For 23 months, the UK has been under strict rules and guidance for protecting the public from Covid-19. The wedding industry has been heavily affected by these restrictions with the impact set to be felt for much longer than other sectors within the UK as a backlog of postponed weddings and related events are addressed.
The sector was hit by confidence-damaging restrictions and rules, yet the resilience of couples and businesses was also widely felt, with couples rallying behind their wedding venues and suppliers and recognising that we are much stronger when we support each other.
Restrictions on guest numbers, singing and dancing (which also prevented many cultural weddings from taking place) led to the formation of the UK Weddings Taskforce in December 2020. For the first time, the wedding industry was recognised by the government as a viable sector and a strong contributor to the UK economy.
Here we have a timeline of restrictions and events that directly impacted weddings in England for those 707 days, from 19th March 2020 up to the lifting of self-isolation requirements on the 24th February 2022. We are very happy for you to share it with anyone who may need it, but please ensure this page is linked, as if anything needs to be updated or amended, the latest version will be here.
This graphic covers the restrictions and significant events affecting Weddings and Civil Partnerships in England. A text version is available below:
Graphic last amended on 25th February 2022.
The challenges ahead
Weddings returned to near-normal for couples and their guests at the start of 2022, however the wedding industry still has some challenges ahead.
Many couples deferred their 2020/2021 weddings in order to have the day they’d originally planned. Their expectations are understandably high. Venue operators are trying to meet their demands during a period that they are working at capacity and are under-staffed.
The industry lost a huge number of skilled and knowledgeable workers to other sectors during the pandemic. Without time or resources for re-training, demand on competent venue operators and suppliers will be at an all-time high, driving up prices for new bookings.
Venues and suppliers are paying for supplies, services and staff at post-Brexit and post-Covid prices to service contracts with prices set up to 3 years in advance, without allowance for inflation.
Many venues and suppliers used customer deposits and prepayments to keep their businesses afloat, so are left with just the final payments to cover operational costs to deliver the contract now.
In order to thrive, businesses will need a sufficient balance of new bookings to balance the deficit from servicing postponed wedding contracts. They will need to leverage their position of experience, authority and trust (E-A-T) to compete with new entrants in an attractive market for opportunists.
Confidence will be key: Confidence from venues that the long-awaited law reform won’t adversely impact them. Confidence from couples in the financial stability and reputation of businesses. Confidence from businesses to charge what they are worth for the services they are working so hard to deliver. And finally, complete confidence in the processes already in place to deliver covid-safe weddings year round.
The Legacy
While there is undoubtedly a challenging season ahead for many businesses, this is an industry that is coming back stronger than ever before.
In a generation where so many couples have the choice of whether or not to marry, removing that choice seemed to increase the desire for many.
Concerns around travel impacted destination weddings for years after 9/11 and we’ll see a similar impact post-Covid. Not only will more couples remain in the UK for their weddings, but some of the extravagant multi-day destination weddings taking place in Europe will return to UK venues, inspiring couples, suppliers and a new generation of ambitious, creative wedding planners.
In a previously fragmented industry, many businesses collaborated and worked together, forming the UK Weddings Taskforce and a number of sector specific pressure groups. For the first time, competing businesses were in the same Zoom meetings for hours at a time, working together on solutions for the industry. As weddings returned to normal, many of these collaborations continued, with businesses helping each other to raise professional standards and build stronger and more resilient businesses.
The full timeline is below in text form to make it fully accessible to all. Please note, for ease of reporting, this timeline is based on the events and restrictions that affected the wedding sector in England.
We are aware that different rules were in place in the devolved nations during this time period and we are working on timelines specifically for those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The word “wedding” reflects legally binding civil ceremonies, religious ceremonies and receptions unless specified in the text.
We have ordered this timeline by date, what happened and what it meant for the industry:
17.3.20
Main insurers withdrew wedding policies from the market.
2m social distancing encouraged. Some venues seated guests accordingly.
Weddings difficult
19.3.20
Hospitality venues were told to close by Government order, although guests could still gather.
20.3.20
The Church of England restricts weddings to 5 people.
23.3.20
PM announced the first lockdown in the UK, ordering people to “stay at home” from 23/3.
No weddings permitted
25.3.20
Coronavirus Act 2020 passed
26.3.20
Lockdown measures legally come into force
16.4.20
Lockdown extended for ‘at least’ three weeks.
23.6.20
PM announces relaxing of restrictions and 2m social distancing rules will come into place from 4.7.20, however rules relating to weddings were not released until 3.7.20.
4.7.20
Lockdown ends and is replaced with ‘Covid secure’ rules, including wedding ceremonies with up to 30 attendees, subject to strict rules including social distancing and face coverings. Announced on 3.7.20.
Restricted wedding ceremonies of 30.
