Coronavirus Update On Weddings in the UK #whataboutweddings

Covid Advice for Weddings in the UK

To say 2020 has been challenging would be an understatement! The travel and tourism sector, hospitality, retail and many more businesses have suffered from a drop in demand during the coronavirus pandemic, but in our opinion the weddings and events industry has been one of the hardest hit with the hashtag #whataboutweddings recently trending on twitter.

When Covid struck the world in March, the UK wedding industry was one of the first to close down primarily because the virus is easily transmitted through social contact with others so any mass gatherings were immediately and understandably banned to help control the spread of the virus. Although smaller weddings can now go ahead in some areas of the country, there are still restrictions on the number of wedding guests that can attend so it will be sometime before the wedding industry will be allowed to fully reopen and go back to normal.

The recent news of a possible covid vaccine on the horizon gives hope to many, but for now, lockdowns and restrictions continue to wreak havoc and confusion on weddings plans for many for the foreseeable future leading into Christmas 2020 and then into Spring 2021.

This week the nation eagerly awaited to find out which covid tier their area fell into before the government finally made its announcement in a press conference. The new covid tier system and restrictions are due to stay in place for most of the Winter until Easter. 

With the majority of the England in either tier 2 or 3, what does that mean for weddings?

Before we start, we just need to point out that Fascinators Direct takes no responsibility for anything you'll read because as you'll know from experience, the rules are likely to change on a regular basis and will be reviewed every fortnight by the government based on the scientific advice from Sage and Public Health England.

The best advice we can give you is to check the latest coronavirus rules for your area on the gov.uk website and also with your local authority.

The information provided applies to England and there is likely to be different restrictions for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Tier 1 - Medium Alert

Weddings can go ahead with restrictions on numbers of attendees – 15 people can attend wedding ceremonies and receptions.

Tier 2 - High Alert

Weddings can go ahead with restrictions on numbers of attendees – 15 people can attend wedding ceremonies and receptions.

Tier 3 - Very High Alert

Weddings can go ahead with restrictions on numbers of attendees – 15 people can attend wedding ceremonies but wedding receptions are not allowed.

In all tiers the general advice is to ensure the wedding takes place in a covid secure way and you should follow the rules of hands, face and space.

> Hands: wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds.
> Face: wear a face-covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet.
> Space: stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing face coverings).

Fascinators Direct have remained open throughout the pandemic and will continue to sell hats and fascinators online for all your wedding hats and headpiece requirements. Stay safe everyone x

Updated 20th December 2020:

Last night at short notice the UK government introduced new tier 4 "stay at home" restrictions on many parts of London and South East.

Weddings In Tier 4 Areas

Scientists have discovered a new strain of covid which they believe is more easily transmissible and fuelling the latest spike of covid infections in the south east. As a result of this new scientific evidence, the government has announced a new wave of restrictions and created a new "tier 4" for the affected areas. This will come as a blow to many people living under the new tier 4 rules and will have a huge impact of retail, leisure and hospitality, Christmas plans and weddings.

Tier 4 - Stay At Home

Weddings, civil partnership ceremonies must only take place in COVID-19 secure venues or in public outdoor spaces unless in exceptional circumstances.

Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies should not take place except in exceptional circumstances, for example where one of those getting married is seriously ill and not expected to recover ('deathbed wedding') or due to undergo debilitating treatment or life-changing surgery. These weddings are limited to 6 people.

If you live in a tier 4 area and are going to a wedding outside the tier 4 area, the event must follow the tier 4 gathering limits on the events.

If you live outside a tier 4 area and are going to a wedding inside the tier 4 area, you must comply with the tier 4 gathering limits on the events.

Source: gov.uk