When an outdoor ceremony isn't an option?

theexactlee

I live in sunny hot Orlando and I'm considering booking a venue that has a beautiful outdoor ceremony location. However it's mid June and I think that would be miserable for all involved. We are not church goers so where does one have a ceremony instead? This venue doesn't have extra rooms. It is a building with one big room. They are basically set up for an outdoor ceremony with a gorgeous dock and gazebo. My sister says we have the ceremony on the dance floor and then just break apart and move on to eating. I think that sounds hella tacky. However, there is nowhere else for people to go except onto the outdoor patios. Again, hot. So my question is where else do you hold a ceremony besides a church?

JCbride2015

theexactlee said:

I live in sunny hot Orlando and I'm considering booking a venue that has a beautiful outdoor ceremony location. However it's mid June and I think that would be miserable for all involved. We are not church goers so where does one have a ceremony instead? This venue doesn't have extra rooms. It is a building with one big room. They are basically set up for an outdoor ceremony with a gorgeous dock and gazebo. My sister says we have the ceremony on the dance floor and then just break apart and move on to eating. I think that sounds hella tacky. However, there is nowhere else for people to go except onto the outdoor patios. Again, hot. So my question is where else do you hold a ceremony besides a church?

I think this venue just isn't right for you, then.  You need a separate room or something.

If we are rained out, our ceremony will be in the dinner space of our reception hall.  It will be separated from the cocktail hour space by curtains.  Then everyone will go into the cocktail hour room, and the staff will turn over the ceremony space into a dinner space during cocktail hour.  But you sort of need separate rooms to pull that off.

SapphireCounselor

JCbride2015 said:

theexactlee said:

I live in sunny hot Orlando and I'm considering booking a venue that has a beautiful outdoor ceremony location. However it's mid June and I think that would be miserable for all involved. We are not church goers so where does one have a ceremony instead? This venue doesn't have extra rooms. It is a building with one big room. They are basically set up for an outdoor ceremony with a gorgeous dock and gazebo. My sister says we have the ceremony on the dance floor and then just break apart and move on to eating. I think that sounds hella tacky. However, there is nowhere else for people to go except onto the outdoor patios. Again, hot. So my question is where else do you hold a ceremony besides a church?

I think this venue just isn't right for you, then.  You need a separate room or something.

If we are rained out, our ceremony will be in the dinner space of our reception hall.  It will be separated from the cocktail hour space by curtains.  Then everyone will go into the cocktail hour room, and the staff will turn over the ceremony space into a dinner space during cocktail hour.  But you sort of need separate rooms to pull that off.

I second this. You need two rooms to pull this off. It sounds like as much as you love this venue it may not be right for a summer wedding.

grumbledore

So, you are looking for an indoor venue?

Options:

1. Indoors at your reception venue;
2. A museum;
3. A library;
4. A church that you don't belong to;
5. A wedding chapel;
6. An art gallery.

ShallowSeas

We are having our ceremony and reception at a historic restaurant that has a big ball room upstairs they use for weddings. Do you have any old restaurants with available space for a wedding? Also, hotels, libraries, private clubs or lodges, enclosed buildings in parks, some zoos have conference halls that can be used as wedding space, museums,...you can get married almost anywhere and there are tons of non-church options.

theartistformerlyknownas

If you're having a vow renewal, how lengthy/involved is your actual ceremony? Vow renewals typically don't have attendants/processionals/giving away and are a lot shorter than wedding ceremonies, so you may be ok just weathering the heat for those few minutes. And there's nothing tacky about using your reception space for your ceremony - lots of brides do that in inclement weather, so don't knock it.

Otherwise I would find a place where you can have both the ceremony and reception indoors at the same place, so people don't spend longer traveling back and forth than witnessing your vows.

smalfrie19

My entire wedding is taking place in one room. We are setting up the room with café style seating and taking pictures before hand so there isn't a ton of transition time. After the ceremony people can get a drink at the bar and help themselves to apps while the buffet is being set and then we will eat and do toasts etc. Its pretty seamless.

lyndausvi

I've attended weddings held in the same room as the reception before.  NBD in my opinion.  Due to weather I had to do that for my own wedding.  In our case we turned ceremony part during cocktail hour.  People just went to the bar which was at the other side of the room.  

