Wedding guidance changed again, for the better!

For those planning on tying the knot this year, it's understandable you're feeling unsure of when or where the big day can take place. The Government has recently updated the guidance, once again, for weddings, in particular what you can and can't do from April the 12th.
Here at County Wedding Magazines HQ we think this is a must-read, and it's also given us hope that the roadmap out of lockdown and the full return of the wedding industry will continue.

From the Government website it states: Wedding or civil partnership ceremonies can take place in licensed venues that are not expressly required to close under the COVID-19 Regulations, in some venues that are only partially closed, and in venues that are permitted to open for the purposes of providing unrestricted services. In all such cases, any indoor hospitality must remain closed.

Wedding or civil partnership ceremonies can take place in licensed venues that are not expressly required to close under the COVID-19 Regulations. This includes, for example:

• Register Offices,
• Church of England churches or chapels, and certified Places of Worship that have been registered for the solemnisation of marriage ("registered buildings")
• Naval, military or air force chapels

Approved premises for civil marriages and civil partnerships (that is, places approved by the local authority of the area in which the premises are situated) not required to close. This may include venues such as community centres and town/village halls.

From Step 2, ceremonies may also take place in venues which are permitted to open for the purposes of providing unrestricted services. At Step 2, this includes:

• conference centres and exhibition halls
• holiday accommodation, including hotels (in a room approved for the solemnisation of marriage and formation of a civil partnership)
• any purpose built wedding venue (where that is its sole purpose, and it is not also a hospitality venue or visitor attraction)

In some cases, visitor attractions may be used (if licensed) if the part of the venue used to hold the ceremony is used solely for that purpose and is not ordinarily open to the public (for example a building used for wedding ceremonies within the grounds of a botanical garden). This does not generally include rooms or spaces within indoor visitor attractions (for example a room within a museum) unless they can be accessed directly from the street, or open outdoor areas of the venue.

Sadly, this doesn't mean receptions can be held indoors; however, to read more information on this guidance visit www.gov.uk