BUFFALO, N.Y. — Planning a wedding during a pandemic means being flexible to the ever-changing guidelines about large gatherings. Monday marks the first day that New York State's latest rules about receptions and other catered events go into place. Some venue operators say they're preparing for even more changes to the rules throughout the upcoming season.
But despite their eagerness to resume business and the backlog of weddings that have been postponed... banquet halls are not yet feeling any rush of business.
As of Monday, March 15, venues can host receptions and other indoor catered events for up to 150 people, as long as that number does not exceed 50 percent capacity of the space. There are strict rules for testing of attendees, masks and social distancing, as well as dancing, including:
TESTING:
- All guests must have proof of negative PCR test within 72 hours OR a negative rapid test within six hours of the event
- Staff will be tested bi-weekly
- Anyone who is fully vaccinated within two weeks of the event is exempt to the testing rules
MASKS / SOCIAL DISTANCING:
- Masks are required for anyone who is not sitting, eating, or drinking
- Tables should be spaced out six feet apart
- Guests may only sit, eat, and drink with people from their household or immediate party, including during cocktail hour
DANCING:
- Ceremonial dances for the bridal party are allowed
- Guests may dance only with members of their immediate household
- Dancing zones must be spaced fix feet apart and clearly marked
- Masks are required while dancing
Any venue hosting a larger event is also required to notify the health department of the gathering at least five days in advance. More detailed information is available here.
Reception Business Not Expected to Boom For a While
It's been nearly two months since New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his plan to permit larger weddings starting March 15.
But despite the passage of time, and despite their eagerness to resume business and clear the backlog of weddings that have been postponed, banquet halls are not seeing a rush on couples beating a path to their doors.
"Right now everything is cancelled wedding wise through May," said Bill Casale an event manager for several popular downtown banquet facilities, including the Pearl Street Grill, Riverworks, and the Hotel at Lafayette.
Some Couples Saying "No Thanks"
According to Casale, many couples find the rules requiring their guests to be tested, masked, and restricting them from mingling or dancing with most of the other guests to be onerous.
"It does not present many realistic opportunities to have a wedding," said Casale
In many cases, he says it has turned them off entirely to the idea of holding a traditional reception.
"A lot of them are cancelling and just saying we are having an outdoor backyard wedding without such rules and regulations and have fun."
According to Casale, the rules are not much fun for venues either, who would be in charge of enforcing the rules.
"We're in the hospitality business and are used to being accommodating and saying 'yes' to our guests as much as we can," he said. "Now we're going to be saying 'no' throughout the entire evening, No, I'm sorry Aunt Linda can't come in she didn't get tested. No, I'm sorry grandma can't walk to the bathroom without her mask on. That's just not what this business is all about."
Trying to make light of the situation, Casale said that he and his staff even joked about having guests wear different colored hats so that they could ensure the rules were being followed.
"That way if we saw the people with the red hats dancing with the people with green hats, or blue hats, then we could call in the dancing police," he laughed. "But at least that way, by having dancing police, we could create some new jobs."
Good Help Is Hard to Find
According to Casale, the current guidelines also make it challenging to find the necessary amount of workers to staff a larger wedding.
"That's really the hardest part in fact. Finding enough help right now," he said.
Casale explained that a typical server, who could make between $100 and $150 at a reception, might not be willing to work if they have to forego half of their expected earnings to first be tested for COVID-19.
"To tell them they can come on back and work two shifts a month, but you have to pay $65 for a rapid test before you come to work is not very realistic," he said.
As well, sacrificing more lucrative unemployment benefits, which have now been extended through the summer, creates a situation where coming to work does not work... at least financially, for many of them.
Adjusting to the Times
For the venue operators, such as The Annex, a brand new indoor/outdoor event space in Chaffee, it has at times been a challenge to digest the ever-changing rules, which they expect to be updated again soon.
"We're just taking it one day at a time," Co-owner Samantha Armstrong told 2 On Your Side about how they've communicating with couples planning weddings this summer. "I think they find comfort in knowing we're doing as much as we can do and as much research as we can do and kind of summarizing it to give to them, but no one's really getting frustrated."
"We're very fortunate," said her business partner and sister-in-law, Stephane Armstrong. "We're priding ourselves with transparency, so as soon as we know some information, which has come trickling in, it hasn't come like a waterfall just yet, but as soon as we know information, we're sharing that along."
The Annex does not have any weddings for 150 people scheduled until June, they are planning on hosting two large proms for local high schools, as well as a shopping festival and other events such as fitness and crafting classes, under the new state guidelines soon.
"This whole thing has kind of allowed us to really get creative with how we get people in our space and do it safely, and it's a good outlet for people," Samantha Armstrong said. "Knowing that no one's really been able to do anything for almost a year, and they're dying to get out, do something constructive, be with their friends, be social, have drinks, hang out with other people, meet new people. So we're very, very fortunate to have the flexibility to accommodate all of these events."
It'll be a While
Casale figures that the reception and banquet business won't pick up significantly for a while longer... at least until the pandemic weakens and the state possibly relaxes its rules as a result.
"Hope is not a good business plan, but unfortunately we have no other choice than to hope that things continue to open up and loosen up and we can continue to book business moving forward," he said.