How to transition between ceremony & reception when in the same room?

Question

I have a logistical question for all of you concerning my winter wedding ceremony and reception...

I am getting married in December and due to travel concerns in snow, my fiance and I have decided to hold our ceremony and reception at the same location. The only problem with this is that we only have one (quite large) room for the entire event. We are both a little non-traditional in that we don't want a cookie cutter wedding or all the normal details that are associated with one (hence not being married in a church or having a formal meal).

We are holding the candlelit ceremony at 7pm with a large dessert reception immediately following (this will include the wedding cake along with a huge array of other beautiful desserts-my fiance and I are huge dessert people!). I'm playing with the idea of having the room set up for the reception right from the beginning, leaving a sort of aisle down the middle of the room leading to a stage at the front were we'd do the vows etc.

My only problem with this is how exactly do we transition between the ceremony and reception? We won't be leaving the building (like you normally would from the church to the reception site) so do we still do a receiving line somehow? Could we go straight from "you may kiss the bride" to walking out to the dance floor for our first dance? Do we take the microphone and thank everyone for coming and then go cut the cake so the dessert reception will begin and people can eat?

I guess I'm just looking for some advice on what you, as a guest, would think the best option is given this situation. I do not want the transition to seem awkward, nor guests to be confused about what is going on.

Oh, and having the room "flipped" from a ceremony set-up in the beginning to a reception set-up afterward is not an option unfortunately.

Thank you all in advance!!

Answer 1

It sounds wonderful! I love the idea of going from your first kiss right into your first dance.



After your dance, cut the cake. Do the toasts and your speeches. No need for a receiving line, just make a point to visit with your guests at the their tables.



Enjoy your lovely wedding!

Answer 2

Depending on the size of the room and the number of guest invited you have a few options on how to make the transition smoothly. If you have enough room to split the room down the middle by closing one side off from the other with material or something. You could make one side the ceremony site and have the other side set up for the reception. Having the guest move from one side of the room to the other would be a great transition. If you do not have enough room to do that the idea of having them sit at the reception tables from the begging is a great idea! One way to make this transition is to hide the deserts and cake and when the ceremony is over you could have someone open the view and show your dessert buffet and cake. Also another way is that you can walk out of the room after the ceremony and have someone announce you back in signaling the transition. The one thing you have to realize and that every bride has to realize is that it's your wedding. Do it the way you want it. If you want to walk out to the dance floor right after you are pronounced husband and wife and do your first dance then do it. If you want to say thank you and cut the cake then that will work too. Have your special day your way and have fun! Congrats and good luck!

Answer 3

The venue you chose is beautiful. A couple of years ago my cousin had his wedding and reception in the same room. All those invited were friends and family and we actually sat at the tables during the wedding. They had the tables marked with bride's family/friends and groom's family/friends and had an aisle down the center of them. It was very beautiful. After the ceremony they went to the back room again and took a few photos and then the wedding party entered again and each person's name and relationship to the couple was announced. I think with the addition of the arch your's is going to be breathtaking and since you'll be entering from the stairs it will be even more elegant. There is just something so beautiful about a bride on a staircase. Congratulations.

Answer 4

Ooh, my sister something similar to this--the ceremony was set up like a typical ceremony, with an aisle down the middle and rows of chairs on either side. After the ceremony, the happy couple proceeded back down the aisle, behind the guests, and circled down the outside aisle alongside the seats. My parents met them at the other end of the room, and stood in a receiving line. As the guests emptied their seats to go to the receiving line, the hotel staff quickly cleared all of the chairs away, wheeled in the bar, and set up some cocktail tables. The guests essentially circled around the parameter of the room from the ceremony to receiving line back into the cocktail hour. It ran very smoothly!

Answer 5

I have been in several weddings where the reception was held in the same area as the ceremony. If another area in the same building is available for about 30 minutes to an hour, you can set up wine and drinks and appetizers in that room. An announcement will be made to clear out of the room. Obviously you'll have to think of a tactful way to ask people to go to the other room. But it is a common thing.

Answer 6

I would think a pretty easy way to break it up would be for you and the wedding party to leave the room directly after the ceremony for a few minutes and collect yourselves. Someone could make an announcement saying that dinner will begin in ... minutes and to relax and mingle. Then you and your party could be introduced into the reception and go from there.

Answer 7

Leave the room after the ceremony is finished and have the room fixed up while your gone the reenter to start the reception.



As for keeping it all pretty. have part of the room separate for the ceremony so your guests can move over to the reception after you leave the room. Then have the ceremony bit taken away.

Answer 8

I really like the idea of going from "you may kiss the bride" into your first dance! But you've got lots of great answers here so I'm sure you'll find the perfect way to do it.

Either way I don't think it will be awkward at all, it sounds wonderful, enjoy your big day! xxx