 |
|
Wedding Planning
>
Q & A |
 |
Wedding
Planning: Can I have my wedding ceremony and wedding reception at the
same place?
|
|
|
Answers to your most important wedding planning questions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My wedding and reception
is at the same location,
which is a recently
renovated historical
ballroom. Is there anyway
I can seat the guests at
the 5' round tables during
the ceremony and reception
both?
I can understand your
concerns, but I have
been to weddings that
did this, and it IS
workable. It may not be
the optimum situation,
but for some locations,
it is a logical
solution.
When the ceremony and
reception are being held
in the same place,
available space often
does not allow for a
separate ceremony and
reception seating. If
they cannot both be fit
in the single space, the
only other option is to
have traditional
ceremony seating, then
have tables set up
afterwards. This can be
a logistical nightmare,
since
often there is no
logical place to
put/send guest while the
"change-over" is made.
To me, this is much
tackier than having
guests watch the
ceremony from their
tables. It also leaves
you less opportunity to
really decorate the
tables as completely as
you might if you did it
beforehand. So, unless
there is ample room to
create both ceremony and
reception areas-- or
there is a garden area
on the grounds or some
other room appropriate
to hold the ceremony--
you may well need to
have the guest watch the
ceremony from their
tables.
If this ends up being
your choice, consider
the following in your
planning----
~
Where will you enter
from? Exit to? Or will
you stay in the ballroom
and get straight to the
toasts, etc., once
you've been pronounced
husband and wife? If you
choose to leave, I have
heard couples in this
situation say that it
felt a little strange to
go in, leave, and come
back again later.
However, many couples
look forward to a moment
alone between the
ceremony and reception.
You will need to think
this through with your
fiance.
~
Where will you position
yourselves for the
ceremony? In the center
with the tables all
around? At one end of
the room, perhaps near
the wedding cake and/or
bride/groom's table?
Remember that the more
"layers" of tables
between each guest and
the ceremony, the more
difficult it will be for
them to see. If
possible, go and sit at
some of the tables and
look around you. Bring a
couple friends or family
and see how it might all
look. Sometimes a circle
or half-circle
arrangement of the
tables around the
ceremony area is the
best. Some guests will
see you from the front,
some from the back, some
from the side-- but
everyone may have a
slightly better view
than if they have to
look to one end of the
room past all the other
guests.
~
Will
guests have enough room
to turn their chairs so
that they won't have to
look over their
shoulders? Most
weddings take about 15
minutes or more, so
you'll want guests to be
very comfortable. You
will also want it to be
very obvious where they
will need to turn their
attention,
and when... so there's
not a lot of bustle and
confusion distracting
from the entrance of you
and your maids. Or, you
might actually set the
chairs that will need to
turn so that they are
neatly facing the
ceremony area before
guests arrive. Just be
sure to allow enough
walk-through room
between chairs and
tables, so guests can
easily find their spot.
~
Will
there be any obstacles
to guests' line-of-sight
of the ceremony? Are
there columns in the
ballroom? Plants or
other decorations? You
will need to think this
through carefully. You
will also need to keep
line-of-sight in mind
when you are planning
your centerpieces and
other
decorations. All the
guests will want to be
able to see you, not a
topiary, candelabra or
balloon bouquet. : )
Try to be flexible in
your thinking and
planning. This kind of
situation does not
follow all the normal
"rules", but that
doesn't mean you can't
work it out to be lovely
and gracious. I don't
know where your ballroom
is, but I have seen some
really WONDERFUL
historic ballrooms which
would be well-worth
working through the
initial
awkwardness of the
unusual logistics.
Foreverwed.com expert--
Sara L. Ambarian
|
|
|
|
Wedding
Supplies Store
SHOP FOREVER WED
1.425.353.2191
|
|
|
|
|
|
contact ForeverWed Wedding
Supplies Store, Wedding
Supplies Warehouse at 1-425-353-2191
ForeverWed.com is a premier planning site for wedding
supplies & wedding planning, for wedding and reception
supplies. Voted "Best wedding Supply Site" 2007
and 2008 with the
Lowest Prices and Best Value on Bridesmaids Gifts,
Groomsman Gifts and Wedding Supplies. Including
toasting glasses, decorations, personalized chocolates,
tin mints, Appropriate descriptive keywords
include: wedding supplies, special events, wedding
favors, reception supplies, weddings ideas. |
|
|
