100-guest weddings by July? With all the months of COVID-19 uncertainty, mists are clearing about what you can expect for YOUR 2020 wedding

Ireland reached a HUGE milestone last week. As reported in the Independent, they are allowing weddings with up to 100 guests to go ahead. If that’s the way the UK will go, then that’s great news! The UK’s own announcement on 29th June about weddings, were not quite so spectacular, but there is still good reason to hope for your wedding later in 2020.

UPDATE: The UK 29th June Announcement:

You can read the full announcement here. Yes, it’s pretty dry and longwinded, so here is a summary;

Weddings can go ahead with 30 people. But there are some severe restrictions:

Ceremonies are shortened to the shortest possible length. So forget about those readings or custom vows you were hoping to have
Large receptions or parties should not be held afterwards
No singing or chanting, in a church or otherwise. There will also not be any musicians that need to sing, blow a wind instrument etc.
2m Social Distancing in place. Families from single households can be together, but these must be distanced from other parties or members of the family.
People agree 70 or over are advised to not attend.

So, essentially, the wedding you were hoping for is not going to go ahead. As seen by the predictions below, this is not a surprise.

There is one caveat though. Almost all these guidelines are advisory; the test says should rather than must. That does mean that venues and couples have flexibility to not stick to them, but they would then be going against all advice.

So, what about the rest of the year?

The big unknown is when will these restrictions be lifted?

The UK Alliance of Wedding Planners are well placed to give insight into how and when UK restrictions around weddings will be lifted.

Their leader Bernadette Chapman has stepped up in an article in Hitched to give her view on UK 2020 weddings, which has been the first bit of clarity for many of us. For anyone associated with the wedding industry and Brides and Grooms that have everything crossed, it’s positive news. Very positive indeed.

Summary of predictions:

You can read the full article here on Hitched.com, here are the highlights…

June Weddings:

Currently exceptions given for couples that may have illnesses. But late in June, small weddings of just at the essential people may be possible to go ahead for everyone. For the hardcore ‘we are getting married whatever’ with weddings in late June there may be light at the end of the tunnel. UPDATE 22nd June. Small essential people weddings are going to be allowed in Wales. Read article here

July Weddings

Small ceremonies of up to 30 are possible with restrictions listed above. So for couples that are very keen to get married and happy to have just their nearest and dearest, then it seems possible that they will be able to continue. Everyone else should, and probably already have, postpone the wedding to a time of less uncertainty.

August Weddings

Normality will be returning as the government seems to be successfully continuing its plan to get live back up and running. It seems therefore likely that weddings will start to be permitted, but possibly with a limit on numbers. What limit, who knows. Bernadette mentions 50 as a possible maximum. If you have a larger wedding and are not prepared to compromise on numbers, it seems sensible to at least have a firm plan B in place. Read this article on creating your plan B

September or October Weddings

This are looking rather positive here. There are reports of travel restrictions being lifted by September and it looks likely that larger events such as weddings will be allowed. My view here is that if we are allowed to get on a plane full of passengers, I simply cannot see how they will not allow weddings.

My gut feeling is that 100 guests may be a limit for September, as this would separate small-medium from the larger weddings. Perhaps these restrictions will be lifted more in October? Noone knows for sure of course, so liaison with all your suppliers is important.

November or December Weddings

The general feel is that these weddings will be going ahead, with few if any restrictions. Perhaps even guests that are currently shielding will, by then, be ok to attend as long as venues have all the mandated measures in place, which of course they will as their businesses depend on these weddings going ahead.

So if you have a wedding later in the year, it seems likely that you will be able to go ahead while monitoring the situation.

Nick Church Photography COVID-19 Planning

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We have a process in place to guarantee that we can shoot all weddings, new and existing, regardless of what happens with postponements. There will be no fees, no hassle. All part of the service.

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