So we went to visit FI's grands, and, consequently, our venue, this weekend. For those that don't want to post stalk: we are getting married at the school house/community center in his grandparents small town, ceremony and reception in the same room. My invite list ballooned from 50-->60-->70-->80 due to parental pressure, trying to follow etiquette (+1s etc). Invites went out last weekend, already having problems with people wanting to RSVP for more than invited.
ANYWAYS, we did figure out the first problem (what to do with people during the transition: we are going to have pews set up in the hallways, and the buffet set up in the kitchen, so they can go get food and/or sit and chat). But I have a bigger, or should I say, smaller, problem.
The room won't hold 79 people for the reception with round tables. Comfortably I think it will hold 64. I think if we wanted we could squeeze in 72 (8-9 tables, basically). The room is 26ft wide and 60ft long with a divider in the middle that is pulled back (it used to be the room for the 3rd and 4th grades). In my memory it could hold like 100 people easily. I didn't measure the last time I was there. Yes I realize how stupid that was. Oh and idiot me just realizedd that 79 doesn't include us,the photographers, the nephew, the officiant, or the catering team.
So now I'm at an impasse. Obviously I can wait until our RSVPs all come in before I start panicking... Maybe only 64 will show up! But so far my RSVP rate has been OVER 100% due to aforementioned rude people. Obviously this makes "we can't accommodate so and so" a lot easier for me to say. But this seems like poor planning. Does anyone have any better (and reasonable) suggestions?
Things I won't do: Change the venue, postpone the wedding, uninvite people. Those ships have all sailed.
Things I will do: change the tables (would long ones do better), squeeze an extra person in at a few tables (Grandma said she wouldn't mind), stand up the entire time, give all the vendors an extra "I'm an asshole" tip and fix them a fabulous table in the kitchen. Thoughts other than me being remarkably stupid? Cuz I got that one. My friend was even like "hubby and I will lose weight if that will help!" (In jest.... She's just like that...)