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Elliott Brown, 36, and Samantha Hagar, 31, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
Elliott Brown, 36, and Samantha Hagar, 31, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, plan to get married in July 2021. They have already cancelled two earlier dates. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Observer
Elliott Brown, 36, and Samantha Hagar, 31, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, plan to get married in July 2021. They have already cancelled two earlier dates. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Observer

‘We’ve all got our fingers crossed’: brides and grooms across UK face agonising wait

This article is more than 2 years old

The threat of further postponement to planned nuptials is fraying nerves for the 50,000 couples hoping to tie the knot

Elliott Brown – “groom number two” as he describes himself – is feeling a little nervous about the 95 invitations to his wedding next month that were sent out after the government announced its “roadmap to freedom” back in February.

Brown and his bride-to-be, Samantha, were due to marry last summer but the pandemic put paid to that. His brother Gareth – “groom number one” – got married in a small ceremony last weekend after postponing twice. A third brother, Alex, will tie the knot in August on his fifth attempt. All three ceremonies are at Ripley register office in Derbyshire, with their father, Andy Brown, the deputy registrar, officiating.

“After all the postponements last summer, we held off,” Elliott told the Observer. “But when they said restrictions would be lifted on 21 June [a date which will now almost certainly be delayed], the invitations went out. Now we’re very apprehensive. We’ve spent the last week drawing up hitlists in case we have to cut the numbers. But we’re not postponing again.”

An estimated 50,000 weddings are due to take place in the UK in the four weeks from 21 June, including thousands of ceremonies postponed between the start of the first lockdown, in which weddings were banned, and now, when the maximum number attending is capped at 30 in England.

In Scotland, the number of people who may attend weddings varies from 50 to 200, depending on which level of Covid restrictions apply to the venue, while in Wales, wedding ceremonies may take place in approved venues up to the capacity of the premise, although masks must be worn. In Northern Ireland, there is no limit at ceremonies, but a maximum of 10 people can be seated at each table at receptions and dancing is restricted to the wedding couple.

Last week, it was reported that Boris Johnson planned to lift the rules on weddings, even if other Covid restrictions remain in place because of rising infections. But nothing has been confirmed ahead of Monday’s announcement.

“The government is telling us that no decision has been made. Everyone in the industry is waiting with fear and paranoia,” said Sarah Haywood, a wedding organiser and spokesperson for UK Weddings Taskforce, which represents the industry.

“There are 800,000 weddings in the pipeline. Any continuation of restrictions will be devastating for couples and crippling for businesses.”

The industry is worth almost £15bn a year in normal times, and provides work for about 400,000 people. Caterers, florists, photographers, jewellers, hair stylists and wedding outfit companies have reported a recent surge in bookings and purchases, with some warning that soaring demand could create shortages.

In total, 320,000 weddings have been postponed since March 2020, according to UK Weddings Taskforce figures, putting additional pressure on availability in register offices, places of worship and licensed wedding venues over the peak summer weeks ahead.

Sandra Millar, head of life events at the Church of England, said: “Many churches are busier with weddings this summer than they have been for a while. There are more midweek weddings than we’ve seen before. It’s lovely – weddings are joyful, special occasions – but there is still a lot of anxiety in case they are postponed again.”

According to Humanists UK, couples in many areas of England are having difficulties in booking civil ceremonies that are required by law for a humanist wedding celebration. A celebrant based in Yorkshire said: “One couple has been told that no new inquiries for weddings are being taken at all. They can’t even get on a waiting list.”

Deborah Hooper, Humanists UK’s director of ceremonies, said: “The pandemic has caused a huge backlog in demand for marriages. This means lots of couples are now struggling to find a suitable date for their civil marriage.”

The crisis has been exacerbated by outdated laws, according to Stephanie Pywell of the Open University, who has researched the impact of Covid on weddings, along with Rebecca Probert of Exeter University.

“The limited number of venues in which couples can marry made it impossible for most couples to marry during the pandemic,” she said. In England and Wales, people may only marry in an Anglican church, a Quaker meeting house, a registered religious building, a local authority register office or “approved premises”. Outdoor weddings are not an option for most couples.

“The laws governing weddings in England and Wales must be fit for purpose in the 21st century so that couples can marry with relative ease if there is a similar nationwide crisis in the future,” said Pywell.

For the Brown family, it’s a case of one down, two to go. “We’ve all got our fingers crossed,” said Elliott. “Dad is excited and nervous in equal measure. At Gareth’s wedding, there were a couple of times he was teetering on tears. He’s super proud to be doing our weddings at last.”

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