Harris: Large wedding receptions off menu this summer

HEALTH Minister Simon Harris has said it is ‘highly unlikely’ that weddings with 100 guests will be allowed to take place this summer.

Many couples were forced to cancel their big day in the early stages of the current Covid-19 pandemic. Gatherings of more than 100 people were banned when restrictions were first introduced – forcing some couples to downsize their wedding – before lockdown was imposed.

The Government’s road map to easing restrictions says that ‘small weddings’ will be allowed after July 20 – but it does not state how many guests would constitute such a gathering.

When asked on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland yesterday how many people would be allowed to attend, Minister Harris dashed the hopes of couples who may be hoping to have a large wedding in the near future.

‘At the moment, I can’t give you a specific number. We’re going to work on guidance over the next couple of weeks, so we can provide more information,’ he said.

‘If I’m really honest with you, when I talk to public health doctors now, I think it’s highly unlikely we’ll be in a position where there’ll be anything like 100 people being able to be at a wedding in July. It’s likely to be a very, very small number of people.’

The minister continued: ‘We will put a number or range on it. A lot of it will depend on the behaviour of the virus. I know this is causing a lot of angst for people.’ He also acknowledged the difficulty the uncertainty is causing couples, saying: ‘I know a lot of people are making big decisions as they try to plan their weddings.’

The restrictions have caused heartbreak for couples – and also concern that they may suffer significant financial loss.

Speaking previously to the Irish Daily Mail, wedding planner Sharon McMeel, of sharonmcmeel.ie, said the situation is ‘not clear cut’ when it comes to refunds.