The government appears to have banned marriages

[IrkedEssex]

www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november

Section 5 states "Weddings, civil partnership ceremonies will not be permitted to take place except in exceptional circumstances."

I fully get that receptions are banned, but marriage? It's a human right, isn't it?
www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights-act/article-12-right-marry

What am I missing? Has Covid finally addled my brain?

Wow I somehow never imagined weddings being banned

Only during lockdown. Why would it be absolutely essential that it cannot wait 4 weeks? I am probably being dim but I would think during a pandemic, delaying a wedding for four weeks is not the biggest problem. I genuinely cannot think of a reason why it is a big problem.

Were they banned during the original lockdown too? I can't remember.

Why can’t people get married with the legal requirement of two witnesses and a registrar? 5 people Max.

No much fun, but safer.

The bit in your link about restrictions would cover it. It doesn't stop it being shit though. Very pleased that a friend's daughter finally managed to get married yesterday and won't need to put it on hold again.

I saw that and thought they dont trust people not to go home and have a big party - and I cant say I disagree with that logic given the levels of compliance

@covetingthepreciousthings

Were they banned during the original lockdown too? I can't remember.

Yes

They were haired during original lockdown too. It's nothing new. Plus they are still allowed in 'exceptional circumstances', presumably for the terminally ill.

@tinkerbellvspredator

I saw that and thought they dont trust people not to go home and have a big party - and I cant say I disagree with that logic given the levels of compliance

This is why they have been banned.

They were banned last time around too, which I did think was outrageous at the time. For some people, the timing of a wedding really matters.

Halted, not haired!

@QuitMoaning

Only during lockdown. Why would it be absolutely essential that it cannot wait 4 weeks? I am probably being dim but I would think during a pandemic, delaying a wedding for four weeks is not the biggest problem. I genuinely cannot think of a reason why it is a big problem.

It's fine to put human rights on hold for 4 weeks, as long as it's not forever.

It’s not banned. It’s postponed. Stop dramatising everything ffs

@QuitMoaning

Only during lockdown. Why would it be absolutely essential that it cannot wait 4 weeks? I am probably being dim but I would think during a pandemic, delaying a wedding for four weeks is not the biggest problem. I genuinely cannot think of a reason why it is a big problem.

Because it’s not just 4 weeks. You need to get a registrar or church slot which in some areas is very hard and could be months before you get another one. Then notice needs to be given legally one month in advance, if council offices are now not open for appointments then it will be a month before you can give notice, so 2 months minimum if you are lucky enough to get a slot. It’s so unfair, some people have been waiting all year to get married with postponed weddings from the first lockdown and now they can’t again.

Why would it be absolutely essential that it cannot wait 4 weeks?

Where one of the couple is dying. This happened last time - hospice arranged a special licence as groom had days left

Sad thing is lots of weddings that were postponed last lockdown were rebooked for around now,when we naively believed it would all be over. So for some(I know of one) it's a second blow. Ok not the end of the world but pretty dispiriting and miserable. I feel very sad for them.

For some people, the timing of a wedding really matters.

For some people, being alive and knowing the NHS has capacity to treat them in an emergency really matter.

@PuzzledObserver

For some people, the timing of a wedding really matters.

For some people, being alive and knowing the NHS has capacity to treat them in an emergency really matter.

Well yes everything is going to come back to that but you could conduct a wedding with similar contact to queuing in a supermarket.

@titchy

Why would it be absolutely essential that it cannot wait 4 weeks?

Where one of the couple is dying. This happened last time - hospice arranged a special licence as groom had days left

Then I'd guess that would come under the 'exceptional circumstances' described . . .

They banned them in the first lockdown so it’s not a surprise.

We are one of the couples that were affected by the 1st lock down. We missed out by 3 weeks. We have again missed out by 3 weeks. It appears we've terrible timing.

@QuitMoaning do you realise how soul destroying it is to spend the morning sending emails cancelling your wedding plans that you've waited so long for? When you've spent the entire year playing by the rules and having continuously witnessed selfish people breaking rules with any excuse possible!

We now have the uncertainty of guessing at another date, starting the booking plans again and hoping we do not experience another cancellation!

Its not just 4 weeks, it's the continuous stress of booking, re booking, cancelling, being law abiding citizens and then feeling like we are being punished. Luckily we still have our jobs so guess what.... we will spend our 2nd attempted wedding and honeymoon working! That makes for a wonderful working period.

And I apologise if I come across like a miserable cow but I've not slept with spending the night mentally preparing to cancel our wedding.

@Glutted

We are one of the couples that were affected by the 1st lock down. We missed out by 3 weeks. We have again missed out by 3 weeks. It appears we've terrible timing.

@QuitMoaning do you realise how soul destroying it is to spend the morning sending emails cancelling your wedding plans that you've waited so long for? When you've spent the entire year playing by the rules and having continuously witnessed selfish people breaking rules with any excuse possible!

We now have the uncertainty of guessing at another date, starting the booking plans again and hoping we do not experience another cancellation!

Its not just 4 weeks, it's the continuous stress of booking, re booking, cancelling, being law abiding citizens and then feeling like we are being punished. Luckily we still have our jobs so guess what.... we will spend our 2nd attempted wedding and honeymoon working! That makes for a wonderful working period.

And I apologise if I come across like a miserable cow but I've not slept with spending the night mentally preparing to cancel our wedding.

I feel you. Ours was cancelled, then less than 2 weeks after our original date, they allowed small weddings again. We are now missing out yet again, by less than two weeks.

It's bloody horrible. How are we meant to know when to have it now? I really feel for you.

@AuthorsOfForever im so sorry you are also going through this. Its awful, and whilst we are lucky in many ways it doesn't make things easier. We done our best to use independent companies for all our suppliers, these will also bow be affected!

I hope you guys get your happy ending soon.

I feel very sorry for everyone whose weddings have been upended over this. I hadn't realised marriages had actually been stopped first time round, too.

There is more at play than just a missed wedding celebration. Marriage, as I said, is a human right and it has been pointed out up thread that a legally binding marriage can be conducted with full social distancing and with very few attendees. I see no justification for stopping marriages. It is then for the couples to decide whether they marry and party later, or wait.

Marriage (or absence of) can have HUGE implications when someone dies. People can be clobbered with tax bills that mean sale of the family home. If there is dispensation for a deathbed marriage that doesn't necessarily help. Marriage revokes a will so unless the dying person is in a fit state to change their will as well as marry there could be no end of issues.