Pictures of the wedding reviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution show groups of people clustered closely together in the same room throughout the evening. Under that emergency order, law enforcement could have potentially written citations to the venue for exceeding the gathering size, state officials said.
The next statewide order, which took effect the day after the wedding on June 1, specified for the first time that event venues and banquet facilities must follow the same safety guidelines as restaurants.
It also raised the number of people allowed at gatherings from 10 to 25 — still a fraction of the number of guests at the Meadows wedding.
The limits now in place, which ban gatherings of more than 50 people, have largely been ignored by state government officials.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence recently addressed large indoor crowds of closely packed supporters — many who were not wearing face coverings — in metro Atlanta. And Kemp has flouted his own restrictions by attending recent GOP rallies that drew hundreds of people.
Executives from Novare Events, which manages special events at the Biltmore and other venues, initially refused repeated requests for comment Wednesday on why the Meadows wedding was allowed to go forward. It sent a statement Thursday hours after the story published.
Myrna Antar, president of the firm, said the company verified that it would be acting “lawfully and in compliance” with Kemp’s order ahead of the event.
“While we do not comment on client’s events, we can confirm that the entire 16,000 square feet of the space was reserved for this small wedding — greatly exceeding the per person square footage allowed by the order,” Antar added.
Meadows, 61, didn’t respond to multiple inquiries about the wedding, though pictures of the event reviewed by the AJC and a guest page confirm the details.
They showed a wedding party that featured 11 bridesmaids and eight groomsmen, who later danced along with the rest of the guests to a live wedding band following a three-course seated dinner. Large groups of attendees, none wearing masks, were seen hugging and celebrating on a crowded dance floor.
At the time, Meadows’ absence from the White House for an out-of-town wedding was noted in several media reports detailing how the president was responding to protests demanding an end to police brutality.
A Biltmore Ballrooms executive also didn’t comment.
Credit: CATHY SEITH
Meadows rose to prominence on Capitol Hill as a North Carolina lawmaker and outspoken member of the House Freedom Caucus. He assumed the role as Trump’s chief of staff on March 30, just weeks into the nation’s coronavirus crisis.
Concern over the pandemic’s rapid spread upended every facet of American life, including closures of Georgia schools, stores, entertainment venues, universities and all but essential businesses, some of which remain closed today.
Even as COVID-19 infections and deaths rose across the country during the spring and summer, White House staff, including Meadows, were photographed failing to observe basic public health protocols, including social distancing and wearing masks.
With the November election approaching, Trump resumed travel and held large campaign…
Read More: Top White House aide hosted lavish Atlanta wedding in May despite virus