Government guidelines

Yes they can.

"Rules around funerals will not change; these can proceed with 30 attendees and wakes with 6 attendees, though not in private homes. Weddings will still be able to proceed with 6 attendees only but will no longer be limited to exceptional circumstances."

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021/covid-19-response-spring-2021#roadmap

View quoted message Thanks so much for replying .
Please can you look at the screenshot that I have attached . It looks like the government guidelines have changed within the last 2 days !

I am not sure what you are showing me there as that looks like the latest guidelines and not one from 2 days ago.

I did mention it here https://forums.hitched.co.uk/chat/forums/thread/should-we-postpone-or-not-1065063/

Every time there are changes announced

1. The detailed info is never ready on the GOV website (should be all ready and waiting for the full announcement and just needing a click to post it.)

2. The info when published 12 hours later is NEVER fully correct and always misses important details out. (like is it no longer 6 in exceptional circumstances )

3. The full details are usually there 2 or 3 days after the announcement.

A bit of advice for everyone else also is don't bother listening to media outlets as they also get things wrong. Just go to the GOV website. (After a couple of days BUT also check it again later. )

Hi Kate,

It's clear as mud at the moment! We received an update from Somerset Registration Services yesterday with the following:

Unfortunately, it has been widely reported in the media that ceremonies could start again from the 8th March, but we have now received confirmation that this is not the case and we will be unable to conduct ceremonies unless in exceptional circumstances prior to 29th March.

• Step 1 (2nd stage): From 29 March – Legal limit of 6 attendees but no longer limited to ‘exceptional circumstances’. The 6 attendees includes the couple, 2 witnesses and 2 guests, including any children.

I hope that helps.

Kay

Not helpful is it when on the GOV website they produce this illustration what you can do from the 8th that does not mention anything about exceptional circumstances and its this that the media have picked up on.

And then further down the page as an overview of all dates and what you can do. Again no mention of it only being in exceptional circumstances. The first column is the 8th March.

In fact within the body of the text below the illustration that deals with the 8th March rules (The 1st steps one ) there is no mention of weddings what so ever.

The first mention of weddings within the text body only appears in the section referring to what can be done after the 28th March that says this.---

"Rules around funerals will not change; these can proceed with 30 attendees and wakes with 6 attendees, though not in private homes. Weddings will still be able to proceed with 6 attendees only but will no longer be limited to exceptional circumstances."

So its left to guess work and interpretation as it does not explicitly say from the 8th March you can without an ex/circumstance requirement. But it does say that from the 28th March you will no longer be limited to ex/circumstances.

Now Hitched are getting it wrong - read here https://www.hitched.co.uk/vendor/campus/article/will-coronavirus-affect-my-wedding-day/?utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Campus+Newsletter+25.02.21

They are saying that from 8th March you can get married with 6 - here in the Hitched newsletter.

England's roadmap out of lockdown has four steps:

• In step one, from 8th March, weddings could be able to take place with up to 6 people - no longer only under "exceptional circumstances".
• 
  

ME thinks the Hitched experts have got it wrong