HOTELIERS CALL FOR CLARITY ON WEDDING NUMBERS
25TH July 2021
Hoteliers are calling on the Government to make a clear announcement on wedding guest numbers early this week. Couples across the country face an anxious wait on whether the number of permitted guests can increase to 100 from 6th August, as had been anticipated under the broader reopening of society. Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) President, Elaina Fitzgerald Kane said “Public health remains our number one priority and we recognise the difficult balance the Government has to achieve. We are asking the Government to bear in mind that most wedding guests have been vaccinated while the weddings are being hosted in spacious ballrooms many of which offer in excess of current social distancing requirements.
“Wedding couples, many of whom have rescheduled their wedding plans a number of times, find themselves less than two weeks before their wedding with their plans in jeopardy again. Over the past few days, hotels and wedding venues across the country have been inundated with calls from wedding couples asking if they need to ‘un-invite’ 50 of their guests. It is important to them and to their guests to have clarity on what is permitted,” she said.
“From a safety perspective, wedding venues are controlled settings with clear processes in place in terms of seating pods and contact tracing. Hotels are committed to the implementation of the guidelines and protocols developed by Fáilte Ireland in collaboration with the IHF and with oversight and input from the HSE, HSA, HPSC, FSAI, the Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF) and WHO. Since the outset of the pandemic, the implementation of Government safety measures has proved highly effective, helped by the strong support of our teams and co-operation of guests. Everyone wants to make these days extra special for couples, given the upset and uncertainty many have faced in planning their special day,” Ms Fitzgerald Kane added.