Wedding organisers can resume plans
PETALING JAYA: Wedding organisers are relieved that they can organise weddings with a capacity of 250 people starting from July 1.
They have been badly hit financially during the past three months due to the movement control order (MCO).
However, industry members are unsure whether couples are allowed to wear their wedding attires, which are usually rented, while others are asking whether elderly people aged 65 and above, such as the couples’ parents, can attend.
President of Wedding Professionals Association of Malaysia Patrick Low said organisers should ensure the standard operating procedure (SOP) were adhered to and not leave it to the venue owners.
Although wedding industry players are generally happy with the government’s decision, an issue that is still unresolved is on the couples’ wedding attire.
“Chinese and Indian couples often rent their wedding gowns and suits, so it is a problem when the fitting of clothes are not yet permissible.
“We have raised the issue and suggested several SOP for fittings, such as cleaning the outfits with UV light and leaving them out for a week before allowing the next couple to wear the attires. However, these have not yet been considered by the National Security Council,” Low said yesterday.
Association of Wedding Industry Malaysia promotion and events bureau chairman Ashraf Mansor said although the restrictions for weddings have been lifted, organisers must ensure they strictly adhere to the SOP as Covid-19 was still present in the community.
“We will take measures to ensure the safety of guests as it is our actions that will decide whether weddings will be allowed to continue during this recovery phase.
“We may need to bring in more Rela officers for crowd control and ensure social distancing at receptions, as well as having more banquet staff,” he said.
Ashraf suggested that those planning their wedding receptions to limit the guests they invite to two per family to allow more invitees from their families and friends to celebrate their special day.
Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that wedding reception guests will be kept at 250 people, while social distancing and registration of guests must be adhered to.
Food can be served buffet-style provided there are servers to manage the food, rather than the guests taking the food themselves.
Wedding organiser Najwa Zulkefli said event organisers can now start planning their clients’ weddings as many couples had put off their wedding plans due to the MCO.
“Some clients who insist on larger weddings have said that they are willing to wait until next year to have more guests, but others are happy to proceed with a personalised and smaller wedding with 250 people present,” she said.
“On the operational side, there may be added costs for us to prepare the weddings according to the SOP, which will need to be discussed with the clients, in coordination with venue and banquet organisers,” she said.
Selangor and Federal Territory
Chinese Restaurant Operators Association vice-chairman Sia Boon Kong said customers whose wedding receptions were affected during the MCO had been calling him to make arrangements.
“Our focus now is to explain to the customers how the social distancing and crowd control practices are like at the banquet halls.
“For example, we will arrange the standard 1.5m round table that is meant for 10 to seat five people now, with at least 2m distance between each table. Couples or organisers will be prohibited from proposing a toast at each table,” he said.
He added that markings would be made on stage for them to stand while toasting or taking pictures.
On May 28, the association called on the government to issue detailed and clear guidelines to allow Chinese restaurants to operate following differences according to the states and confusion among operators and patrons.
On June 17, The Star reported that more than two million table reservations have either been cancelled or postponed in the Klang Valley since the MCO was implemented on March 18, resulting in a loss of up to RM3bil.
The association has since come up with a set of SOP for restaurants to host wedding banquets for the government’s consideration.
They also had a meeting with MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong to ask him to bring up their guideline proposals to the government for consideration.
It is our actions that will decide whether weddings will be allowed to continue during this recovery phase.
Ashraf Mansor