The Giovanni Caboto Club is cautiously reopening as Windsor-Essex enters its second day under Step 3 of the province's reopening plan.
Brides and grooms have been waiting to celebrate their big day since the COVID-19 pandemic derailed their plans — one of many rites of passage postponed by shut downs over the past year.
Under Step 3, ceremonies and receptions can now be held indoors and outdoors with attendance only limited to the amount of people who can fit and still maintain 2m physical distance. Limits set to the number of people per table have also been lifted in Step 3.
Ron Moro is the General Manager of the event centre at 2175 Parent Ave. in Windsor, Ont.
He tells The Afternoon News that larger events could resume in the coming weeks, but a small memorial luncheon will be the club's first run at indoor dining Saturday.
"So we're telling everybody, as we always have, we will follow the protocols of the government," he says. "We've got to put in extra hours until we get our feet wet ... but we're all prepared to do that."
Moro says there's space to accommodate some larger groups, but it's still too soon for the massive events and wedding receptions usually held at the club.
"I don't think we're going to 1,000 person galas for quite a while to be honest, but you might see weddings for 200-250, that's coming back relatively soon I hope," he added.
The club's bar and lounge already opened for in-person service Friday, according to Moro.