How to have a reception/ceremony in the same small space?

menkhare

I need a little help guys.

We're doing a moroccan themed DIY budget wedding and we'll be doing a very brief ceremony in the same area that we will most likely have the reception in.  How do we make the transistion from the ceremony to the reception?  Has anyone encountered an issue such as this?  Do we have the short ceremony and then leave the area take a few photos and at the same time have the appetizers served let people mingle then come back and do a few toast, dance, entertainment, cut the cake, dance, drink, finale?   

I was thinking it might be more of a cocktail reception but kind of something where people can sit down if they choose. 

Any suggestions ideas wisdom???  Thanks

I'm so new at this and honeslty never thought nor wanted to get married and now that i'm at that point... I'm excited but yikes!  Going off other weddings I've been to they are usually in two different places/rooms.

Archana326

Hi!

Is there an outdoor space at your venue that you could possibly set up a cocktail hour while the room is changed around a bit from ceremony to venue, to save on cost, ask the venue if they have tables, and use the same chairs from ceremony to reception, and reuses any florals used during the ceremony.

How many people are you expecting? If there is no outdoor space to set up a cocktail hour, there are other ways to get around the transition in the same room.

Mary Alex Senn

I work at a catering place where we do change overs all the time. What happens is most of the portraits are taken before the wedding, leaving only pictures with the bride and groom and their familes together at the end. As soon as the wedding is over everyone goes outside onto the porch area where there are light refreshments and we change the space in 5 min. from ceremony to full sit down dinner! So if you're doing a mix and mingle kind of reception change over shouldn't be hard. Just reuse the ceremony decor in "reception space"(or vice versa) and ask for your caterer's assistance in moving anything for reception set-up.

Usually before the ceremony the cake is already out there and so are the buffett tables/bar, but we wheel in all the food, drink, dishware, and tables, resusing the chairs and taking some back. We quickly put out any centerpeices they want (usually hidden under buffett tables) and make sure all candles are lit and ready to go! 

Then you can send back in the crowd, and as soon as they are settled you can come in and be announced, do first dance, have some toasts, cut the cake, dance some more, and done!

Som advice though- DO NOT USE FLOATING CANDLES! Moving these or even setting them up takes forever. We did that last week and the change over took us 20 min!

MyNameIsNot

The other option, if you don't have anywhere for your guests to go during a change over, is that you can just have the guests seated at tables for the ceremony.  Then at the end of the ceremony, you walk out to somewhere to finish up photos, and have the staff bring in some food/bev so that guests will start to mingle.  

aragx6

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_receptionceremony-same-small-space?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:36Discussion:474502ac-0f45-45b8-864b-09fcec213e99Post:ce2f1201-8608-486c-ba14-55f32c06126c">Re: How to have a reception/ceremony in the same small space?</a>:
[QUOTE]The other option, if you don't have anywhere for your guests to go during a change over, is that you can just have the guests seated at tables for the ceremony.  Then at the end of the ceremony, you walk out to somewhere to finish up photos, and have the staff bring in some food/bev so that guests will start to mingle.  
Posted by MyNameIsNot[/QUOTE]

This is probably the easiest and most economical option. One of the venues we looked at but didn't choose always did their weddings like this, and while not traditional, I think it's fine for a short ceremony. A long ceremony would be annoying for guests craning their necks to see.

I urge you to consider doing a "first look" with your soon-to-be-husband where you do pictures together first before the ceremony. You shoudl get all your wedding party photos done before as well. That way, after the ceremony, you can do some quick family photos and then get back to your guests!

menkhare

First - aragx6 I was trying to pay attention to what you wrote but all I could focus on were your CUTE LITTLE MATES.  They're adorable!

Secondly thank you all for your suggestion they really have helped.

So here's what I've figured out - I think!

We've secured my friend's house, it's a quaint little house with a medium sized yard with levels kind of like a mix of a home that you'd see or imagine - in Bali / Mexico. It's pathed with very large slate floor.  It has a huge gazebo for lack of a better word across half of it where beautiful vines and flowers climb up - should be in full bloom by the time of our wedding in Spring.  They have a guest house above the garage and up the stairs there are also greenery on it just basically all around.  They have permanent white xmas type lights and traditional Moroccan lanterns so at night it's lit up nicely.  So thankfully won't have to spend money on additional flowers.

From your suggestions and what I was thinking - we really want a uber quick ceremony, I'm talking 5-10 minutes! if that's possibly - I don't really want to walk down the aisle (in the space there wouldn't really be one) though I could possibly walk through people to where my groom will be standing - on the area of the yard that you've to step up two steps to get to. If people stand and gather everyone can see.

From this point... thats where I was needing help, do we disappear for a few moments or / and immediately go into the reception part of it?  I think its best we take the wedding photos before hand when the yard is empty (it's a great photo place as the owners have imported huge decorations from southeast asia) and then have a photographer take photos of the party as it's going on.

Our friends are very casual, fun, artsy and we want to work with this rather than have something formal. In fact, quite a few friends have incorporated fire dancing, stilts, and all sort of things like that into their weddings if that gives you any sense as to the type of people they/we are. 

So check on the photos before hand and I guess while we 'disappear' we'll have people bring in various places for people to sit, stand for the cocktail reception. Wow... this is pretty amazing.  I'm a bit shocked about the whole having a wedding thing and it's a bit scary but kind of fun?  Thank you guys for helping me out with my question.  It helps ease things a bit in my mind.  Cheers!

menkhare

Oh yes!  In response to how many I think we are trying to cut the number to 75 so there will be room to move around.  Thanks for all the tips again. Duley noted!