TOKYO: Japan’s wedding industry has drawn up voluntary guidelines to hold ceremonies and parties safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over 60 percent of weddings planned for April to June have been postponed due to the pandemic, according to Recruit Marketing Partners Co., publisher of bridal magazine Zexy.

Recruit and 18 other wedding service firms released the guidelines as part of efforts to provide a happy start to marriages without causing issues related to postponements, such as high fees.

The voluntary guidelines received support from 1,490 wedding venues and hotels nationwide.

The guidelines call for, among others, placing seats at wedding parties so that guests do not face each other.

Over cancellations and postponements of weddings, the guidelines call for clear explanations by staff about fees in an effort to address anxieties among clients.

Since February, consumer affairs centers around Japan have received consultations about high cancellation fees that reached as high as some 3 million yen.

“We’ll put coronavirus prevention measures in place to alleviate concerns and make wedding days happy,” said Kenji Iwase, president of Take and Give Needs Co.

JIJI Press