A couple's big day has been ruined after their reception venue was double booked.

Shelley Kinsella, 30, a teacher, of St Leonards Avenue, Hove was due to celebrate her August wedding at Brighton and Hove Golf Club but last week was told the party was off because a golf tournament had been planned.

She said: "I am so angry. They were so flippant. My mum and sister have been in tears over it and my fianc is very stressed by the whole situation."

Miss Kinsella and her fianc, Sunil Bacchoo, 29, who lives with Miss Kinsella, found their dream location a year ago after getting engaged in October 2004.

She said: "A new couple had taken over the entertainment and wanted to get into doing weddings. They were really enthusiastic and said they'd make it a really special day. They wouldn't take a deposit."

Since then they have booked their honeymoon, relatives have flights arranged to come over from Mauritius and they had paid their deposits for flowers and a photographer.

Two weeks ago, Miss Kinsella rang to finalise menu details. Staff could not remember the date of her wedding and on looking in their diary, delivered the bad news last Sunday.

The golf club is hosting a tournament on August 5.

Sharon Ellis, bar manager at the golf club, said: "It was just an unfortunate thing really. A tentative inquiry was made last year and then golfing fixtures were put in and it was unfortunate it coincided. First and foremost we are a golf club and we have a tournament that day."

Mrs Ellis said she had asked the golf tournament organiser to change dates but it was "impossible."

The couple plan to write a letter to the manager but have not been able to find an affordable replacement venue, settling instead on Miss Kinsella's mother's house for the reception.

Downsizing the event means instead of the planned 120 guests, they can now only invite 28.

This, in turn, has meant they will now host the wedding a day earlier and move the ceremony from St Ter-esa's church in Southwick to Southover Grange register office in Lewes.

No register office was available for the Saturday except in Brighton where Gay Pride weekend would have hampered transport arrangements.

Miss Kinsella said: "We thought we would cancel it but we can't afford another honeymoon. A lot of people are going to be upset because we can't cater for them now. We are trying to be fatalistic and look at it positively. We have got each other."