The whole of England is currently in Lockdown.

This article is no longer being updated. As per the Prime Minister's announcement to the House of Commons on the 22nd of February, when England emerges from lockdown the tier system will no longer be in use. Read more about the roadmap and what it means for weddings here.
You can find the latest government guidance for both wedding ceremonies and receptions in England here.
Looking for the Scottish 5 tier system? You can find it here.
Find the tier or topic you want to read about:
As of January 6th 2021, England is in lockdown so the tier system is not in use. The Prime Minister announced on the evening of the 27th January 2021Â that he will be announcing an unlocking roadmap week commencing 22nd February 2021. He stated schools would be the first places to open and estimated this may begin on the 8th of March. We are awaiting the roadmap for official confirmation of this and are hopeful weddings will be mentioned in this general roadmap.
The ‘Medium’ tier is for areas where national restrictions continue to be in place. From the 2nd of December, the key rules include:
If you reside in a ‘Medium’ tier, you must wear a face covering in those areas where this is mandated. You should also continue to follow social distancing rules and plan ahead or avoid busy times and routes when travelling.Â
The whole of England is currently in Lockdown.
The ‘High’ tier is for areas with a higher level of infections where some additional restrictions are in place. The restrictions listed below are in addition to restrictions in alert level medium:
If you reside in a ‘High’ tier, you must wear a face covering in those areas where this is mandated. You should also continue to follow social distancing rules and travel to venues or amenities that are open, for work or to access education, but aim to reduce the number of journeys you make.
The whole of England is currently in Lockdown.
The ‘Very High’ tier is for areas with a very high level of infections and where tighter restrictions are in place. They are as follows:
If you reside in a ‘Very High’ tier, you must wear a face covering in those areas where this is mandated. You should also continue to follow social distancing rules and travel to venues or amenities that are open, for work or to access education, but aim to reduce the number of journeys you make.
The whole of England is currently in Lockdown.
If you are in tier 4, the government advises that you must stay at home unless for specific reason. For the full guidance on tier 4, please read the Government's detailed guidance.
In regards to weddings, the guidance states the following:
"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."
In regards to travelling to a wedding in another tier when you live in tier 4, the advice is to follow the regulations as set out above. The guidance states the following:
"If you live in a tier 4 area and are going to a wedding, funeral or linked commemorative event 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, funeral or linked commemorative even inside the tier 4 area, you must comply with the tier 4 gathering limits on the events."
Other rules relating to tier 4:
The following areas are subject to the tier 4 restrictions:
The whole of England is currently in Lockdown.
Check which tier you are in using the Government's postcode checker.
If your area is in tier 4 or lockdown, you can absolutely still plan your wedding. In fact, with all the uncertainty, many suppliers and venues will be happy to hear from you and excited to help you plan your big day. With many businesses and activities being paused, now it the perfect time to sit down with your partner and start your planning process or get some key wedmin tasks ticked off the list.Â
Yes, some businesses such as wedding venues will have put their teams on furlough for the time being, but there will still be staff available to answer you emails, speak to you over Zoom or take you on a virtual venue tour. The same goes for your suppliers. While they may not be able to meet you in person, many wedding businesses will be happy to discuss your plans over the phone or on video call.
Please remember to email or contact the supplier through Guides for Brides first as their business premises may be closed and they may not be able to answer the phone as usual.
Check both your own and the venue’s location to understand how they will be affected. The GOV postcode tool has the most up to date information on the Tier for each area. The rules will depend on which tier you are based in and where your venue is based.
In general, when you move from one area to another, you take the rules from that area with you and they will still apply to your social interactions. This would usually mean that if you live in a Tier 3 area you cannot attend a wedding reception. Venues and businesses within a particular area will be bound by their local rules. The government will state in their wedding guidance whether travel between tiers is permitted for weddings. Currently (December 18th 2020), the wedding guidance states:
"When attending a wedding or civil partnership ceremony, there are no restrictions on travel and you may travel to another Tier in England or overseas, for this purpose."
Tier 3 reception guidance states: "When attending a wedding or civil partnership ceremony, there are no restrictions on travel and you may travel to another Tier in England or overseas, for this purpose. However, guests from a Tier 3 area must not attend a reception or celebration in Tier 1 or Tier 2 areas."
However, Tier 1 and 2 reception guidance contradicts this by saying: "guests are advised to avoid travelling to a reception or celebration in Tier 1 or Tier 2 from a Tier 3 area, unless they are also attending the ceremony".Â
The guidance directly contradicts itself, however, the current ambiguity is helpful to those couples and venues who'd like to be trusted to make a sensible decision and will avoid a lot of expensive last-minute cancellations as Tiers are re-evaluated every 14 days.
Why are the rules potentially different between ceremonies and receptions? It is easy to ensure social distancing during a ceremony and the period of time spent together is much shorter. During the reception, guests mingle more, speak face to face with each other and masks are removed for eating.Â
The government has stated that if you need to travel to a wedding from a tier 4 area, you must comply with the tier 4 guidance. Read what Tier 4 means for weddings here.
We recommend speaking to your venue to discuss your options. Their primary responsibility will be to keep their staff and local community safe.
If your wedding may involve guests from Tier 3 needing to stay overnight or use local taxis, or if you are coming from an area within Tier 3 with a particularly high risk, you are putting others at risk. In this situation the Tier 3 wording would allow for the venue to turn away Tier 3 guests, however the reception could go ahead with the remaining guests.
However if your wedding is just across the border and everyone is comfortable that there is minimal risk involved, the Tier 1 and 2 guidance currently allows for Tier 3 guests to be there for both the ceremony and reception. If you are choosing this option, be aware that the government could change the wording at the very last minute to prevent guests from Tier 3 attending the reception.
Registrars are responsible for the ceremony element. The guidelines allow for 15 from any Tier to attend the ceremony. It will be down to the venue (and couple) to interpret the reception guidance and decide if Tier 3 guests should be there.
The Guides for Brides team are committed to helping you stay up to date with the latest news, tips and trends relating to weddings and COVID-19. For more articles, visit our dedicated blog section.
Remember; wedding receptions cannot currently take place in private homes or gardens. To find a Covid safe wedding venue for your wedding, use our venue late availability finder.Â