How to Book a Wedding Venue during a Pandemic
Written by Ioan Gwyn
With some restrictions now being lifted, some of you might be thinking of booking your wedding this Summer within the guidelines set by the Welsh Government. We take a look at some things you’ll need to know when booking your wedding venue in North Wales this summer.
Capacity
The main issue this summer is the limitations on the number of guests you can have indoors and outdoors at your wedding reception. If you aren’t having a reception - the size of the venue you choose determines the number of guests you can have at your ceremony. However, if you are planning on having a reception - here are a few things to remember:
As of the 3rd of May 2021, you are allowed 30 reception guests outdoors, and 15 indoors. This includes the newlywed couple. The next two steps are as follows:
50 Outdoor guests & 30 Indoor guests - To be announced. The Welsh Government have hinted at a review date for this limitation - Monday the 17th of May.
100 Outdoor guests & 50 Indoor guests - To be announced.
No limitations - To be announced.
If you are planning on getting married this Summer, then you must check with your reception venue that they have the means to accommodate your maximum number of guests. Ask your venue about what their plans are for ensuring that you can celebrate your marriage safely.
Here is a quote from Mary Heenan of Bron Eifion, one of our premium North Wales wedding venues, outlining what they will be doing this year to ensure the safety of all couples and their guests:
“We are expecting to be able to move forward with our weddings from July onwards, as many of our couples who would have had weddings between April - June moved their dates to later this year, and of course the larger weddings with guest numbers of 80+ have been moved to next year. All the health and safety protocols and risk assessments introduced last year have been reviewed and reassessed and will also be in place this year which include:
Facial Recognition and Automatic Temperature Checks at the Hotel Entrance for Guests on arrival.
Track and Trace System in place to contact by email/text all guests attending the wedding 24 hour prior to arrival (which has a Covid Status Passport option included).
Sanitiser stations throughout the venue
PPE worn by all staff and protective screens on the bar and reception areas
Risk Assessments carried out for Wedding Ceremonies Indoors and Outdoors approved by Registrars in Gwynedd
Social Distancing measures in all areas
Outdoor ceremony area available with social distancing
The AA Covid Confident and Good to Go Wales Awards are also important recognition of the safety measures in place.
The guest numbers and dates allowed this summer are yet to be confirmed by the Welsh Government, but our expectation is that 50 may be the maximum number indoors this year, although difficult to predict without clear guidance and predicted dates. We eagerly await news of the review on 17th May.”
There are a lot of unanswered questions in regards to when exactly these restrictions will be lifted, so keep an eye out for updates on our Instagram and Facebook pages.
Location
As it stands, guests are allowed to travel across the border into Wales for marriage ceremonies as long as they don’t stay overnight. This might be something to consider when choosing your venue, as you’d need to take travel time to and from the venue into consideration.
Suppliers
You should be asking questions to your venue about what they’re doing to ensure that suppliers are working safely and within the hospitality guidelines for COVID-19. Your venue should have things in place for caterers, celebrants, bands/musicians, entertainers and other suppliers to ensure that your reception is as safe as possible
Choosing a venue is one of the most important parts of planning your wedding. Check out our full Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide to help the rest of your planning go as smoothly as possible.
Contact Us!
Got any questions? Feel free to get in touch and we’ll point you in the right direction.