To have people standing at a wedding?

[itsallgravybaby]

More of a WWYD - hope you follow this long one

We're getting married on a budget and have hired a venue to DIY most of it. 70 guests.

For our evening reception we want to hire a marquee and the recommended size is 6x15 or 6x18 to fit some tables for 50 people and a dance floor. The cost of this is close to £2k but includes delivery, set up, lighting, flooring and dance floor.

The venue have now started hiring a 6x12m out that just goes on the grass but I don't know if it's acceptable to have less seating and just a dance floor and seating for say 30 people. It's only £500 though so a massive saving and we can DIY linings etc and they can also put a dance floor in for us too.

So my questions is AIBU to hope that most evening guests will be up dancing or mingling and not need seating for all 70 guests?

There's also some outside seating (July wedding) and will have lots of foldable chairs knocking about if they can squeeze in. We can't reduce the guest list unfortunately so that's not an option.

[MagicNumberyThings]

So 20 people standing/dancing at any one point

People won't stand up or dance - they'll be afraid of losing their seat.

[RaspberryBeret34]

I think seating for 50 with 70 guests would be plenty especially with the option of a quiet room with chairs too. Fewer chairs than people would be the norm in, say, a marquee where they'd remove some tables from the dance floor. Also, I don't think weddings normally have extra seating when evening guests are added. In my experience there has always been plenty of spare empty spaces. Also, you know your guests and might be able to predict how many would need a seat all evening and how many would want to dance?

I was also going to suggest straw/hay bales with cloths/blankets on for a festival type vibe.

[itsallgravybaby]

Yes @Rafflesway we have a few guests with dietary requirements (vegan, halal and gluten free) so we will add extras as well as pizza

Was going to have a dominoes type feast so pizza, wedges and chicken to soak up the booze.

[C2205]

Bales of hay... Wtf? confused
Yes iamagreyhound it's brilliant and cheap for marquee's

[Rafflesway]

Ooh now so long as you promise to leave the garlic off the chicken and the wedges itsallgravybaby I'm in!! 😄😄😄

oh and a chair for this doddering Old bugger

[greendale17]

What about if we didn't have flooring or linings to make the marquee cheaper - would you care or notice?

Might as well get a gazebo and have it in your back garden

[Rafflesway]

I think the covered hay bales sound great fun!! I'd be up for one of those.
great excuse for a good looking young man to help me up 😂

[EstrellaDamn]

I was at a wedding where some people had to stand and there was outrage - a lot of people were pissed off, and that's fair enough.

It's expensive to attend a wedding; the least you can do is cough up for seating.

[DuchyDuke]

If you can only afford a wedding for 30 people then don’t invite more and make it the best party you can afford. There is no point skimping on essentials to invite more people - it’ll just make you a laughing stock.

[nosleepforoverayear]

I went to a wedding like this and there we're 15 pregnant women and elderly relatives all having funny turns from standing too long and in heels. You must have seating for everyone, sorry it will be worth the additional cost to have happy and comfortable guests. Well that or you provide flip flops for every female guest!

[itsallgravybaby]

@Marmelised how awful I hope she's ok now!

To be fair the ground is grass, very flat and surrounded by trees and next to a big house so they have said people usually don't need flooring with their site marquee. It also goes up 2 -3 days beforehand so chance for any damp to dry out.

The pics they've sent me have been tables and chairs on grass with a dance floor and they've said it hasn't rained on a wedding yet but they could be just saying that

[Scribblegirl]

A word of warning - don't just go for bales of hay. I went to one wedding where the only seating available was bales of hay or the benches we sat at dinner. Lovely wedding but I kept sneaking off to the loo to get some lumbar support because my lower back was really killing by 5pm - and I'm a fit and healthy 20-something!

[Katgurl]

I wouldn't be happy to have to stand. I think you should reduce your guest list and take care of them properly.

[itsallgravybaby]

@Scribblegirl I thought this too. My mum's in a wheelchair (but can transfer to seats and hobble small distances) and back pain is awful so I think hay bales would be nice in theory but I'm all for proper chair backs also so I won't fall off and land arse over tit in my posh frock

[expatinscotland]

'To be fair the ground is grass, very flat and surrounded by trees and next to a big house so they have said people usually don't need flooring with their site marquee. '

Of course they'll say that. Don't believe them.

[irregularegular]

Just for an evening do? I think that's fine. Who goes to a party of any kind in the evening and sits the whole time? Think about house parties, drinks parties etc. You stand. So long as there is seating for older people I don't think that is a problem. And it is a big saving.

[EstrellaDamn]

Also - hay bales mean getting scratchy bits of hay stuck in your arse. Nobody wants to get dressed up for a wedding then sit on a bale of hay!

[MamaMiapartytime]

Was going to have a dominoes type feast so pizza, wedges and chicken to soak up the booze.

So sounds like a jeans and t shirt event? So will heels etc matter.

[itsallgravybaby]

@expatinscotland the pics ive seat of it have been school type benches in it just on grass - so they've used it for eating not dancing

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

You always need enough seating - including enough that is away from very loud music.
A SiL and I once had to go out in the drizzle at a family wedding - it was the only place we could have a natter without literally having to shout at each other. The music was appallingly loud - God knows why anyone thinks that sort of volume is necessary. There was similar at a previous family wedding with nowhere to escape to.

[Butterymuffin]

they've said it hasn't rained on a wedding yet

But that doesn't mean it won't! That's pure luck.

Fair play to you though OP you're actually listening and taking this all on board. Doesn't always happen with brides on wedding threads The two marquees idea sounds promising. Can you look for a deal on the pizzas to keep costs down there? Don't just get Domino's, see who will do you a good deal.

[itsallgravybaby]

@MamaMiapartytime

It's an informal vibe but we weren't going to specify a casual dress code as such so those that want to get dressed up can do so

Most of the guests (50 of 70) are under 30, fit and healthy so I might just put something on the invite about parts of it being outside weather dependant so to bring appropriate footwear. Or even some cheap flip flops for those that still wear towering heels and need something flat

[specialsubject]

invite fewer people, not enough money means a bad party. Ideally women would wear shoes that dont hurt, but many do for some reason. and every one wants to sit down at some point.

[itsallgravybaby]

Thanks @Butterymuffin I want my friends and family to have a blast celebrating with us, but not at the expense of their feet and backs 😂

Yes I think I'll ring around and get some quotes from restaurants, even takeaways if they can handle the volume they might give us a good deal

[SaucyJack]

You will need seating, but if the weather is good then I don't personally think it needs to be formal table and chairs yadda yadda.

My 2 for a tenner Halfords camping chairs are as comfy as anything else in my house. Fishnet beer holder; and I'm good to go (stay and sit?)