To cancel the wedding...?

[Icanflyhigh]

Due to get married 13th June in the UK. Church and reception all booked and paid for.
Worried that neither parents will be able to attend if over 70s are forced to isolate and many of the guests won't be able to attend either.
STBDH really wants his family to be there, he's an only child to his father who turns 70 in May, his maternal grandparents are in their late 80s and not in the best of health anyway.
My mum is 70, we have other elderly relatives....

What would you do?

@Icanflyhigh

Don't do anything yet.

I think it will be mostly over by June. Probably by early May. (Praying to GOD!)

@Shinycat

Even if it’s “mostly over”, what about the knock on effects? The people who have died? The general shift in attitude towards wanting to be at these events? The atmosphere would be awful

Those of you saying it'll all be over by June - what are you basing that on? Most commentary agrees that it's impossible to know that.

OP, you need to cancel / rearrange wedding. I'd suggest a family-only ceremony now, plan for a celebration when it's all over.

Thanks everyone, we are still very unsure what will happen, but we know we want the wedding we have planned, so if we do go ahead and cancel, it will be a complete reschedule for 12 months time.

Perspective of a mum, although my children are only 15.
I cancelled my 50th birthday party next week, I decided I would rather have a party in a few months and everyone be okay (hopefully) than sit counting friends and family who are ill and maybe died and I could track them back to a party.

However a marriage is more than that and I honestly would be devastated not to attend either of my children's weddings but honestly in a time like this I would plaster on a smile and reassure them it was fine to get married without me there tell them I will get your cousin Hilda to FaceTime me the ceremony, honest we will be fine don't worry about us just send some cake. And then I would cry alone to miss it but I would be more upset to see them not married.
The alternative is to have a very reduced wedding with just them.

I honestly would rather miss my child's wedding that their first child/puppy/kitten or the next 20 years with them because I died of something I could of prevented.

Have a conversation with them xx

Just be aware of your contractual obligations to your suppliers. Many are one person enterprises and are breadwinners, they have contracts and I’d be surprised if they could afford to not get a payment in the summer/ peak season.
There’s always getting a videographer to film the day for whose that couldn’t make it if you can’t afford to cancel (assuming no govt intervention).

I don't think there is much point in cancelling, I would think there is an 80% chance Boris will cancel it for you. In which case you would be in a better position to get refunds than if you cancelled yourself, and those people would be in a better position to apply for any funds Boris releases too.

We cancelled.

We haven't lost a penny.

Rebooked for next year already.

I assumed I would would lose deposits etc, and everyone has been fantastic and just moved the date for us.

That is great news and the best solution all round.

Good news OP.

We're due to get married on May 22nd (registry office). We're not sure whether just to get married, just the two of us, and have a reception later; or just cancel the whole thing and rebook.

Absolutely gutted. But I know there are people with worse, life-changing problems right now, it's awful. I'm so scared for the future.

@MissMogwai we considered that, but ours was a church wedding with a pot of guests and that was the bit we really wanted - being limited to 5 was none option for us.
Also, haven't all weddings been cancelled now anyway?
Good luck lovely, xx

Thanks. We made the decision on Monday to postpone, so trying to rebook for later this year (fingers crossed).

Just waiting for the registry office to call me back for a new date, if possible.