Guests at Tables During Ceremony

caracbeara · November 2009

Hello!

We are having our reception in a very large high celiling ballroom. We would also like to have the ceremony there but unfortunately the venue says that if we do the guests will have to sit at their tables. We would still have an "aisle" just inbetween the tables. Space isn't an issue, but I just wondered if this was tacky. Is there a tasteful way to do it? Has anyone else done this or seen it done?

We can rent another room in the venue for 750 but that seems like a lot for a short amount of time.

Thank you!!

aerinpegadrak · November 2009

I've seen it done, it looks fine. Are you doing rounds? The problem there is that some people might have their backs to the ceremony... Has the venue ever done another wedding like this?

babylizz · November 2009

We are doing this for our ceremony and I've seen it done before. As far as backs towards the front, people will most likely turn their chairs sideways to see, which is not a problem, especially if the ceremony is short. I've heard many comments that this is actually a nice set-up as people don't have to transition from one seat to another (think of the elderly and those with kids, moving from a traditional ceremony to the reception can be cumbersome for these guests).

We're having an afternoon wedding, with only cake and light appetizers, so at each place setting I will be placing the ceremony program and the favor (the utensils and such will be on the food tables).

Catwoman708 · November 2009

I think it looks fine for guests to be at their tables. MUCH more convenient for everyone to not have to move tables and chairs around.

jenn.daniel · November 2009

I've never seen it done, but I imagine that it would be very nice.

caracbeara · November 2009

Yes, the tables would be round. I suppose people could just turn their chairs. This is very common at the venue and what most of their brides do. I suppose the 750 dollar fee for alternate ceremony location deters people from renting another ballroom at the venue.

I'm still a bit nervous. The ceremony is supposed to be the most important part. Will it still seem like it if people are already seated for dinner during it? Does anyone have any advice on how to dress it up?

babylizz · November 2009

Just make sure you create some type of alter/backdrop for the ceremony and clearly establish your aisle. You could rent columns or the like for the backdrop and use a nice runner for the aisle.

If you rent the other room, you also have to decorate it separately from the reception room. If you're just decorating one room I'm sure it be cheaper than decorating two...and $750 is a lot to spend when you'll only be in there for 20-30 minutes.

mrsamyjones · November 2009

I am sorry if you hate what I'm about to say but IMO I have been to a wedding that did this and it was the most bizarre thing I have ever experienced. It was tacky and unsophisticated. It was so weird to watch the bride and groom walk out of the room after their ceremony and then almost immediately to start the dinner. This also will create a problem if you are planning on having a seating chart, or if you are planning on having pictures between the ceremony and the reception because your guests will have already planted themselves at their tables and will find the whole waiting period for the bride and groom to get back really strange and awkward.

I am totally not on board with this idea and think that 750 dollars would be worth it to avoid your guests feeling the way that everyone at the wedding I attended felt. Also your grand entrance back into your reception/ceremony site will feel strange since the only people who will have really moved since the ceremony will have been the WP.

An alternative to renting another ballroom is to set up the tables to the back of the ballroom grouped close together and after the ceremony have a quick rearrange after the ceremony. And if you're concerned about the look of a bunch of tables scruntched together you can have fabric room dividers covering them which will most certainly cost less than 750 dollars.

babylizz · November 2009

This is how we're doing it:

After the ceremony me and the FI will walk back up the aisle and my officiant is going to announce something like 'the bride and groom would like to greet all of you now' i.e. receiving line (we'll be at the opposite end of the room from ceremony 'site' and the close family will be advised to follow us up the aisle and form a line to greet us so that guests know to follow suit). Once we greet everyone, the food/drinks will be available and we will sneak outside for photos while the guests begin to mingle and eat (only self-serve appetizers, cake, beer/wine/sig cocktail). Then we will be announced back into the room after the pics are done. The cermony 'site' will become the dance floor for the reception.

We're also assigning family members in the lobby to ensure guests use the seating chart when they go in for the ceremony.

We had the option of dividing the room, but didn't want to crowd the tables and didn't want to rent/buy two sets of chair covers.

I guess my point is you do have to somehow plan a divide between ceremony and reception, so your guests aren't left in limbo while you do pics.

caracbeara · November 2009

mrsamyjones:

Thank you for your honest opinion! This is what I wanted to hear...both sides or the issue. I think that we may reserve one of the other rooms in the hotel. The last thing I want is for my ceremony to look tacky!

We are going to save $$ by having a friend officiate for us. We can use the money we saved to pay for the ceremony location. Thanks!

Guests at Tables During Ceremony

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