The new Covid guidelines – what you can now make of your wedding reception

Wedding receptions in England are back on the cards!

The good news was announced on the 14th of August, which means you will now be able to hold a small wedding reception in form of a sit-down meal following your wedding ceremony. The guidelines still stand at 30 guests max, including the bride and groom, and for the ceremony this also comprises the two officiants and any external suppliers such as a photographer.

So, what can you expect for your wedding day at the Swan? Expectedly, there will still be some restrictions, such as guests being required to wear a face covering during the ceremony and in any public areas of the hotel during their stay with the only exception being at a time of eating or drinking.
Restrictions still include any form of standing or mingling amongst guests and so a traditional post-ceremony drinks reception will be prohibited as well as the typical evening reception with dancing or loud music unless you are all in the same household or single social bubble.

Safety measures will be implemented by our staff such as monitoring of social distancing between guests who are not from the same household, the wearing of face coverings in public areas and for the duration of the ceremony, music to be at a volume where a normal conversation is not disrupted and we will make sure our function rooms are fully ventilated.

There are some positives however and one of them is that beauty services such as bridal make-up, eyebrow and eyelash treatments, as well as manicures and pedicures for the bridal party is now allowed so you will be able to have that pre-wedding pamper that you may have looked forward to! It will be under some conditions of course – your beauty therapist will be required to wear a face mask and a face visor to perform services close to the face.

Alas, we are sorry to say that the new guidelines do not apply to couples or their guests traveling from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and anyone who lives in an area who are under local lockdown in England will not be able to attend a wedding at the Swan.

For further information please see the latest update on the government website

If you still have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Hanna and she will be happy to discuss your wedding plans further!

Make sure to check out our Lake District wedding venue if you’re interested in getting married at a wonderful idyllic location-based near Windermere.  A perfect place to get married for any couple. You might be interested in hosting a hen do or a stag night. If so check out our private party venue in the Lake District.