Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Clerics coping with different wedding bans
Engaged couples are having to postpone their weddings for as long as 12 months in the wake of the government-imposed lockdown.
Boris Johnson says all social events, including weddings and baptisms, must be cancelled. Consequently, lovebirds due to tie the knot over the next couple of months have been forced to postpone ceremonies across the county.
In Reculver, Herne Bay, St Mary’s Church reverend Sue Martin says she has cleared her diary until the end of June. “Some people have phoned me off their own backs because their venues have fallen through,” she said.
“I’ve had one that was at the beginning of April, a renewal of vows, and I’ve had to delay that. “There’s a couple of weddings in May or June who have had to postpone.
“I’ve had to postpone three wedding ceremonies altogether. They’ve all rebooked for next year.” Meanwhile, at St Martin’s Church in Herne one ceremony, which was scheduled to take place in June, has been moved to the autumn.
And reverend Carol Smith expects more to follow suit. “Traditionally our weddings don’t start until the summer,” she explained.
“That was the first one, but I imagine the pattern will continue.”
Despite this, neither reverend believes that the postponement will hurt their churches’ coffers – instead, they expect to lose greater levels of revenue from not being able to take donations during weekly services.
Reverend Martin says she has also had to postpone baptisms set to take place over the next two months.
“I’ve had to postpone through to the end of May,” she added. “I’ve got a postponement folder so that when everything is lifted and returns to normality, we can phone round and resort it for them.
“We had the Mad Cow Disease and Swine Flu, but they were nothing like what we’re experiencing now – it’s unprecendented.”