When can weddings resume as normal in England?
22 February 2021, 16:45 | Updated: 23 February 2021, 10:41
When can weddings happen again and what did Boris Johnson say about them in his roadmap speech? Key dates for new weddings rules revealed.
Boris Johnson delivered his roadmap out of lockdown on Monday 22 February - giving key dates for different sectors of the economy reopening in England.
Read more: When will self-catering holidays and staycations be allowed in the UK?
He announced that lockdown will be eased in four stages, which will begin on March 8 with the opening of schools.
Mr Johnson also announced a number of key dates for changing wedding rules this year. Here's your need-to-know.
Pubs and restaurants to open from 12 April outside
When will the wedding rules change?
From April 12, which is the second stage of lockdown-easing, weddings will be able to take place with up to 15 guests.
From May 17, the third stage, up to 30 people will be able to attend.
Read more: When will hairdressers and beauty salons open?
When will weddings be able to have unlimited guests?
While it isn't completely certain, Boris Johnson said that he hoped weddings will be able to continue as normal with unlimited guests in June.
June 21 will see the final stage in lockdown-easing, which should see all legal limits on social contact removed.
Mr Johnson said: "We will aim to remove all legal limits on social contacts - weddings, nightclubs, large events such as theatre performances above the limits of step three."
The Prime Minister stressed, however, that all easing of lockdown restrictions would be dependent on the state of coronavirus in the country.
He said that lockdown-easing will be driven by 'data not dates', saying that it will be depend on the following:
- The vaccine deployment continuing successfully
- There is evidence that the vaccine is effective in reducing deaths
- There isn't a surge in hospitalisation
- Assessment of risks are not fundamentally changed by new variants of Covid that cause concern
Speaking about lifting lockdown, he said: "We cannot escape the fact that lifting lockdown will result in more cases, more hospitalisations and sadly more deaths. This will happen wherever lockdown is lifted, because there will always be some vulnerable people who are not protected by the vaccines.
"There is therefore no credible route to a zero Covid Britain or a zero Covid world
"This roadmap should be cautious, but also irreversible."
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