New Zealand has done it again – the curve has been flattened enough to allow the majority of the country (outside of Auckland – sorry guys) to move to Level 2 again – the good news about this is Weddings can take place once again!
But things are FAR from “normal” yet – and the Weddings and Events that can and will take place under the Level 2 restrictions are a far cry from the those we’re used to seeing. Here’s some points that you need to be aware of, and adhere to, if you’re planning to get married while the we are at Alert Level 2:-
- Your Wedding can only have 50 attendees if your Wedding is in an indoor venue and 100 if your wedding is outdoors – this number is inclusive of you and your Bridal Party, but does not include staff that are working – ie. serving staff.
- Guests from out of town are able to travel to attend your wedding – as long as they are travelling from a region that is also in Alert Level 1 or 2. Guests cannot travel from regions currently in Alert Levels 3 or 4. Remind your out-of-town guests to scan in wherever they go and keep a record of their movements around the region while they are here.
- While your guests can move freely around – you should ensure you allow adequate space for them to move around while still maintaining social distancing. When it comes to your seating plan – consider perhaps having your guests sit in their own bubbles only and make sure your tables are a good distance apart.
- Unlike previous level 2 stages – there are no restrictions around time frames, and your guests are free to mingle, dance etc. but your guests do still need to maintain safe social distance from people they don’t know (recommendation is at least 1 metre) – so crowded dance floors and receiving lines are discouraged.
- Any food that is served should be individually plated and served by a single server per table – so this means no buffets, grazing tables or shared canapes. Drinks must also be served at a table instead of at a bar and again you should try to avoid shared pitchers/bottles. Have a chat with your wedding venue/caterer to make sure that they’re clued up on their responsibilities in terms of food and service restrictions and are able to facilitate. If your wedding is being hosted at a public venue such as a restaurant, bar or nightclub – the rules do differ slightly and your venue may have their own safety guidelines and protocols in place that you need to adhere to.
- Good hygiene practices are essential – so make sure you have hand sanitiser stations, plenty of soap for handwashing and consider signage reminding people about handwashing practices and cough/sneeze etiquette.
- Contact tracing is now mandatory – if your Wedding Venue does not already have a QR code for your guests to scan – head to the Governments Covid-19 website to create a free QR Scanning poster for your Wedding/Event.
- Remind your unwell/sick guests to please stay at home – Isolation and Quarantine rules still apply at Level 2 and will be more important than ever. Consider live streaming your wedding over Zoom or to a private Facebook Group so that overseas and sick guests don’t feel like they’re going to miss out.
So while things are a little different for now and maybe you can’t have everyone you know and love present – you CAN still get married and celebrate with your nearest and dearest. You can say “I do” to the one that you love – and you can do everything in your power to keep the people you love and care about safe while you do it.
Make sure you stay up to date with everything you need to know about Level 2 by visiting the Governments Covid-19 information website and Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and check back to read more about Level 2 Weddings and our Hints and Tips for your special day.
Mrs TW x