The Prime Minister has confirmed that the third stage of lockdown-easing in respect to the roadmap out of the lockdown will go ahead as planned on 17 May.

The Mirror reports that brides and grooms-to-be will be welcoming the good news that they can now have double the amount of guests at their wedding, with up to 30 guests able to attend weddings and wedding receptions at COVID-secure venues indoors or outdoors, including private gardens, from 17 May.

We have a brief look at what the new rules will mean for your wedding.

Until 17 May, weddings are limited to 15 people, including the couple getting married, and receptions can only be held outdoors, but this is set to change from Monday 17 May, doubling to 30 guests.

Weddings, wakes, and other life events such as bar mitzvahs can now take place, and while the government has advised caution, hugging is now allowed too. However, dancing and dance floors are still not permitted,

The government has said that it plans to lift all legal restrictions on weddings from 21 June, meaning that, if that date goes ahead, weddings will go ahead as normal from then.

The roadmap out of the lockdown is subject to the state of the pandemic in the UK, and Boris Johnson has stated that it is driven by ‘data not dates’, and that it is dependent on the following:

  • The vaccine deployment continuing successfully
  • There is evidence that the vaccine is effective in reducing deaths
  • There isn’t a surge in hospitalisation
  • Assessment of risks are not fundamentally changed by new variants of Covid that cause concern

If you’re looking for a Dorset wedding photographer for your big day, talk to us today.