The Latest Rules and Guidelines on Weddings Post COVID-19

Words Nothando Mpala

Planning your wedding at the moment may seem a bit confusing with the constant changing of the rules and regulations, but do not worry. Freelance Events Coordinator Nothando Mpala clearly explains the new rules and guidelines so that you can enjoy your perfect day!

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Even though we are no longer in lockdown, the events industry will still have to wait until the government’s alert level drops to level 2 before we experience any real live events. However, this has not been the same rule for weddings, as the government has announced that wedding ceremonies and civil partnerships can take place under new rules and guidelines.

Since March, many couples have had to cancel or postpone their big day due to Cov19. From the 4th July it was announced wedding ceremonies and civil partnerships can go ahead as long as the weddings are small gatherings of two households or six people from different households. Couples will now be able to marry with up to 30 people present including suppliers such as the officiant, photographer and other suppliers needed on the day. 

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What do the new rules mean for couples?

• Social Distancing rules will still be applied to prevent the further spread of Cov19, and floors must be marked with the 2-metre rule to encourage guests to maintain their distances.

• Couples will have to wash/sanitiser their hands before exchanging their rings.

• Only 30 people can be invited to attend their weddings and ceremonies must be as short as possible.

• Music must be played at a level where people do not have to shout or raise their voices and the couple should avoid encouraging sing-a-longs or live bands.

• Table plans should not include face-to-face seating, guests should wear masks and venues as well as the location must have easy access to hand sanitiser.

• Weddings can be live streamed to enable those who were unable to attend to be part of the couple special day. 

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Ever since the government has given the new guidelines it has been unclear on what weddings should look like in reality. Nevertheless, one thing is certain that all new plans are subject to the rate of Cov19 infections remaining low. Weddings in other parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales and Northern Ireland were able to implement these rules early June as have had great results of many couples opting for a smaller, more intimate wedding. On the other hand, places like Scotland have kept the ban on indoor weddings and restricted ceremonies to only have a maximum of eight people in attendance. 

With many couples already postponing their wedding to later in the year, or moving it completely to 2021, there is a strong request from many couples to keep their wedding plans as is due to the uncertainty of the pandemic being completely over. The Alliance of Wedding Planners Bernadette Chapman told hitched that “it’s important that couples keep up to date with the latest developments when it comes to communicating with venues and suppliers”. She goes on to say that “couples should schedule regular check-ins with their venues and officiants just in case new dates become available”.

The church of England has stated that they are happy to refund couples that want to postpone their wedding day; however, they will only be hosting small weddings with limited service for those who want to go ahead with ceremonies. More and more officiants and churches are considering ways in which they can broadcast weddings online for those unable to attend. If you had planned a wedding aboard; the best thing would be to move the date to sometime next year as many countries are still on lockdown and won’t be opening up their boards anytime soon. 

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There is no doubt that everyone is unsure when the world will get back to normal, or rather our ‘new normal’. Many couples have lost a lot of finance by postponing their weddings, in spite of this the Association of British Wedding businesses state that “in most cases refunds should be issued as long as a business cancelled without providing any goods or services for example many cancellations occurring due to the government health measures”.

As the government continues to observe the numbers of those infected with Cov19, the future for weddings will be uncertain for a while. The traditional way of having weddings will be put on hold  and wedding we take a more virtual form to cater for those who do have wedding in this period.

Nothando Mpala - Freelance Events Coordinator