Dirt flooring at reception - figure out something to cover or leave?

Hmmm. Yeah, I hope you are getting a huge discount for this.

A dance floor will be needed.

I would put it on the venue to fix it.

We do have a dance floor provided by the venue.

Double

I would worry about this, yes.

Well... I would be worried about the ladies wearing heels lol idk how packed the dirt is ( heels going through the dirt ) . Maybe make a cute bucket to hold flip-flops ? But honestly , a dirt floor is no big deal in my opinion

That seems like a pretty big deal to me. I wouldn't want to be kicking up dirt when dancing.

As mentioned above (and I updated the main post) there is an actual dance floor. It would be under the tables at the reception. Sorry for not clarifying well enough initially

Just the dance area. It's not tented. The reception is in a Grove of sycamore trees. It won't be easy to cover the floor because of the trees but I know how much having dirty feet from having to walk in dirt sucks. It is hard packed. They clearly took heavy machinery over it to do so, and it's all flat, just not the nice grassy clearing in the Grove they were describing when we looked at it and saw the landscaping photos.

They do have an indoor space we can use in case of inclement weather that is cement covered (uncommon that time of year) but it also means we won't get to enjoy the outdoor wedding under the stars we had pictured.

I would be pushing them HARD to figure something out. It's not your fault that they're way off schedule. Covering the entire area would likely cost you thousands. They screwed up, they fix it.

Hmmm I wouldn't be a fan of a dirt floor, but it sounds like you're ok with it despite the drawbacks.

@Anne that's my concern. I want to be cognizant of our guests

@La Grosera I'll try that

Now I'm curious where this at if it's really packed tight it's not going anywhere in this weather we're having but I would still follow up with them and see if there isn't something they can do!

Hah @Kristin, knowing you're from the area it's at Filipponi, in the back valley next to where Crespi's tasting room was. There are oak trees next to the ceremony site and sycamores in the front part where the reception is going to take place.

Do you have a back up plan if it rains since its not tented?

I would be kind of upset that I'd be sitting in dirt. Sorry OP, i would look into some other options. Did the venue have any ideas? Are you getting a discount for this?

Yes they have a large warehouse that used to be a tasting room as back up in case of rain. As noted above, we can use it given our smaller guest count however it would be rather unfortunate to not get the in the grove with the stars wedding we had hoped and planned for when we booked

What if it rains a lot before the wedding? Then they would sit in mud

@Jaime I can use the building they have in that case but average rainfall in central CA in Sept is 1/4 of an inch so it's highly unlikely

My venue was all outdoors as well with no grass, but there were wood chips laid down (maybe that's an option for them?). My sister was married in the desert, so that was all sand! The only issue was the clouds of dust if anyone danced too vigorously, but since you have a dance floor that shouldn't be a problem.

I feel like as long as people know not to wear heels, they will be fine. Although, even if the flooring was grass, they still should avoid heels. If you are really worried about it, you could gather a bunch of mismatched rugs and lay them down for a cute boho look!

You know your guests. Personally, as long as it hadn't rained and the dirt was dry, I wouldn't care. But I know I'm among the minority. Either way it's crappy your venue would do that to you and I would at least ask for a discount.

I would look at your contract and see what it says about the possibility of the landscaping not being done in time. I personally hate the feel of having dirty feet. And if I'm getting all dressed up, k wouldn't want my feet and ankles feeling dusty and dirty. No matter how packed down the dirt is, it will still get kicked up a little from everyone walking around. As a guest, I probably wouldn't say anything and would still have a good time because the main reasons to be there is to celebrate with the couple. But, I don't think its ideal. Do you have anything in the contract or other form of writing that states the completion date of the landscaping? I would look back through all the emails and paperwork and tell them that you expect them to come up with some sort of solution to this problem. And not just moving it to the backup site in doors. They sold you on an outdoor wedding in a newly landscaped area. That is what you are paying for and that is what you should get. Make them.hold up their end of the contract. Or, if you are ok with it, insist on a very large discount on the price because of the inconvenience to you and your guests.

If you do decide to keep the dirt floor, I like the idea of having a bucket of flip flops available for guests. Some may not see the note on the website and show up in heels or something they don't want to get dirty.