The end of the lockdown in England, expected for June 21, has been officially postponed to the second half of July. Nonetheless, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson has decided to make an exception to the rule for weddings!
From today, all the wedded-couples-to-be are allowed to dream – and act – bigger! The 30 people rule is no longer in place, you can have your live music band and plentifully enjoy your banquet – as long as you pick an outdoor venue.
We have decided to go through the full list of new precautions you are required to respect if your ceremony is upcoming. Remember that you can still have your dream day while keeping everybody safe in compliance with the rules. Failure to observe the guidance is punishable by law.
Let’s start from the fun bit: entertainment!
You are now allowed to have amateur choirs, musicians or bands performing live. If the ceremony is taking place indoor, the maximum number of components in a group is six. Outdoors, the performants can be divided into multiple groups of up to 30 people each. The margin is quite wide so you can’t be disappointed! However, communal singing is not advised indoors. This means that, for example, you cannot have hymns at a religious wedding.
Another limitation has been placed on dancing. You are asked to limit the dances happening at your reception to the couple’s “first dance”. Dancefloors need to remain closed since dancing is advised against, but they can still be converted into sitting space.
Many activities can still take place, like the cutting of the cake or games but only between the newly wedded partners. Any gadgets or objects (like instant cameras, memory books, photo booths props, etc.) incentivizing social contact should not be permitted.
Can you extend your guests list? Yes, now you can!
The rule of 30 is now gone and your guests list can grow. There is potentially no limit to the number of people that can attend your beautiful day, as long as your venue of choice has the capability to accommodate everyone safely. Children need to be taken into consideration in the total count, unlike anyone working.
Both indoor and outdoor locations follow the same rule, with the exception of private indoor venues which still remain banned. You are allowed to a private house indoor ceremony only in case of serious illness, with no expected recovery, of one of the partners. If you are planning a back garden wedding, your guests list is limited to 30 people unless you fill in a Covid risk assessment on the Government website.
Good news for friends and relatives living abroad. It is now possible to travel to attend a wedding! But be careful to the legislation, since the obligation of quarantine and tasting for the virus still apply.
What about masks and social distancing?
For the whole duration of the ceremony and reception, while indoor, all attendees and workers are required to wear a mask – except while eating or drinking. Close contact among people is a personal choice that should still happen with caution.
We all know that trusting the weather is a lost cause. For this reason, you can create shelters at your outdoor location covering up to the 50% of the open space.
Tables and any sitting spots do not need to respect social distance. However, any drink or food must be consumed while seated. For this reason, buffets and open bars are banned.
If you would like to have more information or read the full guidance, visit www.gov.uk.
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