High Hopes For Weddings As Lockdown Exit Planned
The announcement of the details of the government’s plans for a route out of lockdown will be of interest to just about everyone, but for those hoping to get married in 2021 this will be a particularly exciting time.
Speaking in the House of Commons and then in the evening briefing from Downing Street, Mr Johnson revealed how the plans would see a gradual lifting of restrictions provided the data on infections, hospitalisations and vaccinations were all good – assuming no more new mutant strains of the virus emerge to throw a ribonucleic spanner in the works.
The roadmap will initially limit weddings to six people from March 8th, but the second phase, which will begin no sooner than April 12th, will see this number raised to 15. From May 17th, this could increase to 30.
However, the ultimate ambition, which could be realised as early as Midsummer’s Day, will be to lift all restrictions. At that point a wedding would be an occasion to be dreamed of: Not just with all the usual trappings of the occasion and the dress and the bunting, but the extra special nature of having so many friends and family able to come and take part in the day.
When planning the big day, wedding photo booth hire may be a top priority because there can be few more special elements of a post-lockdown wedding than all those pictures of people who had been separated from each other for so long getting back together.
If you live in the Midlands, it is likely you will be much more likely to hold the wedding locally than might otherwise be the case, as some of the alternative options are still shrouded in uncertainty.
International travel still has a big question mark against it, not least as most countries around the world are way behind the UK when it comes to vaccinating their people, while the announcement of the plans for Scotland by first minister Nicola Sturgeon has left lots of doubt over what will happen there.
Essentially, the Scottish plan will be to move back to regional tiers in April. Only then will there be any clarity over what may happen in the Borders region – a key consideration for anyone thinking of decamping to Gretna Green for their nuptials.
Of course, it is not just weddings that will be affected if Britain can successfully emerge from lockdown. The lifting of restrictions will also mean garden parties, school and church fairs, festivals and large picnics can all happen.
Not only does that means something very much like a classic British summer would be in the offing, but it might create many more occasions when hiring photo booths is a great idea; after all, not everyone will have a big wedding on the horizon, but most people will have plenty of happy reunions ahead.
Speaking at the Downing Street press conference, Boris talked of the steps being set out as a “crocus of hope”. Just like the spring flowers bringing purple and orange to a previously bleak wintry landscape, so there is now increasing hope. The smiles of joy that could be captured on film in months to come might be a particularly treasured souvenir of big days that are even better, because they have become possible again after so long.