WEDDINGS and civil partnerships are once again taking place again in Worcestershire.
The county’s Registration Services, which has an office in Redditch, is working hard to ensure couples can have their ceremony after the government announced marriages and civil partnerships can take place again.
Weddings and civil partnerships were suspended in March due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, leaving 1,400 county couples unsure what would happen to their ceremony.
However these can now take place with measures to ensure the safety of everyone.
Groups are limited to 30, depending on the capacity of the wedding venue and taking social distancing into account.
This includes the couple, registrars, witnesses and photographer.
Some aspects of the ceremony have also had to be restricted to follow government guidelines.
However a spokesperson for Worcestershire Registration Services said they were determined to work with couples to create their dream celebration, whether they choose to have a limited ceremony now with a celebration service later or postpone their special day.
Councillor Lucy Hodgson, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Communities said: “I would like to thank Registration Services for their hard work in ensuring couples can have the celebration they hoped for now or further down the line.
“It is clear Worcestershire Registration Services understand the difficulties faced by couples who were or are due to get married, this empathy is important at what should be such special time in these people’s lives.”
The first wedding since restrictions eased took place last Saturday, July 4.
Thomas Hawthorne and Jemma Sear – now Mr and Mrs Hawthorne – got married at The Granary Hotel in Shenstone, Kidderminster.
Sharon Caldwell, registration officer at Worcestershire Registration Services said: “The Granary Hotel did a brilliant job at maintaining all social distancing requirements whilst giving Mr and Mrs Hawthorne a day to remember.”
