Ceremony/Reception in same, small venue

Have your cocktail hour be outside?

Or set up the ceremony so that people are sitting at their tables already, and you just put an archway up where your head table would be. Then that would be the only thing that would have to move.

Is there a patio or any other space to have a cocktail hour in between?

Maybe have something for them to do outside of that area. Is there another area people can all be in while they flip it where you could have a guest book, some drinks, and snacks waiting? A cool idea I heard for guest book is doing a photo or video one where guest leave you a message (photo- think everyone writes on a chalkboard then uses remote or timer to take pictures)

We habe a similar problem. Our room is small and they can't flip the room over in time. So we will have people sit at the round tables during the ceremony and then go to the outside patio for a cocktail hour while we do our formal pictures.

There's not really space outside; the Center is on the 2nd floor of an office/condo bldg downtown and the outside ground level is mostly the sidewalk =0/

Are you able to have your cocktail hour in the back or side of the room? You might be able to hang a curtain while the rest of the room has flipped. Does your location director have any suggestions on what they have done in the past?

Maybe have some sort of activity (like sign in book or some sort of wishing tree with champagne outside in the hall while the room is being turned over?

Just today they told me they've never had that many ppl in there at 5ft tables, only small pub tables. Ugh.

Hi Cassie! I would suggest that you keep the ceremony and reception set-up as similar as possible. Your guests will have no problem sitting at rounds or other tables for the ceremony and it will make the room turn very simple. You can even have an arch in the front and leave an aisle down the center if you want it to look more like a standard ceremony. Now if you don't want guests to see any of the room turn you could have them form a reception line outside the room and say "thanks for coming" to all of your guests, or have them all congregate outside the room/venue with bubbles/confetti/etc to for the bride & groom send off. That should give the venue enough time to perform a MINOR turn and then the guests can return for cocktail hour. For this I would recommend having tray passed hordeourves and having a bar open. This way there won't be anything that needs to be torn downbefore the actual reception. I would also suggest a plated meal to alleviate extra set-up in the room

Ashley F.--thanks!!!!! I was just sitting here thinking about that! I thought maybe if we did rectangular tables that might work best....and maybe we could have people sit at the tables, and the ceremony could be on the dancefloor. the space is beautiful it's just difficult to get to. i'll try and post a pic if i can!

I agree. That set-up sounds like it would work well, and I'd love to see a picture of the venue! I'm guessing you are thinking about rectangular tables because it would be easier to see? I personally LOVE big rectagular tables, just be sure to still have people on both sides of the table, otherwise it makes conversations a lot more difficult during the reception dinner/lunch. You can even have the chairs all facing forward when people initially enter for the ceremony.

Venue pic

LOVE that venue!! Your wedding is going to be gorgeous no matter what you do!

I agree with Ashley F. You can totally pull it off. Your room is fabulous.

Thank you ladies!! i think rectangular tables might work out.

I have 8ft tables and I'm totally having everything set up and people will sit at the tables. All the chairs will be facing once side and then people just have to turn the chairs around for dinner.

Really pretty; I would also suggest that they sit at their tables; I do this all the time! You could also gather all your guests on the dancefloor or outside for a group photo, and by the time that is over, the room is changed!

I also had the same problem. I just set up everything in a way that would accommodate everyone for both. I still had an aisle complete with runner. I just spaced the (long) tables far enough apart so that the aisle could be used as the dance floor. I had the 'arch' up front and we would have just removed it and added the head table, had we had one. Your venue may be small but its very nice. You can make it work. GL!

Your venue is beautiful! I love those floors and the space. No matter what you do, people will remember your special day. Did your venue director know you were having 75 people at your event? They should have suggestions better than pub tables. Will someone from the venue be helping you flip it from one to the other? They should have this down to a science. We are having our wedding at my family gardens so we will also be flipping it over. Well actualy our extended family will be doing it. We are using rectagle tables because of space issues. The wedding will be performed in the front with the chairs set up in a semi circle. They will basically be milling around outside and in the glass house while we get our photos done with light snacks, ice tea and water. We were hoping that would not take long. Truly all this has stressed me out so much that I have thought of sneaking away to vegas but I wrote that on another post and everyone helped me see that it would probably not work out.

The rectagle tables might work best for you also. If you decide to get married on the dance floor, just be sure that every one can see you shring your special day and vows. Hope this helps.