Advertisement

Marriage ceremonies resume with confetti banned

 Lauren Webb and her fiancé Daniel Landi who are getting married on Saturday - JULIAN SIMMONDS 
Lauren Webb and her fiancé Daniel Landi who are getting married on Saturday - JULIAN SIMMONDS

Confetti  will not be thrown for couples tying the knot on Saturday, as marriage ceremonies resume following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

With weddings allowed to take place across the country, the Government has advised against the popular tradition of showering newlyweds on the church steps for fear that guests could spread coronavirus.

Lauren Webb, a 28-year-old private tutor from Wrasbury who is marrying her partner Daniel Landi, 28, on Saturday said: “It’s a real shame we can’t have confetti as we had planned to have one of those iconic photos of us leaving the church being showered with confetti, I feel we are missing out.”

The bride and groom decided to defer their full celebrations until next year after the lockdown left them just 10 days to plan their wedding.

Newly published government guidance stated couples going ahead with nuptials should only welcome up to 30 guests, with no singing, dancing or food or drink at the chosen venue.

It also said services should be "adapted to remove practices" that break social distancing between people of different households, meaning couples who do not already live together could be forced to hold back from sealing their vows with a traditional kiss.

While fathers face not being able to walk daughters down the aisle arm-in-arm unless they live under the same roof.

It meant the couple opted to marry at a smaller ceremony held at Crawley Baptist Church in West Sussex today.

“It is just a personal thing, for us to get signed legally," said Lauren.

Daniel, a civil engineer, added: “This one is just close family and friends, Lauren is not wearing her wedding dress, I am not wearing my wedding suit, everyone is going in smart casual.”

The couple have also designed personalised hand sanitiser bottles with the message “Spread Love Not Germs” to be placed on the seat of each of their 21 guests, in a nod to the pandemic.

And in lieu of a sit-down meal, will instead drive down to Bournemouth on their wedding night for an evening of fish and chips by the seaside.

Meanwhile jewellers have warned excessive hand washing could see diamond rings “lose their sparkle” due to soap getting caught under the stone.

Diamonds attract oils from our skin, creams and dust and while they should be cleaned, if they’re not washed properly, soap can also get caught underneath the stone.

Wedding insurance: is it coronavirus-proof?
Wedding insurance: is it coronavirus-proof?

Anna Byers, Head of Bespoke at 77 Diamonds said: “As well as dirt, you can also get a lot of soap and watermarks underneath a diamond.

“So even though you're cleaning it, if those things get stuck under there, your diamonds might become quite cloudy, quite quickly.”

For those that have spent a small fortune on their rings, they can be assured that while it might “cloud the sparkle” it won’t damage the ring, Ms Byers said.

Instead, to ensure stones remain “cloudless” British jewellery designer Shaun Leane recommends using warm water, soft detergent and a toothbrush to remove any soap caught underneath.

Valerie Messika of luxury jewellers Messika Paris added that when washing rings it is important to steer clear of “aggressive liquids” like acetone, while Sameer Lilani, EMEA Director, Amrapali said delicate stones such as emeralds, tanzanites and opals “should all be removed before washing your hands”.

Even the best man must be more cautious. “The best man should wash his hands before handing over the rings and keep the rings in a sealable plastic bag or pouch in an inside pocket," added Lilani.