A Derbyshire wedding planner is concerned for a living over the delay in lockdown restrictions.
Shardlow-based wedding planner Sophie Stew recently suffered losses of more than £ 60,000 in two weeks due to last-minute changes in restrictions.
Boris Johnson announced a four-week delay in easing restrictions on Tuesday, putting increased pressure on wedding planners like Sophie.
Wedding venues will now have their own limits on the number of guests allowed indoors, as long as they adhere to social distancing guidelines and take other necessary precautions.
This delay in easing restrictions has resulted in many more weddings having to adjust or postpone in order to comply with the rules.
Mid-Derbyshire MP Pauline Latham has questioned the logic of allowing thousands of sports fans to attend the European Football Championship or Wimbledon at Wembley while maintaining social distance at weddings.
Sophie has complained about lack of advice from the government and forcing her clients to rebook their bookings, adding hundreds of pounds to the cost of their weddings.
Sophie, director of Imagine Event Design Weddings and owner of a bridal boutique on Sadler Gate, believes the government needs to give more guidance to the people who work in the wedding industry.
The 34-year-old said, “Planning is really hard work.
“The news last night didn’t make things any better because it confused our couples, our venues, and our suppliers.
“The planning is an absolute nightmare as we have already had a few rejections.
(Image: Imagine invitations and events)
“These are all additional costs, because if they move there is an additional cost for the couple, but if they need social distance they need additional tables that are also an additional tablecloth and an additional centerpiece.
“It increases costs, but lowers your expectations of your day.”
Sophie added that an average wedding in the UK can now cost over £ 30,000 without those additional costs of rearranging and purchasing additional resources.
However, she cannot understand why there is no additional support for the industry while there are a number of financial programs for other sectors.
Sophie added, “Some couples were fine and they just said, ‘Let’s get it over with,’ but that shouldn’t be the point.
“We were not treated fairly by the government because the rules we have now been given are the same as other restaurants last year.
“When you have a wedding, the same people are in one place all day, but people from different places come and go in a restaurant all day.
“There is no justification for it.
“It feels like a personal attack on weddings when thousands of people watch a soccer game and meet in large groups when we can’t even organize a wedding.
“I would have liked to have increased the number over the capacity, with lateral flow tests and just one kind of support so that we can work and do our work.”
(Image: Imagine invitations and events)
Mid-Derbyshire MP Pauline Latham has also called for more government support for wedding planners and providers.
She accused Health Secretary Matt Hancock of “taking the wedding industry to the top of the hill and telling them they can open up without restrictions, but she brought them back down and said,” Only if you can socially distance yourself. “
Of the new restrictions, Ms. Latham added that it would be extremely difficult for wedding venues to adhere to government social distancing measures.
She said, “My heart goes out to the many, many couples who have to postpone their weddings again.
“The wedding industry is on its knees like others in the hospitality industry, but I’m not sure if the government understands their position or the couples who want to get married and party with family and friends.
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“On the one hand, the government says it’s okay to have 40,000 euros at Wembley and Wimbledon have full capacity on Center Court for the tennis finals, and then they say that weddings must be socially distant.
“I’m afraid that doesn’t make sense.
“I am seriously concerned that the hospitality industry will be able to fight back and I believe the government should rethink.”
