Government updates guidance allowing purpose-built wedding venues to reopen from 12 April

The UK Wedding Taskforce has confirmed that wedding ceremonies can take place in licensed, purpose-built wedding venues from 12 April.

The news comes a few days after the government stated that a number of weddings would not be allowed to go ahead from mid-April in line with the second step of the reopening roadmap, due to purpose-built wedding venues not being included in the guidance.

The UK Wedding Taskforce had said that 7,000 weddings would not be able to go ahead if country homes, barns and boutique hotels without dedicated function rooms were unable to reopen. The taskforce believed this would impact 71% of weddings, which do not take place in registry offices, places of worship, conference centres and hotels (in a separate function suite).

This has now been overturned, with government guidance confirming weddings can take place from 12 April as long as they are held in a "Covid-19 secure" licensed wedding venue.

This does not include receptions, and it is currently unclear if there is any update to this portion of the guidance. Currently wedding receptions are only permitted outdoors.

Chris Naylor, chairperson of the UK Weddings Taskforce, said: "The UK Weddings Taskforce is pleased that following its intervention, the government has reversed its decision and will now allow wedding ceremonies in licensed venues from step 2 (12 April). This news is hugely welcome for so many couples and wedding businesses. We are awaiting further information on the guidance for receptions."

In a normal year, around 23,000 weddings take place during the period 12 April to 17 May, but due to the impact of Covid-19, the UK Weddings Taskforce estimates that only a third are planning to go ahead this year.

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