Executive statement on indoor weddings and baptisms

The Executive has today agreed indicative arrangements for the resumption of indoor weddings, civil partnerships and baptisms.

Ministers have agreed that places of worship will be enabled to resume baptisms from Friday, July 10.

They have also agreed that indoor marriage ceremonies in places of worship can resume from Friday, July 10. Local government offices and other venues can resume marriage and civil partnership services from the same date.

It will be up to venues to determine their precise opening dates for ceremonies.

Venues will determine if they wish to provide post-ceremony celebrations.

Numbers attending indoor marriage and civil partnership ceremonies and post-ceremony celebrations will be determined by the venue on a risk assessed basis, taking account of the individual circumstances of each and adhering to all relevant public health advice and industry guidance.

The proposed changes to the Coronavirus restrictions will be confirmed by the Executive on Thursday July 9.

Couples contacting Registrars and officiants to rearrange their marriages should be aware that there is a backlog of couples waiting but every effort will be made to accommodate everyone as soon as possible.

Notes to editors: 

1. Media enquiries should be directed to the relevant department using the following email addresses:
   
   The Executive Office: Press.Office@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk; 
   Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: PressOffice.Group@daera-ni.gov.uk;
   Department for Communities: Press.Office@communities-ni.gov.uk;
   Department of Education: Press.Office@education-ni.gov.uk;
   Department for the Economy: DfE.PressOffice@economy-ni.gov.uk;
   Department of Finance: dof.pressoffice@finance-ni.gov.uk
   Department for Infrastructure: Press.Office@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk
   Department of Health: PressOffice@health-ni.gov.uk
   Department of Justice: Press.Office@justice-ni.x.gsi.gov.uk
    
2. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted out of hours on 028 9037 8110.

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