Weddings have had to change drastically in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as we come out the other side things aren’t set to go back to the way they were. Under the ‘new normal’ weddings in Ireland must follow strict guidelines to maintain safety.
In this blog post, Wedding Suppliers breaks down all the main rules you need to know about based on Fáilte Ireland’s guidelines for the hospitality sector. For full and up-to-date guidance, please refer to the guidelines laid out by the government.
There’s a 11:30pm curfew
You might’ve dreamed of celebrating your big day well into the night, but the latest guidance published means that there is a strict 11:30 pm curfew. By this time, all members of your wedding party must vacate the venue.
Additional wedding decor
Your Pinterest-worthy decor will have to fight for the limelight if you plan to tie the knot soon. As well as your chosen venue decor, you’ll need signage that reminds your guests to adhere to social distancing rules and access to hand sanitising stations is also recommended.
What’s more, venue staff must monitor and manage social distancing. If it’s not practiced, the venue staff are within their right to take appropriate action.
Sharing is no longer caring
Weddings are all about coming together, but COVID-19 has changed this. Not only must guests keep their distance, gone are the days of sharing. During meals, you can no longer have any shared items, such as bottles, sauces or gravy boats.
For now, everything must be kept separate and served up in single portions to avoid unnecessary contact from multiple guests.
Face coverings are mandatory
If you’re planning to marry this year, you may have to perfect the art of smizing (smiling with your eyes) because the latest rules state that face coverings must be worn when arriving and departing venues and when moving from your table.
Smaller guest lists
The latest update to the Irish guidelines mean that if you have a big guest list, you’re going to need to make some cuts. The new regulations mean that you can have a maximum of 50 people in a function area, and this includes all employees too.
The future …
The wedding industry has been forced to take a reactive approach to a turbulent situation. Although things will eventually return to normal, for now we need to take precautionary measures to maintain safety.
The rules currently in place could change at any time. For the latest information, keep in touch with your suppliers directly or visit your government’s website.
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