Rutland wedding planner fears the industry is being 'left behind' as lockdown eases

Marriages are expected to be limited to thirty guests until June at the very earliest

Author: Chris Davis-SmithPublished 6th May 2021

Businesses in Rutland are calling for the limit on wedding guests to be lifted - like it is for funerals.

From 17th May there'll be no cap on the number of mourners allowed at a service - as long as they can socially distance.

However, weddings will be limited to 30 guests.

Rutland wedding planner Nicole Smith says it's a tough situation for her clients right now:

"We're kind of getting forgotten about. All we're trying to do is just work with couples to help them create their best possible day.

"I'd much rather that my couples could have more guests at their wedding, but it seems like we're going to have to hold on for a little bit longer."

Nicole, who runs Nicole Hope Smith Wedding Fayres, tells us she's hoping things will pick up sooner rather than later:

"I'm surprised that my business is still going. I didn't think that I'd make it through the other side of this.

"In the wedding industry, we're all kind of just sat here still waiting.

"It's amazing to see so many people back at work, back in an environment where they can interact with people and I think that's really important.

"However, the wedding industry is still stuck in the same hole as it was last year."

The government says it's continuing to keep guidance and restrictions under review - and it's working with the wedding sector for a return to near as normal as quickly as possible.

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