Inside bride and groom’s ‘wedding from hell’ at Melbourne’s Albert Park as furious couple consider calling lawyers after dozens of guests were crushed by severe gastro
Bride and groom plan to take legal action against caterers at their wedding after more than 30 guests developed food poisoning.
The newlyweds were married on Saturday in front of 300 guests at Melbourne’s Albert Park, but by Monday an outbreak of gastroenteritis had left a number of them ill.
The couple are now reportedly considering taking legal action against the caterers who served them the food, as they prepare for a possible class action.
Victoria’s Department of Health has launched an investigation into the gastroenteritis outbreak, which does not appear to be linked to another cluster of listeria cases in the state.
At least two guests spent Monday night in the hospital recovering and others began speaking out anonymously.
More than 30 people developed gastroenteritis after attending a wedding at The Park (pictured) in Melbourne’s Albert Park on Saturday.
The bride and groom reportedly spent Tuesday collecting declarations from guests who had fallen ill, one guest told The Age.
They said that although the couple was considering legal action, they were not ready to speak publicly about the matter.
Guests had the choice of chicken or pork for the main course, but it’s unclear whether either dish was linked to more cases or gastro.
As many as 70 out of 300 guests suffered from food poisoning in the days following the reception.
At the wedding, the children were reportedly given hamburgers and were also among those who developed food poisoning, according to 3AW.
Affected people reportedly experienced symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating and delirium after attending the wedding.
The Department of Health is now working with the local council to get to the bottom of what happened.
“We are working with Port Phillip Council to investigate the source of the outbreak and ensure all appropriate infection prevention and control measures are in place,” a spokesperson said.
The Park confirmed that it was cooperating with the Ministry of Health’s investigation.
Bahaa Harb, manager of the Park and River’s Edge sites, told Daily Mail Australia he was investigating the cause of the “reported outbreak”.
“We are working closely with event guests and the council to determine the cause of the outbreak,” Harb said.
The Department of Health is also investigating a listeriosis outbreak that sickened five Victoria residents in August.
The newlyweds are now considering taking the caterers to court while Victoria’s Department of Health has launched an investigation with which The Park is cooperating.
The listeriosis outbreak has become a “multi-state cluster”, according to a statement released by Victoria’s chief public health officer Clare Looker.
Queensland Health investigators linked it to shredded chicken from M&J Chickens in three states, which affected more than 30 people.
Listeriosis is a rare but potentially serious infection, the Ministry of Health said in its press release.
“People at increased risk include older people, pregnant women and their babies, people with underlying health conditions such as cancer, liver or kidney disease or diabetes,” Queensland Health said.
“People at increased risk of listeriosis should avoid consuming high-risk foods.”
The ministry recommends that anyone who believes they have gastroenteritis or listeriosis visit its website for more information.