Jody Prescott was getting her nails done in preparation of her June 4 wedding when the manicurist asked why Americans like to get married in parks.

That seems like a huge generalization, but more couples are choosing to have their wedding ceremony performed somewhere other than a church.

According to TheKnot.com & WeddingChannel.com’s 2010 Real Weddings Survey, 43 percent of all wedding ceremonies were held outdoors in 2010, compared with 39 percent in 2009.

Weddings in churches, or synagogues and mosques, fell by 10 percent from 2009 to 2010 — but that isn’t news to Rev. Dustin Vu of St. John’s XXIII in Cedar Rapids.

“Any priest would tell you we’ve noted a decline in the numbers over the years,” Vu says. “Twenty, 30 years ago, everyone got married in a church, but the numbers have declined over the years. It’s not a new revelation.”

“Outdoor locations, parks, barns — there’s just a lot of options,” says Alison Dix, owner of Devotion to Detail Event Planning in Mount Vernon.

Kinnick Stadium is one popular alternative wedding site. (Cliff Jette/SourceMedia Group News)

Hotel ballrooms, historic institutions, a backyard or a reception hall are popular locations for ceremonies. Amy Eisinger, associate editor at WeddingChannel.com, says museum weddings are on the rise, as are those held at sporting event skyboxes.

“I’ve even heard of weddings at campsites for couples who really love camping,” she says. “The wedding was centered around a weekend at the campground.”

And that’s if a couple chooses a wedding in their hometown or home state. Destination weddings rose the past two years, with an increase of 20 percent since 2008. Eisinger cites modern-day mobility for the increase.

“When you have the bride from one state and the groom from another, and there’s no central location, many couples are opting for a destination wedding because guests would have to travel anyway,” Eisinger says.

Local travel played a role in the planning of Brittany and Owen Lamphier’s June 4 wedding at Pinicon Ridge Park. The Center Point couple wanted a wedding that would capture their love of the outdoors, but would also be an easy trip for friends and family.

“Our main focus was having the people there that we wanted, people who were important to us,” Brittany says.

“We like to fish, so we wanted it near the water,” Owen says.

“We were able to set things up the way we wanted,” Brittany adds. “There was no ‘his side, her side.’ Everyone sat together and we angled the aisle around them. It was enjoyable, aside from the heat.”

Jody Prescott and her husband, Curtis, also battled high temperatures for their ceremony at Prairie Oak Lodge in Marion, but they were happy with their choice for their June 4 ceremony.

“Neither of us belong to a church,” Jody says. “Most of the weddings I remember weren’t at a church.”

The Cedar Rapids couple chose to mix traditional with non-traditional. The ceremony was officiated by a minister, but they chose their own music. The result was a ceremony that was casual, intimate and relaxing.

Parks, such as Pleasant Creek State Park, are popular wedding sites. (Cliff Jette/SourceMedia Group News)

“It felt like us,” Jody says. “I never really pictured myself getting married in a church.”

“Fewer people belong to churches, so there isn’t that automatic ‘We’ll get married in a church’ mentality,” Dix says. “But even though more couples are choosing to be married somewhere other than a church, they still want the spiritual aspect of the ceremony.”

Eisinger agrees, adding that what couples want the most is a ceremony that’s meaningful to them.

“Many brides already have a location in mind when they get engaged,” Eisinger says. “It isn’t that they have every detail planned, but they have the idea of a place that has happy or familiar memories.”

Kathrina Litchfield and Aaron Walker’s 2012 wedding will be centered around an event — the 100th anniversary of the Titanic — and a cake.

“We were joking around with Adam (Adam Kopfman, owner of Tip Top Cakes in Coralville) that we wanted a cake that would sink,” Litchfield says with a laugh. “If you were going to have a cake like that, you need a party. If you are going to have a party, it might as well be a wedding.”

It’s a unique theme for a wedding. Walker says it celebrates the absurdity of life. Litchfield sees it as celebrating survivors.

“My life, before Aaron, was tough,” she says. “He rescued me.”

The couple is still searching for the perfect venue for their wedding and reception, which will feature period clothing and refreshments. They won’t be married in a church.

“The wedding isn’t going to change our lifestyle because we’ve been together for several years now,” Litchfield says. “We don’t need gifts to start our new life because we have our life together, we’ve made our family. We see this as a gift to our families and friends. We want it to be fun.”

More couples are choosing to have their wedding ceremonies at art museums, like the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, instead of churches. (Cliff Jette/SourceMedia Group News)