BUFFALO, N.Y. — A recent federal court ruling which allowed two weddings to go forward in Western New York, despite the state's covid policies, is actually causing some wedding planners more grief. They are trying to figure out and comply with state regulations.
For the Arrowhead Golf Club in the Village of Akron, a federal judge last week ruled that two weddings could proceed there with more than 50 wedding guests allowed to take part. That is contrary to the state's 50 person limit on attendance for weddings, which was designated by Governor Andrew Cuomo to prevent the spread of covid in large gatherings.
The lawsuit was filed by two couples and a minister and named as defendants were the governor, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, The New York State Health Department, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and the Erie County Department of Health.
Some curious couples heard about it and called Salvatore's Hospitality, which is also trying to figure things out. Events Manager Josette Salvatore-Hickey told 2 On Your Side, "It is still very uncertain and the health department is still trying to clarify what that means."
We later found out it is the position of the state and Erie County Department of Health that the federal judge's decision only referred to the two specific weddings of couples who were plaintiffs in the lawsuit. They also reiterated that the 50 person limit still stands for a wedding. The state sent us a statement that it intends to appeal the federal court injunction.
“The judge's decision is irresponsible at best, as it would allow for large, non-essential gatherings that endanger public health," said Spokeswoman Caitlin Girouard. "We will pursue all available legal remedies immediately and continue defending the policies that have led New York to having — and maintaining — one of the lowest infection rates in the country, while cases continue to rise in dozens of other states.”
Whatever the case, Salvatore's has had to restrict attendance in various ways after a health department inspector decided to drop in on a wedding two weeks ago.
"That was the only thing that we violated that day was you know to have too many people in the same room - cause they do move from space to space," Salvatore-Hickey said.
There was only a warning but the venue must make sure they follow another rule with a 50 person limit, even in their large ballrooms and restaurant space. Simply stated knowing somebody and mingling with them in another banquet room is a no-no.
Salvatore-Hickey explains it this way, "One of the rulings is that we can have parties of 50 people... we have like nine ballrooms here but we cannot have them know each other. So you can't have the bride's family in one room and the groom's family in the other because they know each other. But I could have different people from different parties in the ballrooms. You just can't have them know each other."
They have advised couples with planned October weddings to keep checking in. But she acknowledges all the changes and confusion have been hard for them.
"We have brides who are on their third wedding date," Salvatore-Hickey said. "And a couple of months ago we were given the OK to operate at 50 percent capacity and then a couple of days later they said no you can't do that anymore, So these people are crying... they're sad — you know a lot of people don't want to push their wedding off for another year or two."
So going forward Salvatore-Hickey hopes people know they are prepared either way and as far as the state rules, "Even a hundred people would be a nice happy medium maybe to start - just to have a plan would be great."
