Coronavirus: How are Weddings Affected by England's 4 Tier System?

This article is no longer being updated.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:

• Tier 1: Medium
• Tier 2: High
• Tier 3: Very High
• Tier 4: Stay at Home
• Latest Tier Movements (Updated 4th Jan 2021)
• Can I travel between tiers to attend a wedding?

Latest updates to the 4 tier system

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 2021 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.

Tier 1: ‘Medium’

The ‘Medium’ tier is for areas where national restrictions continue to be in place. From the 2nd of December, the key rules include:

• weddings can go ahead with restrictions to 15 attendees for ceremonies and receptions. 
• you must not socialise in groups larger than 6, indoors or outdoors unless from one household or 'support bubble'
• venues must be table service only. Last orders at 10pm, closed at 11pm.
• schools and universities remain open
• retail remains open
• places of worship remain open, subject to the rule of 6
• overnight stays permitted with household, support bubble or up to 6 people.

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. 

Which areas are considered "Medium" and affected by Tier 1?

The whole of England is currently in Lockdown.

Tier 2: ‘High’

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:

• weddings can go ahead with restrictions to 15 attendees for ceremonies and receptions.
• you must not socialise with anybody outside of your household or support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place
• you must not socialise in a group of more than 6 outside, including in a garden or other spaces like beaches or parks
• no alcohol to be served at hospitality venues unless with a substantial meal. Last orders at 10pm, closed at 11pm.
• overnight stays are only permitted with your own household and support bubble
• retail remains open
• schools, universities and places of worship remain open
• you can continue to travel to venues or amenities that are open, for work or to access education, but should look to reduce the number of journeys you make where possible
• personal care services such as hairdressers remain open.

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.

Which areas are considered "High" and affected by Tier 2?

The whole of England is currently in Lockdown.

Tier 3: ‘Very High’

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:

• wedding ceremonies can go ahead with up to 15 people. Wedding receptions are not allowed.
• you must not socialise with anybody you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, in any indoor setting or in any private garden or at most outdoor hospitality venues and ticketed events
• you must not socialise in a group of more than 6 in an outdoor public space
• all hospitality venues will close apart from for delivery and takeaway services.
• schools and universities remain open
• indoor entertainment venues must close
• no overnight stays are permitted unless for work, education or similar reasons. Accommodation services will close.
• personal care services such as hairdressers will remain open
• retail remains open
• places of worship remain open, but household mixing is not permitted
• avoid travelling to other parts of the UK, including for overnight stays other than where necessary, such as for work, education, youth services, to receive medical treatment, or because of caring responsibilities. You can travel through other areas as part of a longer journey.

Which areas are considered "Very High" and affected by Tier 3?

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.

Tier 4 - Stay at Home

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:

• Non-essential retail and hospitality will close. You can leave home to buy essential items such as food or medicine. These closed premises may still operate on a click and collect or takeaway basis.
• Close-contact services will close
• You can only meet 1 person outside of your household, outdoors and in a public place
• You must not travel outside of the area unless for work, education, to purchase essential supplies or to meet a legal obligation
• You can leave home to attend a place of worship for communal worship, a funeral or a related event for someone who has died, or to visit a burial ground or a remembrance garden, or to attend a wedding (all events will be subject to attendance limitations - please see the government guidance for details)
• You must wear a face coverings where required, such as shops or places of worship, and on public transport, unless you are exempt
• The clinically extremely vulnerable are advised to stay at home, leaving the house only for exercise or for medical appointments.

Which areas are subject 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.

Can I still plan my wedding when I'm in Tier 4 or Lockdown?

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. 

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.

Going from one tier to another for the wedding?

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". 

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. 

Travel to a wedding in tier 4?

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.

What are the options?

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.