Boris Johnson says dancing indoors at weddings is banned
The government has lifted the 30-person limit on weddings – but dancing remains banned.
Under the new rules for weddings, dancing indoors is still not permitted except for the couple’s first dance.
On Monday, Boris Johnson delayed the end of England's coronavirus lockdown until 19 July.
However, one key change to the restrictions saw Johnson scrap the 30-guest limit for wedding ceremonies and receptions from 21 June: the date the lockdown was supposed to end.
Watch: 30-person limit on weddings in England lifted from 21 June
The number of attendees will instead be decided by how many people the venue can safely accommodate with social distancing measures in place.
As well as indoor dancing not being allowed, other restrictions must remain in place.
Food and drink must be ordered, served and consumed by guests seated at a table, while attendees must also wear face masks.
New rules also state that anyone organising weddings in gardens of private homes, or on private land, must complete a COVID risk assessment if they want more than 30 people to attend.
Johnson, meanwhile, was asked about wedding restrictions by a member of the public at Monday's Downing Street press conference.
Tessa from Bedfordshire, who said she had to postpone her wedding twice, asked the prime minister why testing and vaccination status cannot be used to open up weddings in the same way it is being used for football matches.
She said it feels like weddings are “bottom of the priority list despite being significant life events without which some people cannot progress with their lives”.
Read more:
PM delays end of COVID restrictions by up to four weeks over Delta variant fears
Johnson said: “I’m very, very sorry to hear about your wedding plans being postponed twice. Indeed, obviously, I’m sorry for all the disappointment that’s going to be caused by going a bit slower as we are today.
“All I can say is I’m sorry for the disappointment that this will certainly bring to weddings, to many, many businesses, but it’s a few weeks that I think is worth it to get those jabs in."
Johnson himself married Carrie Symonds at the end of last month with a 30-person limit at the ceremony.
Watch: PM delays end of COVID restrictions by up to four weeks over Delta variant fears
