterday [Thursday, January 23] we were advised by the directors of the company to down tools and close the doors.

“We were then advised at 6pm yesterday [Thursday, January 23] to reopen the doors at 8.30am this morning and to come into work.

“We can also confirm, to our personal knowledge at this time, no liquidators or administrators have been instructed so, as far as we are concerned we are not in liquidation or administration.

“We are so unbelievably sorry we are unable to provide you with more information at this time, but until we are advised ourselves that is all we can tell you.”

KentOnline has made efforts to contact bosses but there have been no responses to our phone calls or emails.

Our reporter visited the venue, which had reopened last Friday. However, staff declined to pass our request for information to the directors or provide contact details for them.”

One worker said: “There is something unusual going on. We are completely in the dark.

“I went to work, got on with my job and to see what was going on but the staff knew nothing.”