ceremony and reception in same room

One of the venues we looked at did that. they had a small bar type area that everyone would go in and have like cheese and crackers and drinks wile the bridal party and fam took pictures and they switched the room from the cermony to the reception. its deff doable if you find the right venue thats organized.

Usually venues are happy to assist you with this. After the ceremony, you can have your guests go to a cocktail area while the reception area is set up. You can definitely make it work :-)

Mine is outside so we are just moving from one area to another for the 2 different events.

Because the problems i am having with getting married in PR with a none catholic hubby. I decided to also have ceremony and reception at one place. My recpetion has a big terrace so we will have the ceremony there and then the guest can just move to the second floor where the reception is.

My ceremony and reception are in the same room. I was a guest at a wedding where this was done, and I loved not having to travel from one to the next. I decided I wanted the same thing. My venue has enough room so that people won't feel cramped. They can mingle, eat, and chit chat during the cocktail hour w/o having to drive anywhere.

We were going to do that. Talk to the venue - they may charge for labor for rearranging everything, and you'd need to have somewhere else for guests to go (e.g., a cocktail hour, maybe just outside the room?) while they did it.

I DID IT!!!!

Got married on the dance floor, right in front of the head table.

I had room to set up chairs on the dance floor to make an aisle.

Not my wedding, but a picture example.

You can have the seats angled to face the "alter" like the picture, then they can turn them in afterwards.

or if you have room, have some chairs set up on the dance floor to make an aisle. I had it this way, and the immediate family (parents, aunts, uncles) got the vip spots, and all others sat at their tables.

If the room is big enough they can have tables set up off to the side, and move you all to the back of the room for cocktails and appetizers while they set the room.

Just make sure that your venue is not only used to doing this, but great at it.

I have heard nightmare stories, from guests as this type of wedding.

I know that they can be done, and done well, but you need to make sure that your venue staff are pros at this.

One other time - I've seen some really nice set ups where the chairs arranged so that the ceremony is more in the middle of a semi circle than in front of a line-up. Really nice effect!

I am doing it! I'm getting married exactly 14 days from now. We are having chairs set up in the front on the dance floor but all the tables will be all set up already. We will have about 100 chairs set up in the front so some guests will have to sit at tables but it's not going to be so bad because our ceremony will be taken place up on the stage. Then when the cocktail hour happens, they'll take out the chairs and ceremony stuff and set up the head table up on the stage. That's it. We'll have two separate rooms (ballroom and lounge) plus an outdoor patio and an indoor balcony overlooking the ballroom. So people will be spread out. We will have appetizers set up in the lounge and some in the hall and some will be passed. It should work fine!

I am also doing this, we will have the ceremony set up then after we will ask everyone to go downstairs for receiving line and family pictures, while upstairs they are going to flip the room into the reception, they said they can do it in 30 mins I am prayign they are right.lol Fiance didnt want it like this but I won in the end so if thats what you want then I say Go for it.

We're doing this too (in FIVE DAYS!) My venue is too large for our small wedding, so having the ceremony and dinner in the same room will take up space and not make it look like the tables got swallowed up in the space.

There are two different ways to do it. One is to have the ceremony and then a "re-set" where they totally change over the room from ceremony to reception. If you go this route, like previously mentioned, you'll have to have somewhere for guests to go and you'll want to be sure the venue does it all the time. The other way is to set everything up from the beginning and just have both in the same room. Which way were you thinking?

Wow, Hayley, that's kind of cool. Kinda reminds me of an award dinner...

Can be done, and we do it often. Depending on whether you're willing to have the tables set up with chairs around the tables during the ceremony or not will be a factor in how much extra it will cost.

If it's a full ceremony set up, clear the guests, re-set the room, that's more labor, more time, etc. You'll need someplace for your guests to go while that happens. I would NOT (either as a client or as a vendor) want guests hanging out in the same room while it was being flipped.

Im doing it to we are having a back yard wedding so there really isnt room or time to set up tables after the ceremony

We are also having the ceremony and reception in the same room. It is very doable. We are getting married in the front of the fire place, where the dance floor is, and the chairs will be facing the fire place. We have the entire first floor and deck, so there is plenty of room for movement. The buffet is in another room, the guest book table and candy buffet are in the lobby, and beer and water will be served on the deck. There will be constant flow.

We are also making sure the bar(both in the ceremony room and on the deck) is not open prior to or during the ceremony. It will open as soon as our recessional. Appies and cocktails will be immediately served.

Ours in the same building ( see my profle pic) the ceremony will be in one room- then everyone will walk to the "dining room" for the buffet and the ceremony room will be converted for dancing. At least I think it will be that way- seeing those pics is making me think.

We are doing it! I hope it turns out well. I am with the other girls though your venue should be able to help you out and provide some set up options. Good luck!

Haley, thanks for posting the pics. The first one gave me lots of ideas. I think I will have my room set up like this.