Scots wedding organisers are being forced to issue up to £10,000 refunds each week to brides and grooms who are cancelling weddings over restriction confusion.
Lockdown rules for weddings were eased in Scotland last month, with ceremonies and receptions now allowed to have up to 50 guests in attendance.
But there are still strict rules in place for each lockdown level, including no singing and dancing, line-ups banned, no live music allowed and guests to wear face masks at all times except eating.
Lisa Wishart, of Uddingston-based Lisini, which runs two wedding venues, said she has had dozens of brides and grooms cancel weddings due to uncertainty over what guests can and cannot do.
"We’re refunding £10,000 a week because people have postponed three or four times already and are now cancelling their weddings. It is understandable because they don’t know what they're allowed to do and neither do we," she said.
"If someone’s got a wedding in August in level 2 can the father walk the bride down the aisle? If it’s a wedding in September in level 1 can they do line ups?
"Everyone is a loser in this situation – those that go ahead, those that don’t, venues like ourselves and the thousands of independent suppliers involved in the wedding industry.
"For all the levels, we need much more guidance, much more clarity and much more notice.”
Lisini has had to quadruple the number of staff it uses for meal service because one rule that has been clarified is that venues can only use one server per table.
On top of the reduced numbers and other restrictions, it means the business is likely to make a loss on most of the weddings it is legally obliged to honour.
Although weddings are now allowed with alcohol being served indoors for up to 50 people, the Scottish Hospitality Group and the Scottish Wedding Industry Alliance say the government’s position is completely illogical and counterproductive.
Duncan McConchie, Chair of the Scottish Wedding Industry Alliance, said: "Lead times and provisional dates for the resumption of key aspects of a wedding such as live music, guest interaction and dancing are imperative to couples having belief that they can have something close to the wedding they dreamed of.
"Guidance being released ten days before they come into practice will do nothing but shatter our industry, cause businesses to fail and create yet further mental health issues for business owners and operators.”
Stephen Montgomery, spokesperson for SHG, said: “The government is allowing alcohol indoors at weddings venues, which can’t effectively trade.
"Meanwhile it’s not allowing alcohol indoors at pubs and restaurants that can trade. It’s the worst of all worlds and completely illogical.
"Once again, the government’s failure to understand, or try to understand, the hospitality sector is undermining what it’s trying to achieve. Why won’t they just come to see our venues and listen to the experts on the ground so we can help them?”
Scottish Wedding Industry Alliance was formed in November 2020 in response to the crisis in the wedding sector caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on weddings and events.
