To ensure that weddings continue to be safe and well-planned events with the easing of restrictions, The UK Weddings Taskforce has worked alongside Government to produce a risk matrix that can be used to look at how best to plan your wedding in order to keep yourself, your guests, and your suppliers as safe as possible. Here you can find their guide along with other resources from Government sources and Guides for Brides that will help you keep everyone safe at your wedding.
UK Weddings Taskforce: Couples' Guide
At Step 4 in England, there are no longer any limits on the number of people who can attend weddings, civil partnerships, receptions and celebrations. Some restrictions remain in Scotland and Wales as the nations unlock.
Although most legal restrictions have been lifted across the UK, the pandemic is far from over and the number of cases are rising. The UK Government has growing evidence that while vaccines significantly reduce the link between cases, hospitalisations, and deaths, they do not fully sever it.
Of course, no situation is COVID-19 risk-free, but there are steps that couples and guests can take to mitigate the risks associated with weddings, civil partnership ceremonies, receptions and celebrations. This is alongside the steps that venues and suppliers will take to reduce the risk of transmission. The venue may implement additional measures to reduce risks.
These mitigations and safer behaviours can help to minimise the risk of passing on or catching COVID-19 as a result of the event.
Read the Couples' Guide provided by the UK Weddings Taskforce.
Other resources:
Whether you are looking for official government advice or simple ideas to help reduce the risk of an outbreak at your wedding, here are some key resources that are useful to couples wanting to ensure their wedding is as safe as possible.
Official Government Resources:
- The guidance for weddings and civil partnership ceremonies, receptions and celebrations sets out the full safety measures for these events in England, including the legal duties on venues to manage risks to those affected by their business.
- Further guidance from the government around how to stay safe and help prevent the spread of Covid-19 can be found here.
- Scottish Government: Good Practice Guidance covering the remaining restrictions for weddings.
- Welsh Government: Alert Level 0 Guidance
- Northern Irish Government: Wedding Guidance
Guides for Brides Resources:
- Guide and Ideas: How to help your guests have fun and feel safe at your wedding during Covid.
- Practical Advice: How to move your wedding outside (England and Wales).
- Practical Advice: Understanding the risk factors of Covid-19 and creating your own risk matrix.
- News and Advice: Weddings After Lockdown 2021 - A summary of Covid rules in each UK Nation.
- Practical Advice: How to calculate Socially Distanced Capacity (Northern Ireland)
- Guide and Ideas: The Hopeful Bride's guide to involving guests who cannot attend your wedding.
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.