Like many couples, I am due to get married in May next year, and I am very worried that this may not be able to take place with my loved ones due to the ongoing restrictions on Weddings and Funerals. 

- Weddings cost thousands of pounds to organise, which are often planned over many years. Couples and families meticulously pick and plan a date for their wedding for a wealth of reasons, and then to simply be asked to change this date is unfair, costly and upsetting. Not to mention the huge amounts of money which has been lost. Couples like myself and partner have spent years saving for our dream wedding, and have already paid deposits which will not be refunded if our wedding cannot go ahead.

- The financial implications are not only impeding couples, but also the events industry too, where some small businesses have had to fold due to being unable to manage costs without income. This has given an extra burden to couples with weddings booked, where simply the venue may not be there when their wedding date comes around. 

- For many families, it is not as simple as being able to move a date back 12 months, as some family members will simply not be able to be there in 12 months time. If number restrictions continue, couples are forced to choose between elderly grandparents, sick relatives or close family as to who can attend the wedding, meaning for some, special people in their life will never be able to see them walk down the aisle. For example, if the rule of 15 continues, my only family member who will be allowed at the service will be my mother, this is obviously extremely upsetting. 

- One of the most frustrating points to make is that, how are weddings and funerals restricted, yet pubs have been allowed to stay open? I have been in multiple pubs and restaurants since the initial lockdown ended (socially distanced of course), where I have been in close contact with other guests where there has been around 50 strangers in one room - how is this possible, when a wedding is allowed 15 family members? It is the most frustrating thing when you can go down to your local pub at a drop of a hat, sit in a room full of 50 strangers eating their meals, but I cannot host a wedding of more than 15 guests, which have been planned for 2 Years and most of which are in the same bubble? Especially now, they are allowing 4,000 sports fans into a stadium to drink bear, cheer loudly and celebrate together over a game of football but couples cannot have their family at their wedding? It's just dumbfounding.

As COVID 19 testing is becoming more widely available across all parts of the UK , I would like to suggest forming a testing service for guests of weddings and funerals before the event. Therefore, anybody who can attend a wedding or funeral must present a negative covid test 24-48 hours prior to the event, in order to attend. This can be organised and managed by the wedding venue/bride or groom/or county council. I imagine that funding may come up as an issue for this, however I have a couple of solutions for this; Instead of having this service cost the tax payer, the couple should be able to purchase a 'subscription service' or 'testing plan', for all of their guests to be tested at their expense.

Or even limiting the number of guests depending on the size and capacity of the wedding venue. The wedding could then go ahead with original planned numbers, where guests can use their own wisdom and common sense to socially distance, follow the rules and get a test.