Couple To Wed With Cardboard Cut-Out Guests As Michigan Becomes 3rd In US COVID-19 Deaths

A couple from Michigan is pushing through with their wedding on Saturday, April 4, despite the coronavirus pandemic restrictions on large gatherings.

Dan Stuglik and Amy Simonson have invited some 160 guests for a wedding they planned for months. Instead of having their friends and family over, the couple will now have cardboard cut-out guests.

Stuglik came up with the idea after it was evident that they won't be able to have their guests witness the ceremony. On March 17, Governor Gretchen Whitmer banned large gatherings of no more than 10 people, per the recommendation of the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

"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," the groom said.

So, he bought some cardboard sheets at the Menash Packaging store in Coloma. After Stuglik explained what he'd use it for, the store staff offered to do the cut-outs themselves as they have the equipment. They were able to do 120 cut-outs customized by gender.

Stuglik and Simonson are going to record their wedding ceremony so that the rest of their guests will be able to watch it when the quarantine is over. However, the couple will have their parents, as well as a few friends, as actual witnesses, and they are moving the wedding reception at another time. For Saturday, however, the couple will be celebrating their wedding with home-cooked meals.

This comes as Michigan is now the third state with the highest number of coronavirus deaths after New York and New Jersey. As of Thursday, April 2, Michigan's COVID-19 cases are at 10,791, with 417 deaths and no recoveries so far.

Whitmer, however, said that the rise in cases is expected as tests come in. Over 29,000 people have been tested in Michigan at hospitals and public health centers. However, the governor is still urging residents to stay home and observe the safety guidelines to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.

"We’re a good month out from the apex right now," the governor said during her press briefing. "Each of us responds differently to this disease and that's why we all must act as if we're carrying it and stay home."