Space inside of a wedding venue
December 5, 2022 2:00 PM Subscribe
I am getting married soon (5 months from today, eeek!) and my reception venue has a LOT of extra interior space. What are some neat, fun, or creative things we can do to use it? Things like a bridal lounge, groom lounge, kids room, and dance floor are already covered. The space is wide open and has hardwood floors, windows, all brick walls, and is well-lit.
The way that it was staged when we saw it was half of the room is set up for the ceremony, and half for a seated reception with a dance floor in the middle. Our ceremony is going to be off-site, so we have twice as much room as we need. The room can fit over 500 people, we have roughly 200.
Our ideas already are to have the food buffet in that area (there are curtains that can divide the room), have some high-top cocktail tables for conversing (there's already a little lounge area for that as well), and maybe have a set of bags for people to play. We'll have a photo backdrop of some sort.
There is already plenty of room for the gift table, escort cards, all of the normal wedding reception stuff, I am looking for some outside-the-box suggestions. I do have a budget, but don't let that stop your creativity.
The way that it was staged when we saw it was half of the room is set up for the ceremony, and half for a seated reception with a dance floor in the middle. Our ceremony is going to be off-site, so we have twice as much room as we need. The room can fit over 500 people, we have roughly 200.
Our ideas already are to have the food buffet in that area (there are curtains that can divide the room), have some high-top cocktail tables for conversing (there's already a little lounge area for that as well), and maybe have a set of bags for people to play. We'll have a photo backdrop of some sort.
There is already plenty of room for the gift table, escort cards, all of the normal wedding reception stuff, I am looking for some outside-the-box suggestions. I do have a budget, but don't let that stop your creativity.
Bring a bunch of Hula Hoops. A few drinks in and Aunt Gladys will show off a skill she hasn't used since she was a teenager.
posted by bondcliff at 2:36 PM on December 5, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by bondcliff at 2:36 PM on December 5, 2022 [5 favorites]
Bouncy castle.
posted by Iteki at 2:41 PM on December 5, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by Iteki at 2:41 PM on December 5, 2022 [4 favorites]
Introverts' colouring table! Seating, markers, blank paper, and maybe get a friend to draw a caricature of the couple that people can colour. You could have a little gallery area for finished ones and a prize for "most creative", for kids and adults.
My friends did a candy bar, with glass containers of their fave candies, scoops, and paper bags, with all their favourite candies. They included little framed stories about how the candies figured into their relationship (she mailed jawbreakers to him when he was abroad for a year, they shared a pack of sour kids at the cinema on their first date, etc, with photos from the right time period). It was cute and fun.
Time capsules! My friends set up a table with pens, slips of paper, an old typewriter, and some large jars (they used cute metal "spaghetti canisters" from the dollar store) marked with time periods - 1 month, 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years - and you could write them a note and stick it in the time capsule, to be opened on that anniversary. Groups of friends had fun writing inside jokes to put in these. In the 20 year jar, people also put in random items they had in their pockets, like a used transit pass or the sleeve from a pack of gum or a $5 bill, which would be charmingly vintage by the time they're rediscovered.
Centrepiece table - On the sign in table, my friends gave every guest a teeny bud vase with a single flower - and they had 10 different flowers. Each table had a single (different) flower in a large vase. You used your tiny flower to find your table, and then all the guests' little vases became part of the centrepiece, and could be taken home as wedding favours.
Photo booth for sure! If you want to splurge, you could rent the kind that spits out little photo strips, one for the guests and one for the couple - you can include an album for guests to put it into. Maybe one of the rotating video booths? I suggest NOT giving people silly props like sunglasses because the photos are way less cool when you can't see anyone's face!
Small ball pit for kids! You can DIY it with a foam mat on the bottom and a large playpen (the Summer Infant PlayYard is a good one -you must put down a mat though as it has a fabric bottom). You can often find the balls on FB Marketplace for really cheap. This requires some supervision but is really fun with the right crowd.
Fortune Teller - Set up a table with pens and give a "worksheet" with fun, positive or silly fortunes to fill out (and leave some blanks at the end for creativity).
In 10 years, the couple will be ___.
In the year ___ they will buy unknowingly each other the exact same weird gift and it will be a ____.
Their favourite vacation will be ___. Even though they have a little rough patch when ____, they'll never forget the joy of ___.
The qualities that will keep them together through thick and thin will be Spouse1's ___ and Spouse2's ____.
They will be shocked to one day discover that they have a shared love of ____.
Cornhole. Make the holes your mouths.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 3:17 PM on December 5, 2022 [4 favorites]
My friends did a candy bar, with glass containers of their fave candies, scoops, and paper bags, with all their favourite candies. They included little framed stories about how the candies figured into their relationship (she mailed jawbreakers to him when he was abroad for a year, they shared a pack of sour kids at the cinema on their first date, etc, with photos from the right time period). It was cute and fun.
Time capsules! My friends set up a table with pens, slips of paper, an old typewriter, and some large jars (they used cute metal "spaghetti canisters" from the dollar store) marked with time periods - 1 month, 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years - and you could write them a note and stick it in the time capsule, to be opened on that anniversary. Groups of friends had fun writing inside jokes to put in these. In the 20 year jar, people also put in random items they had in their pockets, like a used transit pass or the sleeve from a pack of gum or a $5 bill, which would be charmingly vintage by the time they're rediscovered.
Centrepiece table - On the sign in table, my friends gave every guest a teeny bud vase with a single flower - and they had 10 different flowers. Each table had a single (different) flower in a large vase. You used your tiny flower to find your table, and then all the guests' little vases became part of the centrepiece, and could be taken home as wedding favours.