You can keep everyone in the reception room until you are ready to walk down the aisle.  Then just before you are ready gather to go out to the ceremony.  Have the ceremony and then come back inside.  That would keep your time outside limited.

phira

Our wedding will be all in one room, which has an attached lounge with the bar. It's all one open space, though. My recommendation, if your heart is set on this venue, would be to either:

1) Have the room set up for the reception, and have people watch the ceremony from their seats. This is not terribly awesome, but given that you're having a vow renewal, things like having an aisle to walk down are less important and can be dropped if the set-up doesn't work. Make sure to let guests know that they're welcome to shift their chairs to see better. This is the option I'd honestly recommend for a vow renewal.

2) Use your set-up to delineate multiple spaces. What I recommend is having the tables for the reception ready to go, but pushed to the side; use the chairs to set up the ceremony space; and have a third area as a waiting area (e.g. cocktail hour space) for after the ceremony. Afterwards, have people move into the cocktail area, even if you're not having a cocktail hour, and then have venue staff very quickly (e.g. under 10 minutes) set up the tables and chairs. Now you have a reception space that's the same size as the ceremony space + the pushed aside tables.

ShallowSeas

Our ceremony and reception will all be in one room as well, but at different times.  It fit our budget better this way rather than renting out two separate spaces. After our ceremony, guests will be moved down the hall to a smaller room for cocktail hour (although it will only be 30 minutes) while the staff and DOC flip the room to the reception space.  Once the space is flipped, the guests will move back to the room to enjoy the reception.

I have also been to weddings where the room is set up for the reception already and people sit at their tables and watch the ceremony from there, all in the same room. FI and I had this option but opted out.

theexactlee

Our renewal will probably be quick however we are having attendants. We wanted to include our two sons on Daddy's side so we are also having my sister and my life long best friend. We aren't doing a walk down the aisle, just coming in from both sides to meet in the middle. Nothing super formal if that makes sense, because we aren't being "given away". The ceremony will be short, just a quick exchange of why we are still in love (type thing).

lyndausvi

theexactlee said:

Our renewal will probably be quick however we are having attendants. We wanted to include our two sons on Daddy's side so we are also having my sister and my life long best friend. We aren't doing a walk down the aisle, just coming in from both sides to meet in the middle. Nothing super formal if that makes sense, because we aren't being "given away". The ceremony will be short, just a quick exchange of why we are still in love (type thing).

well if that is the case just have it in the room and have the guests sit at the tables.  No thing to switch over.

theartistformerlyknownas

lyndausvi said:

theexactlee said:

Our renewal will probably be quick however we are having attendants. We wanted to include our two sons on Daddy's side so we are also having my sister and my life long best friend. We aren't doing a walk down the aisle, just coming in from both sides to meet in the middle. Nothing super formal if that makes sense, because we aren't being "given away". The ceremony will be short, just a quick exchange of why we are still in love (type thing).

well if that is the case just have it in the room and have the guests sit at the tables.  No thing to switch over.

STUCK IN THE BOOOOOXXXXXX

This would be my recommendation too.

singinchick13

I agree with PP's, there is no need to seek out another space for something so short, it would be a huge inconvenience to your guests. Is there a covered area outside where you can arrange seating for your guests? Can you do it in the evening so the hot sun won't be as much of a problem? If not, the reception space will have to do. It is such a short part of the event it definitely will not be a huge deal.

theexactlee

Unfortunately no, there isn't a covered area for anyone but the "party". I appreciate your opinions though. When you tell me you've done it, it makes me feel like I wouldn't be the only one adn it is appropriate to do it as well. So probably I'll just do it all indoors myself. Thank you.