Back in May, coronavirus restrictions were eased further in Wales to allow up 30 people in organised indoor activities and up to 50 people in organised outdoor activities. This includes wedding receptions and wakes.

However, recently trending on social media has been the question ‘what about weddings’ as the industry fears it has been left behind and forgotten.

Tracey Owen, general manager at Tyn Dwr Hall in Llangollen said they formed part of an all-Wales group last year to call for more support for the industry.

She told the Leader: “We fully understand the Government has to be careful and cautious but the difficulty we face at the moment, our sector is absolutely being left out. What with the way things are opening up, it’s frustrating to watch all these sporting events opening, people are coming together and friends and colleagues elsewhere in the hospitality industry are able to open.

“Weddings have been left out, we have been forgotten, we are in talks with representatives from Welsh Government. We have been asking for a safe and cautious approach to re-opening.

“We can put everyone’s health and safety first; I think Welsh Government think it’s a free-for-all but these are social gatherings where people want to see each other after all this time.

“We feel or all of our couples, some of whom have moved their date four or five times, we really do feel for them. The mental health strain on them has been huge.

“We have been told we will find out more on June 21 which is just 9 days before our first wedding. It doesn’t leave much time at all.”

On June 14, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething announced that businesses in Wales materially affected by the phased move to Alert Level One, such as indoor attractions and wedding venues, will receive £2.5m in further support.

Since 17 May, businesses in Wales still affected by coronavirus restrictions have been able to apply for up to £25,000 in emergency support to help meet ongoing costs until the end of June.

Additional funding is now being made available to support businesses affected by the staged transition to Alert Level One, due to the impact the delta variant of COVID-19 is having on transmission rates.

Support will be available for businesses that have capacity for events of more than 30 people indoors or in contained spaces and to businesses that are still closed because of ongoing restrictions.

To receive the funding, businesses will need to have applied to the Welsh Government’s latest round of emergency funding - the deadline for which has been extended until 12pm Wednesday 16 June 2021.

However, Tracy said this is not enough.

She added: “The support and funding through this pandemic has been horrendous. The funding has been worked out on the number of employees and last year in the summer we longer, we had to let a lot of people go. So, our workforce was greatly reduced, which then took us below the qualification for funding.

“We have tried to explain this to the Welsh Government representatives just how damaging it has all been.

“There are trial events around the UK, why can’t there be trial events for weddings. We have been shouting this from the rooftops, we can do them safely.

“All we ask for is for them to give us a best case scenario, we are aware things can change but if they could just give us a best case date that would help.

“The majority of our customers have postponed their date, but we did do a small wedding the other week which was absolutely beautiful. The thing is, our venue isn’t viable for small sizes, we are a big venue.

“The pubs are open, people are near each other and mixing, how is that different from a family wedding. There’s absolutely no difference.

“The funding announced today is just not enough, it’s open to nightclubs as well, it’s a complete misconception.

“Our building is Grade II, we have been here five years and it’s a costly experience looking after something of that age.”

Other venues have called for a lateral flow testing system in place to allow for larger weddings to take place safely.

James Pownall, general manager of Holt Lodge said colleagues throughout the industry would be happy to accommodate a lateral flow testing system if it meant they could get back to work properly.

He said: “It has been very difficult logistically, very challenging. Events have had to be rescheduled due to ongoing and at times changing restrictions.

“We have been able to carry out two ‘lockdown weddings’ as restrictions have been eased and the guests/clients have been fantastic and have embraced all of the restrictions that we have had to bestow upon them.

“Everything from ‘Bride/Groom’ personalised masks to Hand sanitiser favours.

“It’s all been very challenging, the impact has been huge on our industry but from a financial perspective, the support has been very good.

“There’s only so much in the well for us all to share out, I wouldn’t fault them but it’s now about continuing that support.”