Photo booth for sure! If you want to splurge, you could rent the kind that spits out little photo strips, one for the guests and one for the couple - you can include an album for guests to put it into. Maybe one of the rotating video booths? I suggest NOT giving people silly props like sunglasses because the photos are way less cool when you can't see anyone's face!
Small ball pit for kids! You can DIY it with a foam mat on the bottom and a large playpen (the Summer Infant PlayYard is a good one -you must put down a mat though as it has a fabric bottom). You can often find the balls on FB Marketplace for really cheap. This requires some supervision but is really fun with the right crowd.
Fortune Teller - Set up a table with pens and give a "worksheet" with fun, positive or silly fortunes to fill out (and leave some blanks at the end for creativity).
In 10 years, the couple will be ___.
In the year ___ they will buy unknowingly each other the exact same weird gift and it will be a ____.
Their favourite vacation will be ___. Even though they have a little rough patch when ____, they'll never forget the joy of ___.
The qualities that will keep them together through thick and thin will be Spouse1's ___ and Spouse2's ____.
They will be shocked to one day discover that they have a shared love of ____.
Cornhole. Make the holes your mouths.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 3:17 PM on December 5, 2022 [4 favorites]
You said the kids room is already covered, but I do wonder if a kid-friendly space in the main area might mean that some adults can be with their kids, or keeping an eye on their kids (not babies or toddlers, but say elementary school age), while still being part of the main festivities.
posted by bluedaisy at 3:33 PM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by bluedaisy at 3:33 PM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
You said kids' room, but teenagers are not going to want to be with the kids or with the adults.
Teenagers these days (cough, cough) don't seem to know how to socialize with strangers, so perhaps a cordoned off area for teens to plop into bean bag chairs or other sort of schlumpy, comfy places to play with their phones in parallel until the eating/dancing has begun?
Or, maybe tables set up with Jenga, funny jigsaw puzzles, or or card games like the knock offs of Cards Against Humanity (for Harry Potter and whatnot). Similar card games: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Exploding Kittens, What Do You Meme?
Mazel tov on the forthcoming wedding!
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 4:23 PM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Teenagers these days (cough, cough) don't seem to know how to socialize with strangers, so perhaps a cordoned off area for teens to plop into bean bag chairs or other sort of schlumpy, comfy places to play with their phones in parallel until the eating/dancing has begun?
Or, maybe tables set up with Jenga, funny jigsaw puzzles, or or card games like the knock offs of Cards Against Humanity (for Harry Potter and whatnot). Similar card games: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Exploding Kittens, What Do You Meme?
Mazel tov on the forthcoming wedding!
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 4:23 PM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
How about lawn games, played indoors? You could throw down astroturf for a "lawn."
Imagine your college pals, little kids, teens and uncles having rousing games of Cornhole, ladderball, or bocce, while in formal wear.
We borrowed a little pop-up Cornhole set from our library recently, and had a fantastic time playing it in a hallway on Thanksgiving.
The novelty factor could be a ton of fun.
posted by champers at 4:24 PM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Imagine your college pals, little kids, teens and uncles having rousing games of Cornhole, ladderball, or bocce, while in formal wear.
We borrowed a little pop-up Cornhole set from our library recently, and had a fantastic time playing it in a hallway on Thanksgiving.
The novelty factor could be a ton of fun.
posted by champers at 4:24 PM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Video games. Including some VR. I've been to two weddings with this and it was a huge hit.
posted by evilmomlady at 4:29 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by evilmomlady at 4:29 PM on December 5, 2022
If I was at your wedding? I would love a 'Chill Corner', where there's a bunch of beanbags one can sit in. You can also have fidget toys, coloring supplies, stuffed animals, and/or plugged in charging cables, for people's phones or Switches. Also have it food friendly, where people can bring their reception food to eat/drink. Don't necessarily have it blocked off, so that people can still watch the reception.
Also make it clear that anyone can use it, and it's AOK to hang in there, as long as desired, so no one should feel pressured to participate by others. And after the wedding? Offer up the beanbags/fidget toys/stuffies/coloring supplies for guests to take home.
posted by spinifex23 at 5:21 PM on December 5, 2022
Also make it clear that anyone can use it, and it's AOK to hang in there, as long as desired, so no one should feel pressured to participate by others. And after the wedding? Offer up the beanbags/fidget toys/stuffies/coloring supplies for guests to take home.
posted by spinifex23 at 5:21 PM on December 5, 2022
Aahhh, a big empty room feels so wrong when you’re after a fun and intimate vibe. So my very much in the box suggestion is just to close off half the room with a temporary “wall”. Maybe a screen? You could project things onto it (pictures, geometrics, your favourite and most sentimental music videos or movie clips)
posted by cotton dress sock at 9:20 PM on December 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by cotton dress sock at 9:20 PM on December 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
Are you going to have Oldest People? One or more than one? Can you figure out how to get them comfy and slightly throne-like seats that make it easy for other people to come talk to them but don’t set up immiscible groups?
posted by clew at 11:26 AM on December 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by clew at 11:26 AM on December 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
Our wedding (two geeky dudes) was very "us". Ceremony was short & sweet, reception had a few rental TVs with consoles hooked up playing Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero. Pizza buffet. Everyone loved it.
I love the idea of a coloring table for introverts. That is just fantastic.
posted by xedrik at 6:16 PM on December 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
I love the idea of a coloring table for introverts. That is just fantastic.
posted by xedrik at 6:16 PM on December 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
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