A South Yorkshire wedding planner has said the Government missed a ‘golden opportunity’ to save the industry.
Nicola Smith, who runs ‘You Said Yes’, said Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown didn’t do enough to protect small businesses.
The Prime Minister on Monday announced up to 15 guests including bridges and grooms can attend ceremonies from 12 April. The number is set to rise to 30 from 17 May with restrictions scrapped in June with a pending review.
Large weddings such as this one have been banned during all three of the UK’s national lockdowns. Ceremonies are only allowed under exceptional circumstances, such as the bride or groom being terminally ill. (Credit: wedinspire)
Ms Smith said: “The wedding industry is a much-forgotten industry during this pandemic. Government has missed a golden opportunity to save it and I don’t think enough has been done to sustain all these small businesses.
“The announcement means that the wedding industry will still be unable to operate in a way that is financially viable and many will also now face a slew of cancellations as suppliers such as bands, DJs and others are not permitted in the reopening plan.
“Couples who choose not to go ahead in the months with capped numbers or those that don’t feel confident for increases in numbers or relaxation in rules will also postpone or cancel, creating further problems for business, delaying the recovery and increasing the need for significant financial support.”
Wedding planners across the country have called for more funding from the Government to keep businesses afloat, and claim they need at least 50 guests to allow them to break even at events.
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Ms Smith added: “If people can actually go shopping to the local supermarket with 50 to 100 strangers wearing a mask and hand sanitiser on the way in, all socially distanced, then I don’t think it’s any great hardship to police that in a wedding setting. If 30 are still allowed for a funeral I don’t see much difference to 30 people being allowed to gather at a wedding.
“People do need to get a little bit of normality back and, whether people realise it or not, love is not cancelled, weddings are not cancelled and the wedding industry itself is absolutely crippled by what’s happened.”
A study from wedding insurance company, Hello Safe, revealed that the industry in South Yorkshire has lost estimated £80 million pounds in 2020, while nearly 50% of nuptials were cancelled.