Wendy from Cary asks, Can we have the ceremony in the same place as the reception?

Some of our brides want to have the ceremony and reception in different locations because they may have a meaningful attachment to a certain place for the ceremony, but the ceremony site may not offer a reception venue that fits their personality. Additionally, our brides may opt for a more traditional ceremony, but want a non-traditional reception, so they choose to use separate venues.  And most of the time, a church can’t offer exactly what you’re looking for in a reception.

But can you have it at the same place? Absolutely!  Having your ceremony and reception in the same location not only eliminates driving headaches for your guests (possibly getting lost, getting stuck in traffic, or having to find parking), but it also can save on costs!  If you do want to keep it simple and in the same location, try to make sure that they’re not in the same room.

There are a few things you may have to worry about when having both events in the same room. You may have planned reusing the chairs that you used for the ceremony for the reception, so you would have to move them while all of your guests are standing around, which could be difficult. Additionally, the caterer may not be ready for the guests to take their seats, so not having a room for the guests to temporarily relocate for “cocktail hour” may cause confusion.

Guests have more of a clear understanding if you have the ceremony and reception in the same location, but not in the same room because there are specific rooms or areas blocked off for each event.  Plus, you’ll want your guests to clear out so you can take some pictures!

But overall, just make sure you have clearly designated areas and your guests will not be confused!