It’s a testing time for us all at the minute, but if you’re planning a wedding and are facing the tough decision of having to cancel or postpone your big day amid the Covid-19 crisis, we’re here to lend a helping hand.
We’ve consulted wedding planners and consumer rights experts to talk you through the processes and your legal rights when it comes to cancelling your wedding amid the coronavirus crisis.
Weddings and Covid-19: Cancellations, Legal Rights and Advice
Update: Small weddings could be allowed from June
Boris latest update on the easing of lockdown measures (10th May) has posed the question of when weddings will be allowed to take place again in the UK.
Currently, as meetings of more than two people are prohibited, weddings ceremonies – both religious and civil – and parties are not permitted. However, with more details of an exit strategy becoming (slightly) clearer, the 50-page document released on Monday (11th May) highlighted a number of possible situations which might be able to take place in the coming weeks.
The document outlined that the Government is looking into how and when it will be able to allow ‘slightly larger’ groups to meet in order to facilitate weddings.
“In addition, the Government is also examining how to enable people to gather in slightly larger groups to better facilitate small weddings,” the document reads.
“Over the coming weeks, the Government will engage on the nature and timing of the measures in this step, in order to consider the widest possible array of views on how best to balance the health, economic and social effects.”
The Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland, also addressed the issue on Radio 4 this week.
“You’ll be glad to know that we are giving anxious consideration to the issue of marriages,” he explained.
“We want to help people like you, but there are also some people who are really… they want to get married because things are happening in their life that means they might not be together for a long time, and therefore I’m giving a lot of anxious consideration to the effect of the potential changes here as to what we can do with regard to marriage ceremonies.So watch this space, we’re working on it.”
Rules on Weddings and Covid-19: Exceptional circumstances
Some councils in the UK are allowing weddings to take place in very exceptional circumstances.
They have been granted special powers to perform weddings ceremonies – without any guests – and abiding by social distancing rules, where one partner is ill.
From 8th June 2020, Northern Ireland will allow outdoor weddings with up to 10 people present. Weddings in England, Scotland and Wales are still currently on hold.
What are your legal rights if weddings are allowed?
“It is good news that weddings will now be permitted from June and those who wish to take the plunge may do so. However, with many venues remaining closed and restrictions on the number of guests, many may still choose to postpone their big day,” says Gary Rycroft, a consumer law expert and chair of the Law Society’s digital assets working group.
However, in deciding to postpone your wedding, rather than not being able to get married at all, there are different legal implications. According to Gary, this makes the situation less clear cut.
“Many wedding events will still not be able to happen as planned. For example, many of the agreements and contracts entered into by couples will be on the basis of there being more guests than it is possible to now have,” he adds.
“The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) recently said that they would expect a consumer to be offered a full refund if government public health measures mean they cannot use the services.”
You should make sure you’ve scanned through your contracts with suppliers with a fine-toothed comb, as the new terms around weddings in lockdown could render your contracts void.
What about your wedding insurance?
The position with insurance will be as it was when there was a total ban – whether couples are covered depends on the wording of their policy and what exclusions there may be.
So, do policies cover the cancellations of weddings due to Covid-19?
As with all types of insurance, it really depends on your policy. According to Bernadette, some insurance providers are covering the costs of cancelling or postponing your wedding, however others are saying it depends on the date of wedding, while some are even suggesting the decision to cancel won’t be covered at all.
“While weddings have been banned by the government, couples who have paid deposits or the full amount to wedding businesses or suppliers for a cancelled date should be refunded,” explains Gary.
“Goods like wedding dresses not linked to a specific date will be treated differently and non-refundable.”
You should contact your wedding insurance provider immediately for a clear outline of what is and isn’t covered in your policy before you make any big decisions.
What were the rules on weddings in lockdown?
Following some weeks of uncertainty and self-isolation, the UK government announced a state of ‘lockdown’ on Monday 23 March 2020, which saw an immediate ban on all social gatherings, including weddings over the next three weeks.
“I welcome the statement from our prime minister stating weddings are not allowed to happen,” states Bernadette Chapman, Founder of The UK Alliance of Wedding Planners (UKAWP).
“This sends a strong message to venues and couples that weddings over the next 21 days need to be cancelled or postponed. This means couples who wanted to do so, but were thwarted by their venue can now move forward and choose a new date”.
So, while there’s now some clarity on whether or not your wedding should go ahead, it raises a whole new bunch of questions and concerns about your legal rights, refunds and protocol when it comes to cancelling your wedding.
“Couples whose weddings are cancelled during this period will be legally entitled to a refund,” says Gary Rycroft.
What does lockdown mean for your wedding?
“If marrying in the next three weeks, you are now required to move the date of your wedding due to the national lockdown,” Bernadette explains.
“Furthermore, I would plan on moving weddings due to take place before June,” she continues. “Couples may find it hard to find a suitable replacement date in 2020, and key dates for 2021 are already getting filled quickly.”
Consumer law expert Gary Rycroft adds: “Things will become much more complicated as and when the ban on weddings is lifted while other Covid-19 restrictions are in place.
“If couples choose to cancel in these circumstances, they will have turn to their wedding insurance policy and the terms and conditions of contracts to see how much money they can recover.”
Additionally, if your wedding is due to take place this summer, even after the initial three-week lockdown, it may be worth contacting your venue to hold another date later this year or for next year, as we still don’t really know how long the social distancing measures could last.
What processes should be followed when cancelling or postponing your wedding?
“When cancelling or postponing, speaking to wedding businesses, venues and caterers directly should always be the first port of call,” says Gary.
“In the current circumstances, any sensible business will be open to a postponement. If cancellation or a refund is not possible through talking to the business and couples need to contact their insurer, they should always check the terms and conditions of their wedding insurance to see exactly what circumstances it covers.”
What should venues be doing to help?
Following the ‘lockdown’ announcement and stricter measures to stop the spread of coronavirus, many venues that have been forced to close will be offering a change of date. However, this again depends on the venue and you should contact them immediately to find out what contingency plan is in place at your chosen venue.
What about destination weddings? Will couples be able to claim full refunds due to travel bans?
“Provided [you] booked through an ABTA registered travel agent, you should get the cost of the fights and hotel back in full,” says Bernadette. However, this will only cover the ‘holiday’ aspect of your destination wedding. Again, you should speak with your insurers as soon as possible with regards to claiming refunds for the wedding.
“If you plan to postpone your wedding, speak with your wedding planner and the venue, as soon as possible,” Bernadette adds. “Some international weddings are being postponed free of charge, but some venues and suppliers are classing this as cancellations and so you will need to book and pay again (unless this is covered by your insurance.”
What about guests coming from abroad to a wedding in the UK?
According to consumer law expert, Gary, the ‘usual rule is that if a flight is cancelled by the airline the passenger is entitled to a full refund.’
“In the UK, if the Foreign & Commonwealth Office recommend not to travel to a destination, flights often get cancelled,” he adds.
“If flight is not cancelled travel insurance becomes key and whether guests are entitled to a refund will all depend on what their particular policy covers and when it was taken out.”
Weddings and Covid-19: How will coronavirus affect the wedding industry?
Although brides are baring the brunt of the disappointment and emotions, this has also been devastating for wedding businesses.
“With weddings cancelling and moving to prime 2021 dates, it meany [businesses] have already missed almost a season’s worth of revenue,” Bernadette explains.
“We would urge any couples postponing, whose suppliers have done so with no extra charge, to stick the original payment terms for 2020.”
What will weddings look like after Covid-19?
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