Weddings with 150 guests OK, but no conga lines
Brides, grooms can invite more people yet safety rules remain
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s easing of restrictions this week on the size of wedding parties may be welcome news to some couples. But the rules and restrictions surrounding such gatherings remain as complicated as ever, thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The governor on Monday raised from 50 to 150 the number of guests that may attend wedding receptions in New York. But the change comes with a dizzying array of regulations, including some social distancing rules that sound like medieval religious restrictions on public displays of affection.
“No one wants to dance in a cubicle,” remarked Michael Cocca, who operates the Franklin Terrace and Franklin Plaza venues in Troy. He was re
ferring to a rule that says wedding guests may only dance with members of their immediate household or those seated at the same table.
Dancers are also supposed to stay in “designated and clearly marked” areas or zones on the dance floor at least 6 feet away from other dancers.
That presumably means no conga lines, line dancing or limbo games, according to the regulations.
And it means that wedding halls will look different. Many are devising marking systems for their dance floors to help ensure that revelers stay in their lanes. Regulations also call for the same directional arrows that we now see in supermarkets and drug stores.
Partiers must remain masked as well, except for when they are eating or imbibing.
Another COVID rule — and banquet managers say this is a big one — is that wedding guests are supposed to have proof that they have been tested for the virus.
“No bride is going to test for 150 people,” said Cocca, who added that his wedding business is off 85 percent this year.
Still, banquet operators say they are pushing ahead and dealing with the new restrictions as best they can. And they report a stream of engaged couples who have either postponed weddings from last year or those who are hopefully looking toward a celebration later in the summer.
“We’re certainly getting more interest,” said Joe Popolizio, who operates The Waters Edge Lighthouse, a restaurant and banquet facility in Glenville.
“The banquet piece is starting to pick up again. You certainly have some people who are apprehensive and people have been putting it off and putting it off, but now people can do it,” Popolizio said.
He conceded that the testing requirement is a “heavy lift.” Popolizio added that some are still waiting to see if restrictions are further eased as more people get vaccinated.
“The pulse is definitely turning back on,” added Sean Willcoxon, chief catering officer for Mazzone Hospitality, which operates a number of wedding venues, including Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia and Loft 433 in Troy, as well as locations in Albany and Saratoga Springs.
“Everybody is kind of making a Plan A and Plan B,” he said of people who have postponed or are hoping to schedule weddings in the coming months.
Like others in the business, Willcoxon said he’s taken on a new duty in recent months: Interpreting and then explaining the various ever-changing rules surrounding banquets and other social gatherings.
“I’m sitting here studying these every day,” he said of the state regulations.
Another COVID rule — and banquet managers say this is a big one — is that wedding guests are supposed to have proof that they have been tested for the virus.