BALTIMORE — It's an exciting day for couples waiting to get married at Baltimore City's recreational venues.
With the green light from the city, they’re working to restart photo shoots and small outdoor ceremonies on the grounds at the Cylburn Arboretum and the H. P. Rawlings Conservatory.
"I think it’s gonna be good. I’m excited. I’m really excited to have people back," said rental coordinator for Baltimore City Recreation and Parks Christina Nutile.
Nutile is ready to start booking up their calendar again, after having to postpone around 50 weddings since March.
"It’s a hard decision to make. You spend a year or more planning this day, this one day to celebrate with your friends and family and then all of the sudden you have to switch gears," said Nutile.
Starting Monday, they can host 10-person outdoor weddings and photo shoots and come August first, they can hold outdoor services for 50 people.
These are ceremonies only, no food service, and they are taking lots of precautions with social distancing, signage and sanitizing stations.
"While we are starting out slow we are doing that for the safety of everyone involved, clients as well as staff, and so we are just going to try and take that slow so the program doesn’t have to close again," said Nutile.
She is also working on smaller packages and live streaming capabilities.
"For people who have family overseas or in another state, instead of having to get them on a plane and get them over here, they’re gonna have the opportunity to stream their wedding live," said Nutile.
She said she sees these outdoor opportunities as the start of a new wave of more intimate weddings.
"People are doing elopements, like true elopements where it's just the bride and groom, but then they are hiring a photographer and they're coming out and they are doing a really special photography session on the grounds so that’s going to be able to begin again," said Nutile.
She will start taking new inquires for wedding applications on Monday.
There are no fees for a postponement or cancellation related to COVID-19 if the wedding is scheduled for 2020.
