Coronavirus and our wedding…

Here at AMOE, we know that Covid-19 is causing a lot of uncertainty for all of our current couples, and also prospective couples, so please see below a few FAQs we’ve been receiving from you which should hopefully answer some of your questions. By all means, you are always welcome to contact us by calling 01473 831263 or alternatively by emailing us on team@amoe.co.uk – we are always happy to help!

Are you open?

Though the venue itself is currently closed in accordance with government guidelines, the office is still very much “open”. The team are working from home currently but all calls and emails will be responded to as quickly as possible within office hours; please bear with us if there is a slight delay. We are eagerly awaiting any government announcement which will give us the go-ahead to open for events, however, we expect this to come no earlier than 4th July 2020.

Can I view the venue?

As above, the venue is still currently closed but as soon as government guidelines allow, we will re-open for venue viewings. There will likely be some restrictions in place so please do contact us directly to organise your viewing. We will then be able to advise you of anything which may affect your viewing.

For now, we are more than happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your wedding by either phone, email, or if preferable via Zoom meetings.

Can I still book with you?

Yes, we are still accepting new bookings for 2021 and 2022 should couples wish to go ahead with planning their weddings; just contact us directly and we’re more than happy to discuss the finer details of your big day, and assist you with the booking process. Once you have confirmed availability of a date with us, you will also need to contact the registrars to make sure they have your chosen date available, and a ceremony time which suits you – you can email stowmarket.registrars@suffolk.gov.uk for more information.

I already have my wedding booked with you; what will happen to my wedding?

We have been, and will continue to be, in touch with all couples who have their weddings booked with us, as soon as we are aware of anything which may directly affect your booking with us. For now, as we’re sure you can imagine, the uncertainty as to what may happen over the next few months has meant that many of those who were holding summer weddings with us have taken the incredibly hard decision to postpone their date until later in the year or even to 2021; we are supporting each and every one of our couples with these steps. For those who are due to marry later in the year, there is currently no new guidance to suggest that weddings cannot take place for the rest of the year, and we are keeping everything crossed that weddings will be able to go ahead again soon. The government announcement (11 May 2020) indicated that the hospitality industry may be able to resume some of its services from July onwards. We will contact any couples directly affected by any government announcement as soon as possible once we have the most up-to-date information.

Can I still get married on my original date?

Currently, the venue is not allowed to open for ceremonies, in accordance with governmental guidelines.

The registrars have placed the following announcement on their website:

“The government announcement (11 May 2020) stated that it was hoped to ‘permit small wedding ceremonies from 1 June 2020’. We have not been advised yet how many guests this will involve, the costs that will apply, or where the ceremonies can be held. When we receive more information from the government we will update this page. For the time being we are not taking any provisional bookings for ceremonies based on this preliminary announcement.”

The registrars are also working closely with each couple to move their dates, should they wish to do so.

Please head to https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/service-changes/ for more information regarding what the registrars are able to offer.

Will we have to cut our guest list, social distance or wear face masks at my wedding?

At the moment, there is no confirmation from the government with regards to how many guests will be able to attend weddings, or indeed what weddings will look like in terms of social distancing or the wearing of face-masks during ceremonies and receptions. We will of course take all government guidelines very seriously, and update our couples as and when the announcements are made. Our duty of care to our staff, and ensuring the safety of you and your guests, is of utmost importance to us. We will take every step possible to make sure that, if your wedding is able to go ahead, it is carried out in the safest way possible.

We hope that the above has answered some of your queries; if there is anything you would like to discuss with us directly, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the team on 01473 831263 or by emailing team@amoe.co.uk.