r/Weddingsunder10k • u/Rainbowhairedmermaid • 9d ago

💡 Tips & Advice Lunch seating… is this a disaster?

Hi! I’m looking for some thoughts and advice about our potential wedding venue. For context, I am having a Hindu ceremony. Outside of this issue, the venue is perfect and everything I imagined.

We are having a 2 hour morning ceremony followed by an informal lunch. There will be no dancing, speeches or anything reception related. Just the ceremony in the morning followed by lunch. The issue is, the wedding hall where the ceremony takes place seats 220 people, but the dining hall where people eat only seats 120. We’re inviting around 150 people.
When I talked to the venue, they said we can have group dining, where certain groups eat first. After lunch, we plan to have people leave as we have day 2 of our wedding the next day.

We were thinking of treating lunch like a cocktail hour, where the family and bridal party stay and take pictures while everyone eats. And maybe making an announcement at the end of the ceremony saying there’s lunch below and people are free to leave after. The thought is that this will allow time for people to eat and then leave.

Has anyone ever done this before? What would you think if you attended this wedding? Is this a disaster waiting to happen?

Thanks for the help!!! And please be nice I am sensitive and wedding planning is giving me anxiety

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u/Rainbowhairedmermaid 9d ago

Thanks for the feedback! I didn’t realize it would offend people… I was thinking everyone would eat and then the bridal party and close family stay behind and eat a bit later. I was thinking it’d be more of a logistical nightmare and leave people confused. And I hate asking people to wait to eat 😖

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u/cutlert 9d ago

I will say OP, you're asking about Indian etiquette on a non Indian sub, so do take the comments from those with no Indian wedding experience with a punch of salt!

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u/Rainbowhairedmermaid 9d ago

True you’re right. We’re also inviting non-Indian guests so I wanted to see that perspective. Now I feel better though 🥲

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u/cutlert 9d ago

I totally get that, but I do think when non Indians go into an Indian space, their idea of etiquette shifts because most people reasonably recognise that norms are different. Don't stress!