My fiancé and I are planning on having a small-ish ceremony in December (about 50 people). We booked a venue for our daytime cocktail style reception probably a bit too hastily because we liked the look of it so much and now we're finding it is nearly impossible to find an affordable place nearby to have a ceremony. While we could get married at the venue, it would be a bit of a hassle because the room is small enough that there is only enough room to do one part at a time (ceremony/reception), not both.
A friend suggested we marry there and just have someone quickly take the chairs away after the ceremony and my fiancé's mom said she thought that was tacky and that we should just have people stand since it will be a short ceremony. Personally, I would hate to stand at a wedding as a guest. His mom also thinks it's in poor taste to have the ceremony and reception in two different spots, even though I am trying to find spots literally a block or two away (downtown Sacramento). Is that unheard of these days or something?
At this point, I am feeling like I'm ready to throw the deposit away and just elope! (I worry I'll regret that though.) Should I have it all in one place, or is it logistically a terrible idea to try and clear out a room of chairs after the ceremony for the reception? Isn't it yucky to make people stand for our ceremony? Perhaps keep looking for a ceremony spot offsite or should I just forget about the deposit and look for a more suitable venue? I truly appreciate any insight!