B.C. couples 'gambling' on whether COVID rules will let them dance at their wedding

You can sit. You can eat. Some of you might even be able to kiss – but you still can’t dance at B.C. weddings.

“Music is starting but we’re going to wait just a little bit longer for the dancing and singing,” provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said during a Monday (June 14) press conference.

Planner Genève McNally of Dream Group Weddings said B.C.’s restart plan has begun to renew hope for B.C. couples about a return to a semblance of normalcy for their nuptials.

“For most couples, the restart has meant they’ve been able to upgrade their summer wedding from a small ceremony to a reception dinner with 50 people,” she said.

However, there are still some non-negotiables. Receptions are limited to sit-down dinners and no more than six people can be seated at one table.

This means the bride and groom cannot mingle among friends or family, and guests cannot leave their tables; dinner must be brought to them.

According to B.C.’s restart plan, the earliest dancing at an event like a wedding could be allowed is July 1, given that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to decline.

Vancouver’s Amy Kobelt and Tony Cruz were one of the many couples who pushed back their wedding more than once this year in hopes of being able to celebrate it without the constraints of COVID-19.

“Dancing is especially important for us as Tony is Latino and that’s a huge element of celebration in his culture,” Kobelt told Black Press Media. “Interacting with our guests is also a huge part of having a more normal wedding.”

In spring, the pair rescheduled their ceremony to July in hopes that borders will reopen and Cruz’s family will be able to travel to B.C. and mark the occasion.

“We expect the majority of our guests to be fully vaccinated by then,” Kobelt said, admitting it’s been hard to plan the event without specific reopening dates being set out by the province.

McNally said many couples who have changed their wedding date this year lost the non-refundable security deposits they made to book vendors for the day.

“Brides and grooms are having to do a lot of gambling.”

@sarahgrowch sarah.grochowski@bpdigital.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.