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.

Can I just ask - this venue doesn't really seem suitable for 70 people so what made you choose it knowing the numbers that were involved?

pizza is fine for a wedding but it has to be something a bit different and special - not microwaved mush or chain store.

Have you considered heating at all? even in the summer it can get pretty chilly in the evenings. Make sure you tell people to bring something warm along just in case. again you don't want people leaving at 9pm because they are freezing. we went to an afternoon do once in a marquee with no heating and it was just so cold it was grim. seating and flooring are a must. lining nope unless you can afford it. Lighting - definitely need it but you can recycle strings of Christmas lights for this.

the trouble is, and I blame pinterest, these boho, festival type weddings that look like everything has been thrown together with hay bales and grass floor and all, look cheap but the reality is that they aren't.

I go back to my first question, why this venue when you are going to have to be paying out for so many other things to make it usable?

@Kidssendingmenuts that's a good idea I will!

why are you paying for a venue and a marquee? surely it would be cheaper to find a bigger venue?

Honestly some of the replies on this thread!! We are having a garden party for our wedding, Id better start fretting about putting a floor over the grass and scrap the buffet so that I can dish up a 4 course banquet!

OP I think if you are inviting friends and family that love you and are happy for you, it wont matter if you have hay bales (straw bales are much softer and usually cheaper), pizza and slightly soggy grass. It sounds like a lovely more informal do and Im sure everyone will have a lovely time. Not every wedding needs to be a grandiose affair, some of the best ones Ive been to have been informal barn dance type celebrations.

The venue has huge sentimental significance for us and we just love it. There's room for up to 200 in various different areas - our plan A is outdoor ceremony in huge area surrounded by trees with eating in the room I've mentioned (fits 70 comfortably) and the evening reception in the marquee as the room we are eating in doesn't have power and the floor is a bit uneven so fine to walk on but not to dance/kit out for an evening do. Plus we can leave the caterers to it as they kindly clean up afterwards too!

Plan B if it's pouring down is ceremony and eating in the same room with some clever furniture moving in between, there's room to stash tables etc. And then marquee for evening.

Also the loos are close to the marquee for when the seal has been broken

By that I mean some areas can have up to 200 in there at once, some can have 30, not that you have to split your guests up and only a chosen few actually see the ceremony 😂

I love a pizza buffet at a wedding. My friend got married recently and got loads of dominos pizzas delivered and then had a small buffet of sandwiches, quiche etc. It was very well received so don't let others put you off the idea.

Lol at Domino's being the cheapest sort of pizza!

I think your marquee and food options sound great, but agree with pp about needing enough seats.

Probably people will hardly eat anything in the evening anyway if they've been there all day.

@ShadowsInTheDarkness a garden party sounds utterly delightful and I hope you have the best time!!

Pizza sounds great. I really wouldn't bother with sweets. Is it one of those "life is sweet so grab a treat" cart things? Waste of money (in my humble opinion).

Are you having any heating anywhere in the venue? sounds like you aren't. so even in summer it could be really cold and you need to plan for this. Its june and I am sitting here inside in a big jumper and would not want to be outside in a marquee for 5 + hours.

could you ask people to contribute towards things for the wedding rather than buying you a present (you probably already have or don't need?)

I get it that you are on a budget and you want to have diy but your guests have to be comfortable and warm don't they?

are you getting married in a barn OP? they are very trendy at the moment for weddings apparently.

@mummymeister yes the venue provide heaters - I'm also cold blooded and sitting here in my dressing gown waiting for tea to cook in the middle of June!!

I'd definitely bother with a sweet cart if you have loads of non-lentil weaving families coming.

Unlimited sugar at my cousin's wedding was the highlight of the decade for my DDs. Kept them entertained for hours.

No @mummymeister it's the grounds of a museum type attraction so lots of history, old buildings etc

Sweets throughout the day? I missed that...
For the love of God, why??

It'll be fantastic

You sound far more fun than most BTB's on MN

Sweet cart is a great idea too. Pizza and a sweet cart sounds like my ideal wedding. Any room for me OP? I am happy to stand 😁

Don't choose a marquee as a way to cut costs. They need to be naice marquees or they are just cold tents. Friends had their meal in one, on a lovely day in July and it was quite cheaply done and was chilly the evening was inside and I was glad. My cousin had full wedding in a Marquee in December, full on luxurious one and it was warm and beautiful

@Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar the weddings I've been to, the sweets always go down well and it will be nice sweets. But I'm in two minds about this, it's cheap to do and I could happily scoff ferrero rochers at any hour of the day

@EmmaC78 as long as you promise to dance until the early hours and gorge on wedding cake with us you're in!!

Count me in 😁

And Me

I'll man the standby welly desk👍🏼

@MarthasGinYard I think you deserve a seat for that 😂