This is a series of posts currently being featured on the Real Weddings Magazine blog and was previously posted on February 27th.

One thing to consider when exploring wedding venues is that some venues may need to charge you a separate fee for each space – one fee for the ceremony space, another for the cocktail room and another for the reception room.

If you’re set on your dream venue, but have a limited budget, minimizing the number of spaces you utilize within the venue might be a quick and easy way to pare down your budget. With the help of excellent venue staff, you, like our Recessionista Bride Stevie, can easily create a one room wonder to host multiple events in one room.

Stevie and her groom Blake booked the beautiful seventh floor Terrace at The Citizen Hotel for their wedding – and with some creativity (and some tough decisions), we were able to make their wedding event a One Room Wonder.

First up, Stevie and Blake needed to edit their guest list. They paired it down to just their nearest and dearest (coming in at about 100 guests). They felt this was the perfect number to be able to host both the ceremony and reception in one room – it just took some careful planning!  Here’s how we did it:

By placing the dance floor before we set the ceremony chairs, we were able to layer the space to minimize the time spent on turnover between the events. Immediately following the gorgeous ceremony, guests were drawn to the back of the room for hors d’oeuvres and drinks while the lovely Citizen staff quickly removed the chairs and expose the pre-set dance floor. The ceremony table became the sweetheart table and voila! We had a reception.

Be prepared, if you feel the removal of chairs during your cocktail hour would be too much of an eyesore, then this concept may not be for you – but if you’re willing to offer your guests a 10 – 15 minute distraction, you can easily move 100 chairs during that time. Some other ideas for you to consider to accomplish your One or Two Room Wonders:

• Hide your reception behind screens, draping or a removable wall – this is a great way to create drama for the reception reveal!
• Offer a cocktail reception in another area while venue staff flips the room from ceremony to reception.
• If your venue has the space, drape the room and hide the pre-set tables behind the draping, once the chairs are removed, the tables can be brought in – leaving the table decor a surprise!”

Are you planning a One Room Wonder or a similar room transformation?

Tune back in to the Real Weddings Magazine blog on March 6th or to the KME Blog on March 7th for the next installment: Recessionista Bride Series: The Dessert Table.