Venue cancellation during Covid

[visionary]

My friend has a wedding venue booked for later this year but due to personal reasons along with Covid wanted to either postpone or cancel. He tried to contact the venue earlier in the year and before the time when only the deposit would be forfeited if cancelled by a certain date but the phone wasn't answered and a reply to an email was just a one line saying I am furloughed. Consequently was unable to contact the venue until recently when it reopened following relaxing of the regulations but this is now within the time period where the full amount has to be paid if cancelled. What redress if any doe she have and does anyone have any suggestions how to approach the company now. The venue will not postpone due to other bookings and now insist on full payment. He doesn't mind loosing the deposit but doesn't want to pay the full amount and doesn't want to go ahead with venue.

[islandgirl]

Does your friend have copies of the emails and the reply and does it clearly state that they wish to cancel?

[visionary]

Does your friend have copies of the emails and the reply and does it clearly state that they wish to cancel?

Yes he has copies of the emails but unfortunately the email he sent doesn't specifically state that he wanted to cancel as at that time he was undecided as to either cancel or postpone so the email just said that he wanted to discuss the situation. He had tried phoning but no one answered the phone.