80 people in 2000 sqft... doable? (paint, couches, dining room, code)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
About 99% of the time, our house is more than large enough for our needs. This may be one of those times that really pushes it. I am having a party for my youngest sister's graduation this May, and I think a reasonable headcount is 80 guests, possibly more.
If the weather is nice, it will not be a problem. We have a big back yard, access to a nice tent, and a deck that can comfortably seat 20 people.
If the weather is bad, I am worried. Our backyard has a depression that runs the length of the property that gets very muddy when it rains, and the deck is not covered. In that case, We would have 80 people or so indoors.
I cannot really imagine what our house would be like with 80 people in it. Would it be a fire code violation? Our living room/dining room area is about 600 square feet, and the finished part of our basement is about 600 square feet as well. The upstairs den can probably handle 20 people or so comfortably. I did a rough count in my house and we have about 20 spots/chairs at tables and about 20 seats on couches/loveseats/benches. If we serve food as heavy appetizers, is this just asking for a giant mess?
My wife says not to worry because the weather is nice in May, but we live in Ohio: the only thing predictable about the weather is the unpredictability. Am I in over my head or all worried about nothing?
If OH is like my area of PA, the graduation will be an open house, right?
Not all 80 people will be there at the same time. We had over 100 and we were fine.
I'd still put a tent outside, even if it rains.
Can you situate it away from the depression.... like in the driveway with access from the garage, or elsewhere in the yard?
Edited to add: Do half the food you think you will need. People graze at grad parties, especially if there are several the same day.
Oh, and a full sheet cake WILL go....
Will all 80 people be there at once or will it be more of a "come-and-go" affair? I had 38 at Christmas in a 3600 sq ft home with two living areas. Other than not enough places for everyone to sit and eat at the same time, it worked out.
I have also seen people really clean up an attached garage and use that as overflow space. If there are a lot of little kids, designate one of your bedrooms a play area for them.
I would be more concerned about the stress on bathrooms! If you have a garage attached to the house, move the cars out and have the space available in case it rains. Good luck!
Thanks for all of the input. It didn't really occur to me that not everyone would be there at once. Now that I think about it, the older generation will probably come in the late afternoon and the college crowd will probably come three hours late.
Clearing the garage is a good idea. I can stash my motorcycles in a friend's garage if the forecast looks like rain, and then the guests can admire my collection of old shot-up license plates and beermaking equipment. My wife may object, but then I can suggest we use the workshop/utility/laundry room for overflow instead and let people admire our old paint and laundry basket collection.
Parking is not really an issue on my street, but I will make sure that my immediate neighbors don't have any outdoor contractors coming that day.
As far as people showing up, my family ... travels well. When my cousin graduated from the Air Force academy, thirty nine family members from Cincinnati made it out to Colorado to go to his party. There is a running joke that boyfriends/girlfriends of my cousins are hesitant to marry into the family because the wedding guest list is around 80 for just our side of the family, and many of us have big families on both our mothers and father's sides. I don't know how many of my sister's friends will show up, but I can count on a solid 50-70 from my family.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
