Despite being the shortest part of your wedding, in most cases anyway, it can often be the most daunting and frustrating to get right.
Not only in terms of where everyone will fit, but whether you’ll have a His and Her side, who should sit next to who, and perhaps more importantly, who shouldn’t be seated together.
You’ll have thoughts on whether to put reserved signs on seats or to let everyone decide for themselves.
One thing for sure is though, you want everyone there when you walk out, so it’s important to decide what you’re walking out into.
Photography: Motion House Weddings
All Seated
For some, having all guests with a seat, including children, is paramount for their aesthetic.
Pros: From a photographic point of view, its clean, neat. There are no stragglers to the side and photography has a clean line of sight down the aisle.
It also ensures that should your ceremony go longer than expected, you don’t have anyone standing for too long or have them distracting you from the corner of your eye by moving around to walk off leg cramps.
Cons: If you’re using the same chairs for your reception later on, it’s a hell of a lot of extra work for the vendors to move the chairs from one location to the next. Not only that, but it can look messy during the move if your planner hasn’t hired a team that can move efficiently and silently. We have limited time to complete set up for all areas of the wedding so the chairs need to be moved as soon as they’re available, and this is often straight after the ceremony when group photos are being taken. So you and your guests will see “work” being done in real time. Some couples don’t mind this, some do.
Solution: Hire two sets of chairs so reception is already set up.
Photography: Balimakna
Half Seated, Half Standing
Many couples don’t feel everyone needs a seat. They have seats primarily for their immediate family and those who can’t stand for long periods of time, then leave the rest to stand.
Pros: You don’t have the issue mentioned above about the disruption of moving chairs to the reception location due to the fact there’s less amount to move. The chairs not being used for ceremony are already set up at the reception, meaning the remainder take just mere minutes to move making it a more seamless experience.
It’s also great for parents who have babies or toddlers that may cry or fuss during the ceremony. Allowing them a standing option means they can discretely leave to settle their child without causing disruption by walking through a row of seats otherwise.
Cons: It’s a challenge getting everyone to take a seat on time. Everyone is unsure of who is more deserving of a seat so it will often take several announcements by the celebrant or MC to tell everyone to fill the seats, as it doesn’t look good for photography if there are empty seats but enough people to fill them.
Speaking of photography, having half standing can also be a burden on them. Photography needs a clear aisle to do their job, particularly when you walk out as husband and wife and get showered with petals.
So that everyone can see the ceremony, guests who stand tend to close off the aisle which makes it hard for photographers and videographers to run backwards catching your exit as they continually bump into standing guests.
Solution: Make sure you have a vocal MC who not only gets everyone in their seats, but reminds those standing to keep clear at all times.
Photography: Motion House Weddings
Mix n Match
This is where you have a bit of this and a bit of that. Whether its opting for bench seating or mixing it up with benches, sofa seats, and regular chairs.
Pros: This eclectic style is awesome when you want flexibility of seating. Some guests are happy to just have a bench to sit on, sitting side by side with their friends. Some guests need a backing to support them, but something not so upright and restrictive as a traditional chair, so they too have an option if sofa style seating is incorporated. And some, who may not know many people at the wedding might find relief in knowing they too have the choice of a single chair and not have to sit shoulder to shoulder with a stranger on a bench.
Cons: If not done properly, it can look messy and not thought out. If your wedding is not a whimsical style all the way through, this will look completely out of place and can separate groups who may want to sit together, leaving seats in between for others to feel awkward sitting in. Often this furniture is also used for cocktail hour, which comes even sooner than the reception so the rush of vendors to move things into position can be even more disruptive than having all chairs.
Solution: Go with this option only if you’re having a cocktail style wedding. You’ll need more than what’s at the ceremony for the entire day, so you’ll already have cocktail furniture set up after the ceremony for guests to walk straight into, and what was used for the ceremony can be added in with less haste and no one waiting around for a seat.
Photography: Diktat Photography
There are of course two other types of ceremony seating.
One being picnic style, or, all on the ground. While it sings of bohemia and a laid back atmosphere, whether everyone is on rugs or the grass, it’s simply impractical.
Elderly guests will struggle with both sitting and standing up. Women who are in heels or tight dresses will also find it inconvenient. And getting everyone to stand for your ceremony exit will take more time than necessary.
The other is all standing. While doable, it’s uncomfortable for many of your guests, there will be constant shifting from one leg to the other – bad for video aesthetics – and it gives off more political campaign vibes than a wedding. If it’s a very hot or very cold day, no one wil want to be in that position. Trust me.
xxx
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