BOSTON — As Massachusetts moves into Phase 3 of re-opening, outdoor wedding venues outside the city could begin scheduling events come Monday July 6th.
With so many brides and grooms struggling to make tough decisions for their special day, venue owners are now scrambling to offer up options for eager couples.
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“All of our large weddings have been cancelled and our small ones we haven’t really been able to commit to anything until just now,” said Will Gilson, chef and owner of Puritan & Company in Cambridge and Herb Lyceum in Groton. “The phase 3 guidelines say no bars, no dance floors, so, no problem! It just means we have to adapt, improvise and overcome. Start serving you drinks personally and if you guys want to dance when you get home you can do so!”
The four-acre farm with a greenhouse on the property is equipped for an outdoor ceremony and reception, though Gilson said capacity will be limited to ensure the events meet all guidelines.
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“If somebody calls me tomorrow and says we have one hundred people and we want to do a wedding, we can do it! We’ll spread tables out as far as possible, we’ll make sure we have the appropriate PPE for our staff, we’ll make sure that there aren’t buffets, that people are being served individual dishes of food,” said Gilson.
Gilson said they’ve had cancellations, rescheduling and some couples still in limbo. He hopes the guidelines for phase 3 will put brides and grooms at ease knowing there is still hope to tie the knot in 2020.
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“A wedding is a very big deal, not just from financial standpoint but also from an emotional, preparation and your memories,” said Gilson. “So for us we can guarantee the site looks beautiful.”
Gilson said he plans to market the venue’s outdoor space as a safe environment to get hitched.
“We started getting really comfortable with what it would take so we could essentially call up our rental company, say this is what we need to do it, we can pull it off with about a week’s notice,” said Gilson.
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