Happy #WeddingWednesday! It took a week, but I've finally updated everything for the Phase 3 guidance for Washington weddings! It is so exciting to be moving toward normal weddings in 2021. We are keeping our fingers and toes crossed for more good news as we get into summer! As always, the guidance changes pretty regularly, so we will continue to update y'all. But for now, keep reading to learn about all the changes for Phase 3 weddings!
Photo: Luna + Lion
If you want to stay on top of this yourself, you should go directly to the source, which is the Governor’s office. You can typically find all of the new rules and COVID wedding guidance where the press releases are listed. Of course, they often do not mention “weddings” explicitly, so look for anything discussing restrictions or proclamations. The most recent Washington wedding guidance was released on March 23, 2021 when we entered Phase 3. This time, it was hidden in a list of reopening guidance for businesses and workers. We'd love for there to be a dedicated webpage for our industry, but that's okay - the PDF linked here is super clear.
The COVID guidance for weddings and funerals is all self-contained in this handy PDF. You'll notice that it includes all of the guidance for Phases 1, 2, and 3 in one place. For Phase 3 (which we are currently in), the guidance is separated out for indoor and outdoor weddings.
INDOOR WEDDINGS
For indoor weddings, here are the new details you need to know:
- Indoor ceremonies and receptions are now allowed. (YAY!)
- The maximum capacity for indoor weddings is 400 people or 50% capacity, whichever is less. This does not include your vendors.
- A maximum of 10 people can sit together at tables.
OUtdoor weddings
For outdoor weddings, here are the new details you need to know:
- Outdoor ceremonies and receptions are now allowed. (YAY!)
- The maximum capacity for outdoor weddings is 400 people, as long as 6 feet of physical distancing can be maintained between groups. This does not include your vendors.
- A maximum of 15 people can sit together at tables.
FOR ALL PHASE 3 WEDDINGS
- Music and live entertainment are now allowed. (YAY!)
- Six feet of physical distancing must be maintained between groups.
- Everyone attending must be wearing a mask.
- If food or drink are served, additional rules apply. Guests must be masked when not eating or drinking. Other rules, like how to serve food, table spacing, etc. would be handled by your wedding planner, venue, and caterer.
- Dancing is allowed, but limited. Indoors, this means that 10 people from the same group can be on the dance floor at the same time, so long as they are masked and maintaining 6 feet of distance.
- The couple's first dances and parent dances are also allowed, but only one pair can dance at a time, and the dancers must be wearing masks unless they are from the same household. They also have to maintain 6 feet of distance from other folks while dancing.
Other requirements that your venue and planner will manage include things like physical distancing, having plenty of hand sanitizer available, wearing masks indoors, etc. (You know, the new normal.) Your planner will know how to incorporate all of this into your wedding day!
If you are still figuring out your wedding right now, check out our comprehensive Ultimate Guide to COVID Weddings in Seattle. You can also download the full PDF below! And as always, make sure you get in touch if you are looking for stunning, ambitious floral design that will wow your guests.
Get the full guide, right to your inbox.
Let me send you the PDF so you can read it later! It's easy and takes just a few seconds:
No spam, promise. We value your privacy and will only send you occasional updates.