Albert Park gastro outbreak: Bride and groom demand answers from lavish Melbourne wedding venue after their big day was ruined when dozens of guests were struck down by illness- and it's the fifth time it happened this month

A devastated bride and groom have demanded answers from a lavish wedding venue after almost 50 of their guests were struck down with severe vomiting and diarrhea. 

Rebecca and Brodey Fitzgerald held their $20,000 wedding reception at The Park venue in Albert Park, in Melbourne's inner south, on Friday.

But in the hours following their big day guests - including two pregnant women who were eventually hospitalised - fell ill with severe gastro.

Shockingly, it's the fifth such incident to happen at The Park venue in the last month, with around 230 guests of various different functions affected.

Rebecca and Brodey Fitzgerald (pictured) held their $20,000 wedding reception at The Park venue in Albert Park, in Melbourne 's inner south, on Friday. But in the hours following their big day around 50 of their guests - including two pregnant women who were eventually hospitalised - fell ill with severe gastro

'We just want some form of answer about how this happened,' Mrs Fitzgerald told A Current Affair.

'We have spent so much money trying to have the best day that we possible could and now I just feel that everyone's memory of our wedding is just going to be a negative one.'

In the days before their wedding, the newlyweds were reassured by management at The Park that they had been given a the go-ahead from the council and the health department to stay open.

Mr and Mrs Fitzgerald now deeply regret they 'trusted the professionals'.

Around 80 attendees at a medical conference dinner held at The Park on 13 September reported falling ill, while a wedding held three days later was ruined after another 80 guests were struck down with gastro-like symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea and dizziness.  

Mr Fitzgerald fell ill himself, spending the day after the wedding in bed at a luxury hotel the couple had booked to continue the celebrations (the couple are pictured)

The newlyweds (pictured) are demanding answers from The Park venue 

The venue underwent cleaning and was given a clean bill of health by the department of health and Portland City Council allowing the Fitzgerald's to go ahead with their wedding.

'We got a call from the venue three days before the wedding and they just explained that we'd be seeing it on the news and not to worry about it,' Mrs Fitzgerald said.

'The venue had been deep cleaned and they reassured me that it was all fine to go ahead - they got a tick of approval from the council and none of our guests would be impacted at all.' 

When Mr and Mrs Fitzgerald informed the venue they were told 'perhaps it might have been a contact-to-contact gastro bug that one of the guests brought in' which infuriated them.

'It puts all the good memories you had of the wedding in the back of your head because you are trying to focus on making sure your guests are okay,' Mr Fitzgerald said. 

The couple had treated themselves to an expensive hotel room in the city the day after the wedding when the groom himself fell violently ill.

'I was so upset that I couldn't spent what was meant to be a magical weekend with my partner - now wife - and all I'm doing is laying under the covers in bed and having Bec wondering around the city by herself - trying to enjoy it by herself,' Mr Fitzgerald said. 

'How do you do that?'

Shockingly, the illnesses reported from the Fitzgerald's wedding is the fifth such incident to happen at The Park venue (pictured) in the last month, with around 230 guests of different functions affected

The venue has voluntarily closed its doors for two weeks after the latest outbreaks  

The day after the Fitzgerald's wedding, another outbreak reportedly struck down 40 guests at a different wedding.

The Park announced on Tuesday it had  voluntarily closed its doors for two weeks. 

But the Fitzgerald's believe it is 'a little too late'. 

'Although, it is a good thing because I would hate any other bride or someone going through a big event having to go through what we have gone through,' Mrs Fitzgerald added. 

The Park has reportedly offered to refund all the events. 

'We have the highest standard of health and safety practices in place and we are deeply saddened that this outbreak has occurred and affected a number of people,' The Park said in a statement. 

Bahaa Harb, venue manager for The Park, said on Tuesday it made the voluntary decision to close out of 'an abundance of caution'.

'We had taken all precautionary health and safety measures ahead of recent events, however, as there have been reported illnesses from an event on the weekend, we have decided to temporarily stop operating functions for the next two weeks until we have further information,' Mr Harb told Nine Newspapers. 

'It is possible that these outbreaks are not linked, but we have decided to close out of an abundance of caution until we have further information.'

Daily Mail Australia approached the venue for further comment on the new outbreaks.