Weddings are back for the summer but receptions are BANNED (and you’ll still need to be tight with the guest list): Boris Johnson announces ceremonies can return to churches with groups of just 30
- PM said congregations in religious venues will be limited to just 30 people
- Wedding receptions will separately be subject to household gathering rules
- Means couples will have to be ruthless with guest lists or postpone celebrations
Weddings will be allowed to restart from July 4 with smaller congregations, bringing joy to thousands of couples who have put their plans on hold, the Prime Minister confirmed today.
But while couples will be allowed to walk up the aisle they have having to be utterly ruthless in choosing who will be allowed to attend.
The Prime Minister announced that congregations in churches and other religious venues will have to be limited to just 30 people.
And additionally they may not be allowed to enjoy the celebrations afterwards.
While ceremonies can go ahead under relaxation of rules governing religious buildings that will also allow congregations to worship, the wedding reception traditionally help afterwards would still be subject to restrictions on gatherings of more than one household.
It would potentially mean couples having to choose which of their families could be invited. This is true even if the reception is held outdoors.
The Prime Minister announced that congregations in churches and other religious venues will have to be limited to just 30 people.
While ceremonies can go ahead under relaxation of rules governing religious buildings that will also allow congregations to worship, the wedding reception traditionally help afterwards would still be subject to restrictions on gatherings of more than one household
Mr Johnson told the Commons: ‘Mr Speaker, I know that many have mourned the closure of places of worship, and this year, Easter, Passover and Eid all occurred during the lockdown.
So I am delighted that places of worship will be able to reopen for prayer and services – including weddings with a maximum of 30 people, all subject to social distancing.’
The PM today dramatically unwound the coronavirus lockdown, declaring that pubs and haircuts can return and giving family and friends the green light to meet up indoors for the first time in months.
Throwing the dice to save the stricken economy, the PM told the Commons that England is coming out of ‘hibernation’ with bars, restaurants, cinemas and hairdressers able to get back up and running from July 4 – dubbed ‘Super Saturday’.
He announced that the social distancing rule is being halved to ‘one metre plus’ to free up thousands of business, with precautions such as face masks deployed to make sure the risks of transmission stay ‘broadly’ the same.
Staycations are also back on the agenda, with hotels, campsites and holiday cottages permitted as long as they comply with ‘Covid secure’ guidelines.
Two households will be allowed to gather indoors, in their homes or at a restaurant or museum, with no limit on numbers. Currently there is a ceiling of six people outdoors, which was seen as disadvantaging bigger families.
But they will have to observe social distancing, meaning grandparents will have to wait a bit longer to hug their grandchildren. A mooted expansion of social ‘bubbles’ to allow people to mix freely has seemingly been shelved.
Nail bars, gyms and swimming pools will also remain off limits after officials decided they are currently too dangerous to operate.