Planning

Yourweddingnow

Restrictions… Not exactly the first thing that pops into your mind when thinking of wedding planning, are they?! Well, perhaps not before 2020 that is. Now, almost two years into the Covid-19 pandemic and despite rules being lifted, you may still have a few questions. Mask or no mask? Are vaccination passports needed? And what about live music? Here, GWD has done a deep dive into the guidelines so you don’t have to…

Guests, guests and more guests

Firstly, no more putting a limit on your guestlist…. Woohoo! The new government rules say you can have an unlimited number of attendees. Great news if you were worried about not being able to invite everyone you hold dear to your special day!

What’s different planning-wise?

Don’t pack away that mask just yet…

While you can invite to your heart’s desire, you and your guests will still need to bring along a mask. We know, we’ve had our fill of them too, but the law states you must have a face covering whenever you’re seated – during the ceremony, for example. Hitting the dance floor? You can ditch your mask while you boogie! Just remember to pop it back on again if you’re moving around the venue or can’t keep one-metre social distance. As always, it’s worth asking the person conducting your ceremony to do a little mask reminder at the beginning of the day.

• No more clock-watching: Having a time-limit on celebrating your nuptials is over – you can now have your reception for as long as you please. • Let me entertain you: Live music is also back and, while performing, a mask is not needed. The guidance does suggest that performers should maintain a one-metre distance from one another, though.

Not possible? Add a partition. • Had both jabs? With most of us having had double Covid-19 jabs and plans being made for vaccine passports, you’ll be wondering what this means for your big day.

Well, the Scottish Government has announced that weddings and post-ceremony gatherings are exempt from needing a certificate of inoculation. In other words, it comes down to personal preference of whether or not all guests should be double vaccinated. But it’s worth noting that it’s not just your personal preference – talk to your venue and vendors too, to avoid any inconvenience down the line. Overall, weddings as we know them are BACK! Hope and love are well and truly in the air and we’re here for an autumn/ winter of celebrating marriage in a less restrictive way. That said, some rules may still be a tad bit confusing (when does the mask come off?), so please do check up-to-theminute government guidance regularly, right up until your big day. ♥