Your Covid-19 wedding questions answered by the Scottish Government

It really has been quite the week/month/year, hasn’t it?! From the Aberdeen lockdown to the confusion over which Covid-19 rules apply to weddings here in Scotland (and which relate to England only), there has been A LOT of fast-changing information to wade through.

With Government lobbying going on at UK level to ensure that the voices of couples and the wedding industry are heard (check out the What About Weddings campaign to find out more), here at WFIL our focus is on helping folks getting married here in Scotland and our community of small business owners through this time, by sourcing the best available information to share with you.

From reading and analysing news reports, the latest science and Government guidance, to listening to the concerns of couples and business owners in our online communities, these past few months have been spent trying to help people feel seen and heard, while also filtering out the noise to get as accurate a picture of what we can expect going forward as is possible in this ever-changing situation.

We also feel it is our responsibility to make sure the Scottish Government is aware of the unique challenges the wedding industry faces (full transparency – as well as being co-founder and editor here at WFIL, I’ve been a self-employed wedding photographer for 13 years). And of the concerns that couples trying to plan a wedding safely in Scotland right now have.

If you’ve been keeping an eye on our Insta, you’ll know we’ve been asking what questions you would like us to put to the Scottish Government about weddings during Covid-19.

We received a response to these from the Scottish Government on Friday afternoon (August 7th). If you have a spare 13 minutes then you can watch me go through it, with a little more analysis here (I tried to keep it brief, but there was a lot to get through!).

“Is there a roadmap for weddings?”, was understandably top of the list. Many couples are now on their second or third wedding date and still face extreme uncertainty as to how to plan their day in a safe, responsible way. Along with folks who are due to get married this autumn, they are carrying the weight of trying to make the right decision with what we currently know.

I’m afraid the short answer to this is no, a spokesperson for the Scottish Government told us that at this time there is no additional roadmap specifically for the sector.

CEREMONY RULES 

At the moment (this article was published on Monday, August 10th 2020), the Scottish Government is advising that no more than 20 people should attend a wedding ceremony – provided this can be safely accommodated with physical distancing. This number includes any suppliers such as photographers, musicians or catering staff, but does not include the celebrant and an interepter, if required.

The ceremony should be kept brief and limited as far as reasonably possible to the parts necessary to make it legally binding. And couples are being urged to consider an outdoor wedding.

While wedding guests in England now must wear a face covering (at ceremonies in places of worship, register offices and venues), the Scottish Government guidance states that they may be worn by guests at an indoor wedding as a precautionary measure. (Editor’s note: This article was published on August 10th 2020. On August 13th 2020 the Scottish Government brought in a new rule – the wearing of a face covering is now mandatory in certain indoor premises, such as hotels and places of worship. There are exemptions to this requirement, including for individuals who are leading a ceremony or registration. At this time it is yet to be confirmed if this also applies to the couple getting married.)

GUIDANCE ON GATHERINGS

Wedding receptions here in Scotland are still subject to the rules that apply for all other indoor and outdoor gatherings – currently 3 households and up to 8 people indoors, or 5 households and up to 15 people outside.

“This is because a wedding reception is likely to involve households gathering more closely together,” a spokesperson for the Scottish Government said. “Our priority remains keeping people attending such events safe, and suppressing the virus which continues to pose real risks and saving lives. We will continue to keep all the guidance surrounding marriage ceremonies and wedding receptions under review. When it is safe to change that guidance, including on the numbers that can attend a wedding, we will do so. ”

Any further details will be announced by the First Minister on the review dates set out in the national route map.

STAY SAFE

While we appreciate that this lack of clarity doesn’t help those of you trying to make exceptionally tough decisions right now, it may come as a relief to know that the Scottish Government doesn’t appear to be working towards an arbitrary date (in stark contrast to Boris Johnson’s bold comment last month, that life in the UK could be returning to normality by Christmas). If there’s anything that this global pandemic has taught us, nobody knows exactly what will happen next.

What we do know is that weddings have the potential to be super-spreader events, as we have seen happen elsewhere with tragic consequences. Here at WFIL, we are hearing worrying reports of physical distancing not being observed at some weddings taking place this summer. It’s understandable – trying to keep apart from people we love and haven’t seen for so long is so, so tough. But please do think long and hard about whether the celebration you are planning can be carried out in a safe way before going ahead and putting others at risk.

While most couples are doing their best to adhere to the guidance, we have also heard that some are actively looking for loopholes, or asking suppliers to work at a wedding that goes against Scottish Government advice.

While our hearts go out to everyone trying to plan a wedding during such a challenging time, the last thing anyone wants is for all the progress that has been made here in Scotland to be lost. And for the NHS and our hospitals to be overwhelmed. Anyone who is thinking of going against the guidance and having larger numbers attend their wedding needs to be made aware that they are putting not just their guests, but also their suppliers in a very difficult position. Not only is there the substantial health risk to think about, but there are other implications too.

