transition from ceremony to reception in same location?

[lucyh]

Please help! My FI and I are talking about having our ceremony and reception at the same site. I''m trying to visualize this and am having a hard time. My sister had a very traditional New England church wedding where the bride and groom walked down the aisle together and gathered outside in the church courtyard where everyone met them before they all headed off separately to the reception. We''re thinking of something smaller, with perhaps only 30-40 people. I''d still like to walk down an ''aisle'' with my Dad...

What happens after we''ve said our vows? Does everyone cheer, push back the chairs and start the party?

Have any of you had experience with a similar set up?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[tiffanytwisted]

Hi. My wedding and reception will take place at the same location. It is an old Victorian greenhouse in a park in St. Louis. I think I have it figured out and I hope it works, (weather permitting). The ceremony will take place inside, after the ceremony the bridal party will go to a few locations in the park for pictures. While we are doing that the guests will have a cocktail hour outside and the dj will have the speakers set up to play music. Hors d''oeuvres will be passed and a bar set up outside also. Dinner will be inside, so at that point the dj will announce us when we return. That''s my plan anyway, and if it rains we will all be stuck inside for the duration!!
Good luck!

 

[Jas12]

I am doing pretty much the same thing. I am getting married outside by the lake, i will leave for pics and will have a jazz quartet playing in a nearby spot where my guests will have cocktails. Then they will move indoors for the dinner, where my new hubby and I will join them and everything will be set up.

My fiance went to a wedding at a museum where the ceremony was in the same room as the dinner was to be served, so they had guests move into another smaller room while the set-up took place. I think drinks were served. I think it is important to take your guests out of the space for sure, if possible, until the receptions space is set up. In my opinion it is good to provide them with refreshments of some sort, so guest who arrive alone have something to do other than just stand alone.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

We have our ceremony and reception at the same site. We got married on the golf course. After we said our vows and he pronounced us we went down the aisle (everyone clapped) the wedding party followed us, and we sneaked back up they side to "release" the rows. Our WP put ribbon (tied in a bow) on the chairs next to the aisle to keep people from leaving early. We untied them and thanked every guest (and mostly hugged) individually. Then we had our cocktail hour with apps. in a seperate room while we took the rest of our pictures. Finally someone rang a dinner bell (seems wierd now but not at the time) and everyone took their seats (they opened the doors to the ballroom). We (and the wedding party) was announced and we went right into our first dance.