ceremony & reception on same sight...help!!!

redsoxgirl09

We are looking at having our wedding at a friends camp. The ceremony would take place and then the reception would be in the same place. Any ideas on how to make this work best? I'm worried about having to move chairs around and set up tables at we get married. There is no space to set them up in a different area.

Avion22

Is there someplace your guests can go to drinnk cocktails for an hour while someone turns around the ceremony space to set up for the reception?   Your guests don't have to go to a different VENUE, just someplace else in the same venue (like the other side of a building, or behind a set of screens/shrubs/whatever).  You don't need as much space for cocktails since people will be mingling.

aragx6

If your ceremony is short I think it would be fine to have the venue set up for dinner and just have your guests sit at the tables for the ceremony. A couple places we looked at do this, and while maybe not ideal, I don't see any reason it would be a problem for a short ceremony. As long as every butt has an available chair I think you're good.

Bonzo2011

Is there a place you can have tables prepped, but clustered together, then during cocktail hour the chairs get rearranged and the tables brought out into their dinnertime configuration?

Our venue has a similar situation, though we are aided by the fact that the tables can be set up inside then brought out onto the patio during cocktail hour. Our caterer has also worked this venue many many times, so knows the drill. 

But even without some hidden place for the tables, you can probably do something similar where they are set up and prepped, just not in the final eating spot.

GodsQ

Or if you have your chairs set up like a ceremony, what about just moving them into around the outside..so they wouldnt have to really go anywhere. Someone can just quickly move the chairs into an almost circle or squar around the perimeter sort of. so people can have a place to sit and then there would be room in middle to dance or play games, or set up dinner tables, etc. i'm not sure if I'm picturing correctly but trying to figure out for someone else we're doing for someone at same time. So the situation may be different.

Yolie1098

Check the web for places that rent frames and door ways, it sounds crazy but it looks like a double doorway and one side can be for the wedding (they rent rustic windows, doors & mantles) and the other side can be the reception set up.  You would have to see it to truly understand and I do not have their website anymore but if you could see it; it would work.

edw7479

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_outdoor-weddings_ceremony-reception-same-sighthelp?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:666Discussion:7e80e4e1-a49f-4544-9ea7-d117a0984769Post:799262fc-afb2-4bcd-bb6b-fa3a4bee681f">Re: ceremony & reception on same sight...help!!!</a>:
[QUOTE]If your ceremony is short I think it would be fine to have the venue set up for dinner and just have your guests sit at the tables for the ceremony. A couple places we looked at do this, and while maybe not ideal, I don't see any reason it would be a problem for a short ceremony. As long as every butt has an available chair I think you're good.
Posted by aragx6[/QUOTE]
This, exactly. Especially if it's a more informal BBQ wedding, I think people sitting at the tables for the ceremony would be perfect. I'm thinking about going that route myself!

TheFutureMrsDewland

Our wedding is on April 27th 2012 and weather permitting, the ceremony will be outdoors (NJ...it could be sunny and 75 or sleeting).  If the weather is not nice enough for the ceremony to be outside, our venue will host the ceremony in the reception room.  After we are married, the guests will be escorted to cocktail room while the staff arranges the tables for the reception.  Nice compromise.