Under current Scottish Government guidance, makeup artists are only allowed to work on their own premises. BABTAC (British Association of Therapy & Cosmetology) has confirmed that its insurance policy holders will not be covered if they breach Government guidance to work at a wedding. It’s likely that other sectors in the industry will be faced with the same predicament.

If a celebrant considers the arrangements to be unsafe (for example, if more than 20 people are present), they may stop the ceremony.

Meanwhile, under The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations 2020, venue owners/managers must take action to minimise the potential for spreading Covid-19 among wedding guests, and anyone working within the venue’s buildings and surrounding grounds. This includes enforcing physical distancing in the premises. Failure to do so is an offence.

UNDER PRESSURE

No trusted supplier ever wants to let a couple down. And it is no exaggeration to say that the pressure small businesses in the wedding industry are being put under to do the right thing is immense. The sense of communal responsibility is weighing heavily on these folks, as I know it is on the majority of you reading this.

Our advice – read the Scottish Government guidance thoroughly and regularly. Reflect on what this means for your wedding. And when in doubt, take the safest option. That may look like an elopement or outdoor micro wedding for now. Perhaps with the party to end all parties once we’re safely on the other side of this. Or maybe it’s a pause, and the promise of something beautiful to come.

We all want to see weddings celebrated in true Scottish style again. And by working together to keep each other safe, we’ll get there sooner.

We sent these questions to the Scottish Government media office on Tuesday, August 4th and on Friday afternoon (August 7th), received this response:

Q – Is there a roadmap for weddings?

A Scottish Government spokesperson said:

“We know how challenging this is for everyone involved in wedding related businesses, and most of all, for people who were planning to get married this year. None of the decisions we are making about which sectors and activities can re-open are being made lightly – we know there is a cost and an impact on people affected. But these decisions are being made with the sole aim of protecting people, keeping them safe and doing all we can to suppress the virus.

“Where people and households come together there will always be a potential, but real, risk of transmission of the virus. Adherence to physical distancing will likely be particularly difficult at an emotional time for people, such as celebrating an event such as a marriage and civil partnership.

“For a marriage ceremony or civil partnership registration, we advise that no more than 20 should attend. But other gatherings associated with them, such as wedding receptions are still subject to the rules that apply for all other indoor and outdoor gatherings – currently 3 households and up to 8 people indoors, or 5 households and up to 15 people outside.

“This is because a wedding reception is likely to involve households gathering more closely together. Our priority remains keeping people attending such events safe, and suppressing the virus which continues to pose real risks and saving lives. We will continue to keep all the guidance surrounding marriage ceremonies and wedding receptions under review. When it is safe to change that guidance, including on the numbers that can attend a wedding, we will do so. ”

Q – Many wedding suppliers are freelancers, sole traders and small limited businesses. With the limited UK Government financial support about to end, does the Scottish Government plan to provide financial support to the wedding industry? 

Wedding suppliers have already lost the vast majority of their income for the year (some UK estimates are coming in at over 80%). As postponements continue, there is growing fear and anxiety among these mostly small, independent businesses that many won’t survive without additional financial support.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said:

“We know how hard the impact of lockdown has been on our economy, particularly on those running small businesses and who are often self-employed. That is why we acted to create sources of support for a wide range of sectors and businesses experiencing hardship. We widened eligibility for the Small Business Grant for some properties that would not previously have qualified and the grants system takes into account the Small Business Bonus Scheme in Scotland, which is the most generous in the UK. A further £100 million fund was made available to protect self-employed people and viable micro and SME businesses in distress, who faced immediate cash flow challenges, due to COVID.

“We are determined to help keep companies in business and support them, and offered a package of support worth more than £2.3 billion tailored to the specific needs of the Scottish Economy. We continue to listen to businesses to understand their needs and explore means through which to provide support.”

Q – On behalf of professional makeup artists, who work on location and do not have premises, can you please explain the decision making behind mobile hairdressers being allowed to work while they are not?

Many freelance MUAs have invested significantly in PPE & new kit in anticipation of fulfilling their existing commitments. They plan to wear visors and use sanitised kit but say that the guidance was updated on July 29th to exclude them from the list of people allowed to return to work. Some had to then cancel clients, and brides in particular, at very short notice.

Can you give an indication of the date from which mobile makeup artists will be allowed to work?

A Scottish Government spokesperson said:

“We know that the decisions being made about what is allowed in each phase of the route map have been challenging for some businesses and sectors, and caused disappointment. However, they are being made for the best of reasons and based on public health advice, designed to keep people safe and prevent transmission of the virus. We recognise that the beauty sector is keen to welcome all their customers back but we know that close face-to-face contact presents significant risks and we need to consider these matters carefully. We are considering the need for more detailed guidance to support the beauty sector and will update that as soon as possible. The more that people adhere to the rules and the guidance now, the better able we will be to move through the phases in the route map and suppress the virus.”