WEDDING guests were asked to wear masks during ceremonies at private venues to safeguard registrars and ensure other services don’t have to be cancelled, Cheshire East says.

Cllr Stewart Gardiner (Knutsford, Con) questioned why masks were required during the service but not at the reception.

Cllr Gardiner told Tuesday’s meeting of the corporate policy committee at Sandbach Town Hall: “At a venue within Cheshire East yesterday, a point was raised with me and I'm seeking clarification on this regarding weddings.

“What I was advised is that the staff now, [the] registration team, are requiring those attending weddings at private venues such as hotels to wear masks during the ceremonies.

“This seems somewhat perverse, given that those same people will not be required to wear a mask at any other point during the wedding event at the same event.

“I'd like clarification on, a, is that actually true and b, if it is true, what the thinking behind it is please.”

Cheshire East’s chief executive Lorraine O’Donnell said: “I'd like to follow up with the current position, but clearly, when we were in the height of the pandemic it was really important for us to guarantee our registrar's position.

“If they were in a wedding ceremony and then had to self-isolate, that would put other weddings at risk, so we had to take the precautionary approach to the wedding ceremony itself and then, when the registrar's left, there are different rules that apply. But that was to ensure continuity of wedding plans for as many couples as possible, again, knowing that lots of people's wedding plans have been hugely disrupted over the last 18 months.”