Covid-19 Port Jefferson, Long Island, New York Venue

With NYS guidelines I personally feel that this could get the venue, yourself, and the restaurant into trouble. If someone from the wedding were to call and say that the gathering number is larger then allowed I would be worried about possible outcomes. I also would be very disappointed if I could not have a dance floor or a first dance at my wedding!! First dances are always so intimate; if you can’t have this you may have regrets later on.

I could see the health department getting involved if they find out all these weddings are happening at a “restaurant “that’s actually a venue. If you have a coordinator for your event maybe get them to talk to them if not, I would have a very stern conversation with your vendor.

Did your venue make the rule about no dancing?

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No. They said that it was a guideline that was included in the FAQs page of the NYS Liquor Authority. I just looked it up. There are two relevant FAQs

Q: We have a large outdoor space, are weddings, parties and gatherings allowed under the outdoor guidelines?

A: Yes, provided the party is 10 persons or fewer in any phase 2 region, 25 persons or fewer in any phase 3 region, or 50 or fewer in any phase 4 regions, and provided the business follows SLA guidances and the Department of Health’s interim guidance on indoor or outdoor food service (seated guests, proper spacing, use of face coverings, etc.) found here, any other applicable guidance/law, including the ABC Law and SLA guidance. This means no dancing or other standing activities, generally.

and

Q: I am a licensee that offers on premises service in a Phase 2/3/4 region, can I have dancing or offer bar games such as darts, pool, or cornhole?

A: No, under the Department of Health interim guidance for outdoor dining and indoor dining, all persons who are not already seated (e.g., waiting for food, or waiting to be seated), should be encouraged to wait in their vehicle and/or leave the premises. Congregating other than persons seated at tables is not permissible. Patrons should be standing only for necessary reasons such as use of restrooms, entering, and exiting.

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Yeah, I can't really imagine a wedding without a first dance. I know I've never been to one. But my options are either cancel and lose thousands of dollars or postpone, which my fiance and I didn't want to do because between the uncertainty of COVID and the fact that we are hoping to start a family soon I can't pick a new date. Also, after all the headaches, stress, and anxiety that the venue has put me through I don't really want to deal with them anymore. But then again I don't want to get in trouble or be subject to any fines for noncompliance or anything.

View Quoted Comment I have not had this experience, but I have spent way too much time reading and thinking about covid rules. This is clearly not what you agreed to when you signed the contract, so you might want to look through it carefully and see if there's anything in it that they're not able to provide at this point. If there is, you might be able to use it to get yourself out of the contract. If not, it would probably be a good idea to reach out to someone who can answer questions about what is/is not allowed regarding a catering hall claiming to be a restaurant and what that means for your situation. In most cases it seems like businesses, not individual people are being fined for violations, but since you signed the contract that's bringing everyone together, the venue might try to pin in it on you if they get in trouble.

I'm not sure if this is the best place to direct your questions, but it was the first one I found that seemed like it might be a good place to ask:
https://esd.ny.gov/covid-19-help

View Quoted Comment Thanks for the advice I’ll definitely check it out!

An Albany area wedding planner created a Q&A I found helpful. It cites where the info comes from, which may be helpful as you try to get specific answers. I’m not associated with them (wanted to hire, but couldn’t justify the cost).

https://www.alivelyevent.com/covid-q-a

This is actually illegal. many venues are doing this to try to create a loophole but the gathering size is 50 regardless if its a restaurant or catering venue.

I’d do some research and not just go by what the venue is telling you just to be sure that’s allowed. Let’s be honest, anyone in the wedding industry is doing anything they can to survive right now even if it means trying to get around the law. Also so sad to hear about the dancing, especially your first dance. Is postponing not an option for you?

Despite the current government regulations, my venue in Port Jefferson demanded my June payment by July 20, 2020 or they would take the appropriate legal action. On that same day I received an email from NYS in response to my email to the governor's office saying that weddings are non-essential social gatherings that are limited to a maximum of 50 people. I forwarded this email to my venue and said that based on the fact that they cannot legally hold my wedding I will not be making the June payment. I have not heard any more from them although they continue to have my $17,500.