Via Vecchia Brides - set up options?

lauratherese · June 2011

We're having our wedding at Via Vecchia next summer, and I've started to think about logistics in terms of set up. We are hoping to have our ceremony outside in the alley (weather permitting) and I'm trying to think through the logistics. Has anyone else thought through potential indoor/outdoor layouts/logistics? (I have horrible spacial skills so I'm having a hard time envisioning everything!) We are probably going to have about 175-200 people at our wedding.

MissOwl · June 2011

i am a via vecchia bride too! september 8, 2012.

so are you asking about how to set up for the ceremony?

we're having our ceremony in a church but i think the alley is soo cool.

i would have the altar or 'stage' up against the brick wall so that you can enter from the via vecchia doors and walk up a center aisle. i would probably do two big semicircles or angled rows on either side of that main aisle. i think if you do the ceremony facing any other direction you should do it on the steps . if you face the other ways the background will be the road or a parking lot.

if you want to see pics of how an indoor one was setup, this is a link to some pics that were taken at the first wedding held at vv in april. i have them bookmarked haha.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150152821648797.282534.42606308796

i've been ogling them and thinking about setup for the reception myself.

tiffanydaniels · June 2011

That looks really nice. We were going to do Via Vecchia as well but I fell in love with the Athenaeum instead. I looked at the facebook pictures and I liked where they did their ceremony that was a good idea, but the Alley way would definitely be my first chocie.

BMDunlap01 · June 2011

MissOwl - I didn't realize you picked Via Vecchia. That's so exciting. I'm a Via Vecchia bride getting married in August. I'll be sure to share all my photos and ideas with you all once its done.

We're going to get married in the alley facing the city at sunset. I like that the guests will be able to see the downtown skyline. In case of rain we'll be setting up much like the Facebook photos above from the first wedding. I love how she did that.

What type of logistics are you thinking about right now? What type of theme is everyone going with?

MissOwl · June 2011

yep, dunlap! we just got things squared away. i didn't want to shout it from the rooftops until we got the church too just in case. i'm official now!

in terms of set up for ours, i think we'll use the stage for our big band. we're going to put the stations tables on the back wall behind the arches near the permanent bar. i'm calling that area the bar area. we're going to do most of our guests in long and round tables in that middle area that i'm referring to as the mezzanine (need a better word for it). then on the dancefloor part, we're putting our sweetheart table and five 'special people' tables on the side away from the band. the dancefloor will be 'below' the band. we're doing cocktail hour in the barrel room and not letting anyone see the main space until they come through the bride and groom only receiving line.

we're going to have them come in the back door, speakeasy style, and walk down the hallway. we're putting up jon's art and my travel photos to make it a mini art gallery that will lead them into the barrel room.

i'm pretty pumped about it--even though it's not til next fall.

what are you ladies doing?

MissOwl · June 2011

didn't really respond to you dunlap--sorry!

1. love love love your idea of the city silhouette for the background. how cool are you!

2. theme wise, no idea yet. definitely going to incorporate the wine but all i know is i want terrariums (i've been making some for our apartment) and a mod color palette like yellow and gray or something.

3. so glad you're going to share the pics and the overall experience. can't wait to hear about it!

what are you doing?!

BMDunlap01 · June 2011

MissOwl I love your ideas! It already sounds amazing! Especially how you're having people enter. I hadn't thought about that and I hated for people to see the main space before we entered.

I'm going with a whole vintage/rustic vibe within a super tiny budget.

- One of the other VV brides gave me the idea of using wine barrels to create the alter and we're planning on dismissing people by rows. I hate the whole recieving line with the whole wedding party. Awkward.

- We'll have a super short cocktail hour (using paper lanterns to decorate) and then the party will start immediately. We're not doing a sit down dinner (pasta bar and passed hors d'ouvres).

- I'm using burlap for my aisle runner and table runners.

- And I've managed to avoid using flowers altogether. Bouquest/bouts are made of buttons and my ceterpieces will be comprised of books and candles.

- I'm going to put the present table in the area of that really small stage area in the back of the place. The guest book area will be just opposite it by the door.

- The DJ will be on the main stage. Cake table will be over by the bar area.

- Assuming it works, we're going to be using Via Vecchia's corks to create napkin rings. We're doing test runs soon to see if I can drill through them. I'll thread ribbon through it to tie around the napkin.

Thats it for now. I'd love to hear anyone else's ideas/plans. Im so not crafty and totally look to these boards and etsy for inspiration!

MissOwl · June 2011

oh wow those ideas sound AMAZING! i can't wait to see it in pictures!

whl2623 · June 2011

I'm doing both the ceremony and reception there next year and plan on doing both inside. I'm considering setting up the guest chairs on the "dance floor" and getting married on the oppisite side of the big stage. So we walk out of the barrel room. I change my mind about this everyday though

I originally thought I would use the barrel room for the cocktail hour but the photobooth will probably be set up close to the front door and I would really like to get the most out of the photobooth so now I'm thinking of cocktails in the back long area by the bar. What do you guys think?

BMDunlap01 · June 2011

Thanks MissOwl! It's not too far so I'm super excited to see how it all comes together.

whl -- My FI wanted to have the ceremony inside with all the seating on the dance floor. He actually wanted us up on the main stage though. I couldn't imagine having everyone look up at us the entire time though.
I guess the most important question is where you want the photoboth and do you want them to use it during cocktail hour. That will kind of determine how people are flowing through the space. Michael said the first bride put her photobooth in that back long area by the bar and they said it went great. Having cocktails there could be tricky though if you want them to stick to that space only. There's nothing that really seperates it from everything else. If you don't mind people milling all about then I think that would be great.

lauratherese · June 2011

thank you for all of the great feedback! work finally slowed down for me so i'm going to let myself focus on planning more (our wedding will be next June.)

we did a drive by the other day to scope out the alley - we are also hoping to do our ceremony outside - and decided we'd like to explore if we can arrange it so we would be standing directly in front of the old, raised doors in the brewery just west of the via vecchia. (when you walk out via vecchia's doors in the alley, it's like right across the alley way.) so, we might check out whether or not we could get some sort of platform that would have us raised up so we're kind of framed by those old doors.

i also love the idea of setting up chairs in semi circles fanning out from where we're standing with an aisle way down the middle - thanks for that, Miss Owl!

sarahkay7 · October 2011

Hi! Would any of you mind sharing what church you are planning on using? There is a chance I may become a Via Vecchia bride too!

Via Vecchia Brides - set up options?

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