Wedding venues prepare to hold Covid-safe ceremonies
HOW TO PLAN AND CELEBRATE SAFELY THIS SUMMER
SULEMAN RAZA is a busy man – the founder and CEO of Grand Sapphire, a large wedding venue in south London, said he has events booked every weekend, and on some weekdays too, as couples who held off getting married can now do so, as some coronavirus restrictions have eased.
Since June 21 in England, there is no longer a maximum number cap for attendees set out in law. Instead, the number of attendees at weddings, civil partnerships and receptions will be determined by how many people the venue or space can safely accommodate with social distancing measures in place. This will be based on the Covid-19 risk assessment of the venue or outdoor space, and the measures put in place to limit the spread of Covid-19.
“People have been waiting for so many months and they don’t want to get to winter and possibly lose out on their wedding dates. It’s overwhelmingly busy now,” Raza told Eastern Eye.
He and his staff have followed UK government guidelines in order to make the venue safe for his guests.
Raza said, “We’ve been working alongside our local council from the outset – their officials have recently visited our premises to carry out a complete risk assessment of our banqueting facilities, to see how our Covid safety measures are and they have rated us as a Covidsafe venue. We can hold up to 1,200 guests at one time. Under the guidelines, we are offering 50 per cent of that capacity to the guests.
“We will be placing tables at least one to two metres apart from the other tables and guests will be required to remain seated throughout their stay. We are not offering any drinks reception or other areas where people can gather.”
At the Grand Sapphire, guests must wear masks at all time, except when they are consuming food and drinks.
Raza said they have placed special signage throughout the building, on all entrances and exits, about Covid safety measures and the steps everyone needs to be aware of. His staff, too, were taken off furlough and have been trained about the Covid safety measures.
Covid tests are carried out every week and Raza said staff are required to wear masks during their shifts.
He added, “We frequently clean and sanitise around the banqueting hall, more frequently than before.
“All the public spaces within the building will be cleaned quite often and we have provided them with the right sanitisers to make sure all the touch points (chairs, tables, furniture, doors, handles) are cleaned and sanitised.”
Raza is also keeping an eye on any updates in government guidelines on Covid safety. “We understand our responsibility,” he said.
Under current rules, no dancing is permitted at weddings (except for a couple’s first dance). Raza said this has been conveyed to his guests.
“I don’t think it’s affecting Muslim and Pakistani couples as they do not dance, or have live performances at their events, anyway.
To reassure them, he has provided updated Covid safety measures on their website, so that people are aware of all the measures taken at the venue. “We are also sending email newsletters to our customers, especially to couples who have booked their weddings with us.
“What we’re encouraging them to do is to forward these Covid safety measures to all their guests, so that they can all feel confident visiting our premises. At the same time, we’re also fielding a lot of calls from our guests. They still want to know what kind of measures we have taken. We are getting a huge volume of calls coming in pretty much every day and we are advising them as much as we can.
“We will have a security person on the door, who will be making sure of the headcount. And once that number has been reached, that’s it, no more people are coming into the building.
“So, we are giving a lot of information to our couples and guests for them to feel safe and confident.
“We’re advising guests to have limited numbers and making them aware they’ll have to follow social distancing while in the premises, wear masks and cleaning their hands frequently.
“Covid is still out there, we need to be careful.”
See: gov.uk/coronavirus