Chairs are for the ceremony and reception

My DOC is doing this

Not at all.

It's the least they can do. I would ask them to help cleanup afterwards too and they should bring their own lunchbox which will save you tons

Okay a couple of things -

1. Do not make guests move and rearrange their own seats - its rude and disruptive. Plus how will they know where to put them? Cocktail hour is when guests find where their seat is, they will have to hold onto the chair until the figure out which table to be at or everyone will just be moving chairs to random tables and then you may wind up with less seats at certain tables then others. It's going to be chaos and a logistical nightmare. You have two options - Rent chairs for the ceremony separate from the reception chairs (least amount of work and stress) or you hire your caterer or DOC or someone NOT invited to do this. Do not ask ANY guest to do this. They should be enjoying the cocktail hour and reception post ceremony not participating in set up.

2. Hire a real caterer. You do not want to be responsible for the liability and food safety concerns for cooking for a large amount of people. Plus who is going to be responsible for that in the hours leading up to the ceremony? Are you forgoing getting ready so you can spend all morning cooking before hopping into your dress? Are you prepared for your mom or MIL or father to be absent from the getting ready, and ceremony so they can make sure the food is prepped and hot when guests arrive at the cocktail hour space? Again a logistical nightmare. Hire a professional and your day will be ten times smoother

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I love this.

We have the same issue. The ceremony and reception are in the same space on a little point of land at a community beach. It seemed silly to rent two sets of chairs only to have one used for 15 minutes then sit empty the rest of the evening, yards away from the reception tables. So we're asking the catering folks and young, strong family members to help move the chairs during the post-ceremony photo shoots. Our guests are literally all family, so I'm not too concerned about formality. There'd be more eye rolling if they observed the obvious unnecessary expense of unused chairs.

If you have any brothers or uncles (ushers) I would ask them to move the chairs--- have someone designated to move them. Depending on how many people are attending maybe 2 or 3. But do not just ask your guests who will probably be dressed up for the wedding to haul chairs. I'm assuming you aren't doing a cocktail hour to help kill the time while they are hauling it all up and setting it up. I 100% understand the budget issue and not wanting to spend the extra money but make sure someone is there to do that and not your guests.

I wouldn't make people move their chairs. Either ask someone to do it or like some people have said, hire some local teenagers. I'd be kind of annoyed as a guest to have to move my own chair at a wedding.

I agree-get a caterer. It's your wedding, but you're adding SO much unnecessary stress to your big day.

View Quoted Comment Umm no
They are not bringing their own chairs
Chairs will be set up for the ceremony just need a way to move them to the tables after
No they are not bringing the food my family is making it
I've been argued with on other posts diy good is possible
The GM, groom and Ffil are bar qing chicken the morning of and then bringing it over

My mom and I are making sandwiches and Mac salad the night before and getting some stuff at the store to bring

Everyone is all right with this and has planned it

The guests aren' making food they just have to carry chairs less than the length of a house

I would not ask guests to do this at a wedding. Hire a couple kids to do it.

That is kind of rude of post

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I think it's actually legit advice

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How is this rude? I'm just offering suggestions.

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No one is saying good DIY is impossible. What people are saying is that you may not have 100% thought out the logistics of this. You're making sandwiches and macaroni salad the night before? Do you have a fridge large enough to safely store that amount of food for a wedding? Are you planning on forgoing your rehearsal dinner so you can stay up all night prepping the food? Who is going to be missing the end of the ceremony and the pictures so they can start setting everything out? Do you have the equipment to keep foods like Macaroni Salad that can spoil from doing so? Who is in charge of refilling the food stations when stuff runs out?

There is a reason that catering is such a huge business, because its hard. You are going to be putting unessecary stress on yourself and your immediate family by asking them to work like this on your wedding. Anyone you ask to be in charge of these things will miss important moments like your first dance with your Husband or your entrace - even maybe your first kiss and the end of the ceremony all so they can play caterer. Are you prepared for that?

Oh, neat, are you doing this in a back yard? What's the bathroom situation like? How many guests are you having?

View Quoted Comment I never said it was in a backyard
Just that the place I'm having it might not have enough chairs that I'll have to use ceremony chairs for reception

View Quoted Comment The place we are having it has a fridge
We did this for my sister's wedding

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That's great that the venue has access to a large enough fridge but that still doesn't answer my questions about if you're prepared and okay with your parents or FILs or other VIP's who have volunteered to do this with missing important moments so they can act as the caterer? Also your guests are taking time out of their day to attend your wedding, bringing a gift, potentially renting a hotel room ETC. Don't you want them to have a great time? Especially your VIPs? Of all people I want to relax and have a good time the day of my wedding and hte night before, its my VIPs - my Parents, FILs and bridal party. Why ask them to work when they should be celebrating?

View Quoted Comment We are making the food before the wedding in the morning or night before
After the ceremony we can help bring in chairs and put the food out

Don't have your guests do it, and don't have your BP do it either. Those are like VIP guests. Hire someone or rent the extra chairs.

Won't touch the self-catered chicken cooked hours before the reception, since that's not what the post is about.

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So you're going to forgo getting ready with a professional or spending the morning relaxing and prepping so that you can spend the morning cooking? And are you planning on skipping photos during cocktail hour so that you can help set up the reception?

It really seems like you haven't 100% thought through what you would need to skip and miss out on so that you can handle this yourself. A DOC can handle all the set up, and you can get professional catering for a reasonable price from italian or BBQ restaurants. That will take so much off your plate and let you really enjoy your special day with your FH and Family