AIBU to still hold this wedding reception?

[Temporary99]

I’m due to get married in 2 weeks’ time. We’ve got 30 of us in total and this includes 10 older relatives attending, so safety is very important to us.

The plan was to have a church ceremony and then a reception in my in-laws garden. We’ve taken the rules very seriously and have done a full covid risk assessment for the venue in line with the ones for businesses. It’s a big garden so we can easily spread the tables out with 2m in between, we’ve got hand sanitiser for every table, staff serving the food, one toilet per ten people, paper towels for drying hands.

With the new rules in place we’re wondering if this would be breaking the law? They’ve said the rules don’t apply to wedding receptions but a friend of mine has said they’re not allowed in private homes. All we can see is that it says they have to be in a “Covid secure venue”. We’re very confident that our venue is covid secure and have the paperwork to prove it, but don’t want to get into trouble or risk the police turning up.

The only alternative would be the one restaurant in my in-laws village, which is much smaller than my in-laws garden and is all indoors, so we think this would be less secure.

AIBU?

Gardens are part of the dwelling so it sounds as if that won't work. I have not seen the new legislation yet but it is not going to loosen on the previous definitions.

If you invite Dominic Cummings it will probably be OK though.

It would be breaking the law. Covid secure applies to establishments not private homes.

Maybe you can find a venue which can host it outdoors if you don’t want an indoor event. Can’t imagine many are fully booked.

Even without the new rule change, you can't have that reception in a private garden. A restaurant would be fine provided separate households are socially distanced.

I would cancel if I were you, only because if you did go ahead you could well end up having your guests fined. I know I would hate to put people in the position of facing a criminal fine just for the sake of my marriage

Yes you would be breaking the law.

If you have an extra £3000 to pay the fine, o ahead.

I'm afraid you need to do it in an organised (not private) establishment such as Hotel, Pub, Restaurant etc. This is a private dwelling irrespective of your own risk assessment and measures. It would not be fair on the staff either serving as they would be breaking the law as well.
I don't think you can invite people to this knowing that they are ultimately breaking the law. Sorry but that is just the way it is at the moment

No sorry, this is breaking the law as it is a private social gathering of more than 6. YABU.

@Racoonworld but it says weddings are exempt from that rule?

Ceremonies are exempt, not receptions

It’s only the ceremony that is exempt not any receptions.

Where ever you do if legally you can’t have more than 6 at a reception

[quote Temporary99]@Racoonworld but it says weddings are exempt from that rule?[/quote]
Only the legal part of the wedding and that should be kept to the absolute minimum length of time.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships

It looks like receptions can take place but only in a Covid secure environment which a back garden isn’t

@Temporary99 I got married a few weeks ago. You can't have the reception in a garden. It has to be a venue. You could move it to a pub or restaurant with a big garden, if you phone around? That would be okay, they'll have passed all the Covid-secure requirements and have the paperwork and things to prove it.

As it stands, it's illegal as the wedding reception exemption only applies to Covid-secure venues, and not to private dwellings. To have it in your in-laws garden, you could only have a maximum of 6 people.

@ShellsAndSunrises but why can’t we make it covid secure by following the rules as given for venues?

Really sucks to be getting married at this time. I feel for you OP- the rules are a minefield and seem to change by the minute.

[quote Temporary99]@ShellsAndSunrises but why can’t we make it covid secure by following the rules as given for venues?[/quote]
Because your home (including garden) is a private dwelling. The same rules don't apply.

Because those rules are for businesses who have a responsibility to follow them, insurance etc.

Instead of trying to find a loophole you’d be better off spending the time finding a venue that complies with the law.

[quote Temporary99]@ShellsAndSunrises but why can’t we make it covid secure by following the rules as given for venues?[/quote]
Because that’s not how it works. Otherwise it would make policing of the restrictions impossible.

@Temporary99 Because the exemption only applies to venues who theoretically have submitted data to the Government and been assessed by councils etc. It doesn't apply to private residences.

Realistically you can go ahead as you are, if your guests are happy to come, but you risk £3k worth of fines if you're reported, and they seem serious about fining people to drive the point home. It would be an illegal gathering. We were offered use of a big bit of private land for ours, but if the police had turned up and dispersed people, and fined us, it'd have ruined the day.

If you phone around restaurants with outdoor space, you may well find one that has garden room for you which isn't too expensive. Our quotes varied from a couple of hundred to a couple of thousand, but most were pretty reasonable. Plenty had availability for midweek, and some had weekends free - you might have even more luck now that Eat Out to Help Out has officially finished.

Because it will be illegal.

Would somewhere like a village hall be a viable alternative? It's not a home, you could show the hall your Covid secure plans, and they wouldn't want to sell you food etc? If you have plans that work in any open space you just need one that has a playing field attached?

@Rossita that’s the thing, we can’t see it saying anywhere that it’s illegal.

The people above saying the wedding exemptions don’t apply to receptions are incorrect, that has been made clear online that wedding receptions can have up to 30 people.

From the link I posted earlier

“ Such events should not take place in people’s private homes (or adjoining outdoor spaces like gardens), given that these will not have the same COVID-19 Secure measures in place.”

Seems pretty clear!

It very clearly mentions venues, staff, managers etc. None of which apply to a private garden party. On a private dwelling, is six people max.