The venue that FI and I are using for our ceremony does not supply the chairs and tables, so we are renting them from a local vendor.
The ceremony will take place outside, in the courtyard, and the reception will be indoors in a room about 5 feet away from the ceremony. The courtyard will also serve as our dance floor.
Our wedding is very small and informal, 50ish guests, mostly family and the closest of friends.
What I'm wondering, is would it be completely insane to NOT rent two set of chairs, one for the wedding, and another for the reception, when the reception is only feet away, and the chairs will need to be cleared to make room for dancing anyways?
What I was thinking, is that immediately after the ceremony, we could serve hors d'oeuvres and drinks in one part of the room (which is huge) while the ushers and groomsmen bring in the chairs. They would all be instructed beforehand how many chairs belong at each table, etc. Everyone could mingle and enjoy the hors d'oeuvres, while the real food is being brought out, chairs are being set up, (between 4 groomsmen and 2 ushers, it should only take about 5 minutes to move 50 chairs) and pictures of FI and I are being taken.
Then the attendants could come out to join us for a couple of pictures, and then we could all go in together to have the meal.
Does this sound feasible? Either way, the chairs will need to be cleared, and I figure that we might as well use them, as opposed to stacking them somewhere. I'd honestly rather everyone chill for a few minutes while we switch things, than have chairs stacked up somewhere, and risk them showing up in pictures.
FI had the suggestion that we should just have the officiant tell everyone to just grab their chair and take it in, that with it being close family and friends, they wont mind...but with our Grandparents, several children, etc, I think that's probably not a good idea....not to mention that however informal our wedding is, I don't want my guests moving their own chairs!!!