A Bristol woman due to get married this month has described Covid-19 restrictions at a wedding venue in South Gloucestershire as “unfair and disturbing”.
Poole Court in Yate, owned by Yate City Council, continues to enforce social distancing measures despite the lifting of restrictions, meaning only 18 guests, including the couple, can attend a ceremony.
It also means that the bride and groom arrive together and all guests have to wait in their cars to be invited.
Read more: Covid rules across England are changing from today – what you need to know
The venue says it has maintained restrictions as “local Covid-19 case numbers remain high”.
But one bride who is about to get married in Poole Court and does not want to be named has described the restrictions as “ridiculous”.
She told Bristol Live: “We’ll get married soon after we’re told that all restrictions have been lifted.
“We paid extra money as the price had increased since we booked our original wedding which was postponed twice due to Covid.
“When we got the papers, it says that only 16 guests are allowed as well as the bride and groom, which includes a photographer, children and babies in prams.”
The records that Bristol Live saw said: “You must see the registrar before the ceremony. Please arrive 15 minutes before the ceremony to see the registrar together. Your guests should wait in their cars for them to be invited to Poole Court. ”
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The bride continued, “It’s ridiculous to have 16 people then a pub or restaurant full of people.
“You can go to a nightclub or a sporting event, but you cannot get married in front of the family.
“It’s so unfair and annoying. The government says no restrictions, why is it so different? “
As of July 19, England will no longer have social distancing guidelines in place, but companies or organizations will be able to enforce their own measures.
Yate City Council said: [We have] have decided that while local Covid-19 case numbers will remain high in this area, they will continue the measures we took previously (step three of the roadmap) regarding renting all of our venues as we have a duty of care for ours To protect employees and customers, which means that the number is limited. “
Meanwhile, the South Gloucestershire Council website states: “Due to the size of the room and the amount of ventilation it may have, not all social distancing requirements will be lifted, so the maximum allowed in the ceremonial room remains at 18.”
The Covid-19 rate in South Gloucestershire is currently 316.9, lower than Bristol’s rate of 421.6 but higher than the UK rate of 293.3.
According to the latest data, one person has died of Covid-19 and 119 other people have tested positive in South Gloucestershire in the past 24 hours.
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