Well, wedding regulations have changed once again under COVID-19. (I agree, it’s pretty painful), but there’s no need to stress because we have compiled a few easy steps for you to make sure your at-home wedding is good to go!

Step 1: Check your venue’s square meterage

Your venue must be large enough to fit one person per 4 square metres (100 people max) and account for 1.5m of social distancing between guests and their tables.

Whether it’s indoor or outdoor, venues must comply with all space and social distancing regulations.

Step 2: Hire a wedding coordinator

Weddings of more than 10 attendees must have an event manager AKA wedding coordinator with an approved COVID-Safe Plan present to ensure COVID regulations are adhered to.

A few key points:

• they must be onsite for the duration of the event
• they have the authority to ask those ignoring regulations to leave the event
• they can be held liable if regulations are not followed

Step 3: Have handwashing and sanitising stations ready

Ensure the bathroom at your event is fully stocked with soap and paper-towels (disposable, not hand-towels). When it comes to how many toilets to have available, consider this: if you had the choice between a portable toilet or a regular house toilet, which would you use? Provide one or the other.

It’s also key and required that guests are provided with hand-sanitiser. Have a few bottles of hand-sanitiser at the main entrance and exit of the room, on any tables in the room and in the bathrooms.

Not sure where you can find it these days? Check you pharmacies, Daiso, or supermarkets.

Step 4: Check your food plan

Speak with your caterer about how the food is going to be plated and served. Meals cannot be shared; no buffet, grazing tables, canapes etc. Meals must be served and consumed while sitting down; drinks must also be consumed while seated.

You may need to hire extra waitstaff to serve any food you may be offering, and don’t forget a bartender. There can be no communal food or drink services available.

Finally, no food can be on display which means your wedding cake should be kept in the kitchen until serving or displayed in a case/box. Speak to your cake-maker about options around this, or if you’re having a small display cake, put it on a cake stand with a glass dome over the top.

Step 5: Alert your neighbours

If you have nosy neighbours or just neighbours who are taking COVID regulations seriously, let them know ahead of time that you will be hosting your wedding in your home/backyard with a COVID-Safe plan in effect. You don’t want anyone calling the police unnecessarily because you haven’t let your neighbours know a COVID-Safe manager will be present.

Most importantly…

Remember that this is YOUR day and you’re going forward in spite of a pandemic (which is super gutsy and awesome of you)!

Your vendors are doing their best to make your day amazing and are with you 100%.

All information from this post can be found on this link here or call 13 42 68 directly with any question you may have.

A few of the rules…

• 1.5m social distancing
• Must provide hand sanitising station and handwashing facilities
• All attendees must have their details recorded and kept for 56 days following
• Event planner/manager must be onsite
• No dancing (first dance only)
• No hugging/kissing/close contact
• Meals must be sit down (no drinks or food consumed while standing)
• No food on display (real cake out the back for serving or in a display case)
• Groups or clusters of guests must social distance unless from the same household

Until next time, we’re here for you in this confusing time so feel free to reach out with questions or concerns, obligation-free xx

(please note: this blog and the information therein is current as of September 2, 2020)