Location: Nj - Wedding Venue Failed To Adequately Deliver Contracted Services; Owner Refuses Refund Of 24% Service Charge.

I'm looking for some general legal perspective on a dispute with a wedding venue location: New Jersey

My spouse and I recently hosted our wedding reception at a golf club venue. We paid for a wedding package that included passed hors d'oeuvres, food displays, dinner, wedding cake, coffee, and open bar service. The package also included a substantial service charge.

Unfortunately, the service during the reception fell significantly short of our expectations. Since the wedding, we've heard from more than half of our guests about issues they experienced. Some examples:

• Cocktail hour: Multiple guests reported seeing only a small portion of the varieties of passed hors d'oeuvres included in our package. Our family also observed servers circulating primarily in a limited area near the kitchen rather than throughout the room. The cheese display was depleted halfway through cocktail hour and was never replenished
• Water and table service: Family members and guests reported nonexistent water refills throughout the evening. Empty glasses also accumulated on tables rather than being cleared throughout the whole evening.
• Dessert: Guests at multiple tables reported never receiving wedding cake, despite staying until the end of the reception, which was then packaged up to me to bring home and I had to throw it out because we were leaving immediately onto our honeymoon
• Coffee: Guests reported that the coffee station at the end of the night ran out and was not adequately replenished after an early spill.
• Guest's damaged clothing: One guest reported that staff spilled several drinks on his suit jacket, leaving it drenched with red wine and with broken glass on it. He said staff did not offer any apology or meaningful assistance.

What happened afterward:

We raised these issues directly with the venue. Management acknowledged some shortcomings with water refills and clearing glasses but disputed some of our other complaints.

We subsequently provided additional guest accounts and supporting information and requested a refund of the service charge given the extent of the service failures. The venue ultimately declined to provide any financial compensation.

Contractual concerns:

I have a signed contract that includes the following provisions:

1. A description of the food and beverage package and the services included.
2. A provision for a service charge on food and beverage charges.
3. A limitation-of-liability clause stating that the venue's aggregate liability for claims arising out of the event or agreement, including breach of contract claims, cannot exceed the contract price. It also disclaims consequential and incidental damages to the fullest extent permitted by law.
4. A reference to a separate event-responsibilities document that the contract says was provided to us. I do not recall receiving this document, and the signed contract is the only document I remember receiving.

My questions:

1. Based on these facts, could we have a viable breach-of-contract claim under New Jersey law for failure to adequately deliver contracted services?
2. Could the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act apply, or would this more likely be considered a private breach-of-contract dispute?
3. How enforceable is the limitation-of-liability provision? Could it affect our ability to recover the service charge?
4. Does the reference to a separate document that I do not recall receiving have any legal significance?
5. Would pursuing a refund of the service charge through New Jersey Small Claims Court be reasonable? Is the full service charge a legally supportable measure of damages?
6. Would filing a complaint with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs be worthwhile?

I'm not looking for validation that the venue provided bad service. I'm trying to understand whether there is an actual legal basis to pursue a claim, what weaknesses I should be aware of, and what remedies might realistically be available under New Jersey law.

Thank you for any guidance.