If there’s one thing that’s held up weddings with all your loved ones this season more than COVID-19 itself, it’s the ongoing restrictions at gatherings.

But that’s all about to change.

Although New Zealand will stay at the Red Light setting, the Government announced this week that restrictions are easing, meaning a great sigh of relief in the wedding and events industry country wide.

This past wedding season has brought about a lot of pain for so many couples having to choose between 25 or 100 guests, with a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated guests vs fully vaccinated, or having to cut large guest lists down to 100.

But things are looking up. From Saturday 26th March there will be no capacity limits for outdoor events with indoor event numbers capped at 200. And, what’s more - from 5 April this year, My Vaccine Pass is becoming optional. Some venues, however, may choose to keep this restriction in place. Check with your venue for their own rules.

Some couples may feel that these restrictions have been lifted too early, especially because Canterbury is still going through its Omicron wave. If this is you, here are some good ways to keep you and your guests healthy:

- If anyone at your wedding is immunocompromised, consider keeping the My Vaccine Pass rules at your wedding, even if your venue has lifted this requirement. 

- If any of your guests are unwell ensure they do a RAT and that it’s negative. No one wants a super-spreader event. Most people are communicating with their guests over Facebook at the moment, so that’s a note you could pop onto your Facebook event page.

- Consider cutting congratulatory hugs with your guests which are generally expected straight after the ceremony. Your celebrant or MC can easily give this as a notice at some point: “elbow bumps-only after the ceremony.” It doesn’t have to be serious. Keep it light.

- Ensure there is plenty of space inside your venue for you and your guests to spread out. Think, if I can smell what they’re eating or drinking, I’m too close.

- And perhaps encourage your guests to wear masks inside if they would like to - especially those who still don’t feel comfortable in a group setting. As PM Jacinda Ardern said in Wednesday’s press conference, masks ‘...are so critical and one of the ways we can show care and respect for one another, including our immunocompromised community’.

If you’re looking for more information, always refer directly to the www.covid19.govt.nz website. Specifically for the new rules, see this link.