4.7.20
UK’s first local lockdown comes into force in parts of Leicestershire. More restrictions are eased, including reopening of pubs, restaurants, hairdressers.
17.7.20
PM announces that wedding receptions for up to 30 people can go ahead from 1st August.
31.7.20
PM announces delay to further lifting of restrictions.
Wedding receptions cancelled at the last moment. 1.8.20
Restricted wedding receptions with 30 attendees due to be allowed. This was pushed back at the last minute on 31.07.20
14.8.20
PM Announces further lifting of restrictions. Seated wedding receptions can go ahead from the 15.8.20.
14.9.20
Announced 9.9.20. ‘Rule of six’ introduced – indoor and outdoor social gatherings above six banned in England. Weddings exempt.
Weddings are one of the only exemptions to the ‘Rule of 6’.
22.9.20
PM announces new restrictions, including a return to working from home and 10pm curfew for hospitality.
28.9.20
Announced 22.9.20. Number of attendees at weddings ceremonies was reduced to 15.
Weddings of 15. Suppliers attending are not included in this number.
12.10.20
PM announces new three-tier system of restrictions to come into effect on 14.10.20. Weddings ceremonies and civil partnerships could go ahead with numbers restricted to 15.
Receptions for 15 also allowed in medium and high risk tiers.
No receptions in the very high risk tier.
Wedding ceremonies of 15
Receptions of 15 in some tiers
2.11.20
2nd lockdown announced - weddings not permitted from 5.11.20 until at least 2.12.20
5.11.20
Second national lockdown comes into force.
Only ‘deathbed’ weddings permitted.
9.11.20
Paul Scully MP commits to a UK Weddings Taskforce during a Parliamentary debate on weddings after a petition to increase guest numbers received over 100,000 signatures.
Sarah Haywood and Richard Eagleton prepare Terms of Reference for a Taskforce.
23.11.20
Announcement that weddings and civil partnerships will resume from 3 December 2020, subject to new three-tier restrictions, to be reviewed every 14 days
3.12.20
Weddings permitted, under new 3 tier restrictions.
Up to 15 attendees at weddings. Receptions depend on tier.
3.12.20
PM expresses confidence in a reopening of the sector from Easter and a “new world” for the Summer on People’s PMQs.
8.12.20
First Pfizer vaccine given in the UK.
10.12.20
Election held and UK Weddings Taskforce formally constituted.
19.12.20
PM announces an additional 4th Tier with a “Stay at Home” rule in Tier 4 which will be implemented on 20.12.20.
Tier 4 limited to 6 attendee ‘Deathbed’ weddings only.
6.1.21
The third national lockdown comes into force
‘Deathbed’ weddings only.
22.2.21
Government publishes a roadmap for easing lockdown. The lifting of restrictions at each stage is caviated by meeting 4 requirements.
29.3.21
Wedding ceremonies can go ahead with 6 attendees including the couple, two witnesses and two guests. Receptions cannot take place.
Ceremonies for 6 attendees.
No receptions
12.4.21
Wedding ceremonies and receptions (in premises permitted to open) can go ahead with up to 15 attendees, subject to social distancing.
Restricted weddings and receptions for 15 in ‘open’ venues
17.5.21
Wedding ceremonies and receptions will be able to go ahead with up to 30 attendees, subject to social distancing.
Restricted weddings and receptions for 30
14.6.21
The planned move to Step 4 of the Roadmap is delayed by 4 weeks due to rising cases of Delta variant.
Increase in wedding postponements.
20.6.21
Announcement that legally binding outdoor civil marriages and civil partnerships will be allowed in England and Wales for the first time.
1.7.21
Outdoor civil marriages and civil partnerships are permitted - no legal requirement to wear a face covering when outdoors at a ceremony or reception.
Outdoor weddings allowed
19.7.21
“Freedom Day” - All restrictions on weddings lifted including social distancing, limits on numbers and face coverings.
Unrestricted weddings, as long the couple or key staff aren’t required to self isolate.
20.7.21
Track and Trace self isolation rules result in reports of a “Pingdemic” causing last minute cancellations from couples or key suppliers required to self isolate.
Numerous last minute cancellations of weddings from couples.
21.11.21
First cases of Omicron variant detected in the UK.
10.12.21
Plan B implemented. Face coverings required in most indoor settings; wedding venues are exempt. Covid passes will be required in crowded settings from 15th December; again wedding ceremonies are exempt.
27.1.22
Plan B restrictions lifted.
Venues and events will no longer be required by law to use the NHS COVID Pass. Face coverings are no longer required by law in any setting
24.02.22
Requirement to self-isolate when testing positive or showing symptoms of Covid-19 removed in England.
Couples can have full confidence in their wedding plans.
This article and timeline was amended on 25th February 2022.