UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has announced that wedding receptions are not permitted to take place in England.
Daily Times reports that the UK government had said in a press conference earlier this month, that small receptions of up to 30 people could ahead from 1 August.
However, Boris Johnson has now gone back on this statement following a rise in coronavirus cases across the country, with the measures to be reviewed again on 15 August.
“Wedding receptions of up to 30 people will not be permitted but ceremonies can continue to take place in line with Covid Secure guidelines,” Mr Johnson said on Friday.
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“I know that the steps we’re taking will be a real blow to many people, to everyone whose wedding plans have been disrupted or who can not now celebrate Eid the way that they would wish.”
He continued: “I’m really really sorry about that but we simply cannot take the risk.
“We will of course study the data carefully and move forward with our intention to open up as soon as we possibly can.”
Boris Johnson suggested that small gatherings could take place if following social distancing guidelines, such as in groups of up to two households indoors, or up to six people from different households outdoors.
The new updates come after the government released a detailed breakdown of how weddings will look in the coming weeks, with a series of rules that banned everything from loud singing to the traditional champagne toast.
Social distancing rules of at least two metres, or one metre with risk mitigation, need to be adhered to by all guests, and venues that frequently hold weddings are being asked to mark areas using floor tape or paint to help remind people.
Ceremonies should be kept “as short as reasonably possible” and limited to just the parts that are legally binding with religious communities being asked to adapt traditional religious aspects, especially where celebrations would otherwise have taken place over a number of hours, or even days.
Couples are also being asked to wash their hands before and after exchanging rings, and the rings should be handled by as few people as possible.
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