Michigan couple replaces wedding guests with cardboard cutouts amid coronavirus restrictions
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A Michigan couple set to marry on Saturday have added a few last-minute guests to their wedding ceremony amid restrictions on large gatherings due to the coronavirus outbreak.
With many of Dan Stuglik and Amy Simonson's roughly 160 invited guests unable to attend because of the virus and social distancing concerns, the groom came up with an idea to fill the seats for when his soon to be wife walks down the aisle.
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The pair had been planning the ceremony for months and while most of the guests will be friends and family -- the rest will be cardboard cutouts.
"I didn’t like the idea of Amy having to walk down the aisle with no one in the pews, that seemed like a very lonely walk, so I wanted something to represent the guests," said Stuglik, according to Indiana's WSBT-TV.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Stuglik went to the Menasha Packaging in Coloma, Mich., to find out if they could meet his needs, and to his surprise, they went far beyond his expectations.
"I went to just buy a few sheets of cardboard and they went in and brought a designer and made some," he said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Some were even customized by gender.
"It was awesome because they donated all of it, because we imagined an oval and that would be good but they said 'hey we made females males and couples,'" Simonson said.
Even if guests fail to attend their big night, the couple can now "visualize who would be where."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We know that they’re still there in spirit even if they’re not in the building to watch -- and in cardboard," she added, according to the station.
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Following what's guaranteed to be a well-attended ceremony, the couple said they'll be substituting a reception for a simple home-cooked meal.