Coronavirus: How are weddings working around the UK?

Lockdowns across the UK mean that weddings and civil partnership are currently very restricted.

Receptions are not allowed in any part of the UK, while ceremonies in England are only allowed to take place in exceptional circumstances.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says it is his "hope and belief" that mass testing and the vaccine rollout mean people will be able to get married "in the normal way" by next summer.

Weddings were first banned when the national lockdown began on 23 March.

They are now allowed, but the current temporary lockdowns in place across the UK mean the rules are much stricter than they have been in previous months. Receptions are not currently allowed to take place anywhere.

If you feel your day will be too different from what you wanted, it is generally better to postpone rather than cancel.

But couples ''need to be understanding" of current issues for venues and suppliers, says Henrietta Dunkley of Ellis Jones Solicitors.

Many companies may have lost significant sums of money, so aim for a solution that works for everyone, she advises.

For example, if the wedding was on a Saturday or in peak season and the venue can't offer an equivalent date, it's generally reasonable to ask for a fee reduction, or an upgrade.

"I am getting a lot of enquiries from couples about weddings coming up in the Spring, which is really tricky because those contracts are not technically frustrated and we will not know if they are frustrated until nearer the time," she says.

There is a danger spot at the moment that if couples cancel their Spring/Summer weddings now, they will be subject to contractual cancellation clauses whilst the position for weddings in the Spring and Summer is not yet known."

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published guidance on consumer wedding rights.

This says:

The CMA's guidance on whether couples have a right to a refund applies whether or not they have wedding insurance.

People should not get their money back twice, but insurance might be able to "fill in the gaps" left by businesses deducting their unrecoverable costs from your refund.

Most wedding insurance does not cover a ''government act", so it is unlikely to pay out if the lockdown affected your wedding, while new insurance policies are unlikely to cover coronavirus.

A few insurers have paid out under some circumstances, if the wedding was arranged before coronavirus hit.

Some policies will also pay out if your supplier or venue goes bust. If not, you may have to register a claim with the company's administrator, or - if you paid by credit card - claim up to £30,000 per supplier from your credit card company for services not rendered, under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

If you paid on debit card, you may be able to secure a refund under the chargeback scheme.

Businesses are not allowed to just hike up prices.

Ms Dunkley says some couples have found venues were charging them far more for a postponed wedding than if they were a new customer. This is unlikely to be deemed reasonable.

The CMA has set up a taskforce to investigate harmful pricing practices during the pandemic. Consumers can fill in this form if they feel a business has treated them unfairly.