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(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — With Illinois preparing to move into the next phase of its pandemic re-opening plan, a wedding ceremony-only venue in the south suburbs is ready to re-open as well.
Under Phase 4 of Governor Pritzker’s plan, Farmington Lake in Mokena will be able to have outdoor wedding ceremonies of 50 people or fewer.
“We’re calling it a petite wedding. Some are calling it a micro wedding, and it seems to be trending very well,” owner Melanie Lauffer says.
Many couples have moved their weddings to next year, although some will try to have their scheduled June, July or August wedding moved to September or October, she said.
Other couples, Lauffer says, are opting to have their outdoor wedding ceremony this year, have a backyard get-together with family and friends and then go ahead with the planned big reception next year.
Lauffer calls those couples the “do-it-yourselfers.”
Farmington Lake does outdoor weddings from mid-May through mid-October. The first month of business this year was washed out, with no weddings taking place. Then, 10 people was the limit.
“Ten goes away pretty quickly. The bride, the groom, the officiant, two attendants and you've already got half your, you know, so it's almost an elopement at that point,” Lauffer said.
2021 is going to be a very interesting wedding season, with so many unknowns still out there, she said.
Farmington Lake does weddings on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and can accommodate three weddings on each of those days. It does not do wedding receptions.