Spinoff: Chairs are Important

bizzy592

Quick question:

How important are chairs for cocktail hour? We're obviously renting enough chairs for everyone for the ceremony and reception. For cocktail hour we'll have a few bars open throughout the venue (indoor and out), and some small tables with chairs here and there. Is it necessary to have a seat for every guest? Has anyone calculated a cocktail hour:guest chair ratio?

huskypuppy14

I think the more chairs relative to people you have the better, ideally you'd have enough for everyone. I've been to cocktail hours with chairs for everyone and ones where there are only a few or none. I think people don't mingle as much because they want to hold their place.

My cocktail hour had more seats than people (it was inside/outside, and the inside portion was the same place as the reception, so people could sit at their seat if needed). Most people were up and about mingling. 

levioosa

Yes.

It is incredibly rude not to have chairs. 

lovegood90

Yes, please have enough chairs for cocktail hour. I've been to a few without and it gets really annoying after about 10 minutes.

I hate this idea that because it's cocktail hour means everyone will enjoy standing for an hour. An hour is a long time, people! Especially in heels, with a purse, drink and app in hand.

bizzy592

Well that was easy

Thanks!

flbride2015

Can you make the reception tables available? That's what we're doing. People can sit at their tables during the cocktail hour. Hopefully that isn't an ettiquette violation?

lyndausvi

I've worked plenty of cocktail hours.    True hour long cocktail time you can easily get away with less chairs.  Not no chairs, just a lot less.  If cocktail hour is in a different room I would say have seats for about 50 percent.  In some cases even less. Those can be in any form (sofas, bistro tables with chairs or benches.  

Generally speaking people tend to be walking around saying hello to various people.  Especially those who are family.   They tend to spend a lot of time walking around saying hello to family they might not have seen in a while.   Most men will stand.  I'm not saying ALL, just most. 

I've seen plenty of empty seats during that time.   Towards the end of the hour is when you see people wanting to sit down.

annathy03

It's ideal to have one for everyone to be prepared, but I agree about half would probably work if your cocktail hour is a true hour and you have cocktail tables so guests can set my things down while they eat the appetizers.

Basically if I have no chance to sit down at all or if I have to have H hold my drink so I can eat with one hand while my other holds a little plate then I side-eye.

JCbride2015

I'm surprised so many PPs say it is rude to not have enough chairs during cocktail hour.  I think it's pretty standard to have some chairs, but not enough for every butt.  That is, as Lynda pointed out, if it's only an hour.  Shouldn't be any longer than that.  

lyndausvi

JCbride2015 said:

I'm surprised so many PPs say it is rude to not have enough chairs during cocktail hour.  I think it's pretty standard to have some chairs, but not enough for every butt.  That is, as Lynda pointed out, if it's only an hour.  Shouldn't be any longer than that.  

I'm not surprised at all.   Some people have it in their head you must have chairs and anything otherwise is unacceptable.

Yeah, no.   every situation is different.  Hour long cocktail reception before a full dinner-type reception that has table and chairs is different then a 5 hour cocktail reception with no chairs.

thisismynickname2

For me, few seats during cocktail HOUR are fine, so long as there are plenty of high-boy tables so people can eat appetizers and put their drink and purse down if they want. 

People walk around mingling so much. Plus, they just sat through a ceremony. Maybe they sat in a car to get from ceremony to reception. Hopefully they're going to sit for at least another hour or two for a full meal.  I've just observed that most people don't want or need to sit during cocktail HOUR. 

(But know your crowd- must have some seating for the elderly or disabled at bare minimum.) 

MyNameIsNot

I've never been to a wedding that had seating for all at cocktail hour, except where cocktail hour was in the same space as the rest of the reception. Ours had seating for about 40%.

In my experience, most people are getting there during cocktail hour, use the facilities, walk around and say hello, and grab a drink before they even think about stationing themselves somewhere. If it is a true hour, I can't see the need for 100% seating. I do agree that high tables, bar space, etc are really important to allow people to enjoy a drink and a bite, and that sufficient seating for anyone that needs it is important. 

redheadbride15

Our ceremony space will be converted to a cocktail hour space immediately after the ceremony. The venue coordinators will move the ceremony chairs around some small tables in the first 5 minutes of the cocktail hour. Since we'll obviously have enough chairs for the ceremony (duh!) there will be plenty for the cocktail hour too. I suspect that the chairs will remain half unused though, because we'll have an open bar, appetizers, some tall cocktail tables, and loads of outdoor lawn games.

I do agree with PPs that say that tables are probably more important than chairs at a cocktail hour. There is nothing more annoying than trying to balance a drink in one hand and an appetizer plate in another hand when you're holding a purse and meeting and greeting a ton of people (which usually involves hand-shaking or hugging)

climbingsingle

JCbride2015 said:

I'm surprised so many PPs say it is rude to not have enough chairs during cocktail hour.  I think it's pretty standard to have some chairs, but not enough for every butt.  That is, as Lynda pointed out, if it's only an hour.  Shouldn't be any longer than that.  

Ditto this. I think out of all of the weddings I've attended, not one had a chair for every single person during cocktail hour. Most times I end up standing at a cocktail table. 

bizzy592

Thanks all. This is closer to what I've experienced as a guest, so I'm glad to hear that I won't need to clutter up the place to provide a 3rd seat for each guest (on top of chairs in the garden for the ceremony, and on the terrace for dinner). So we'll get a handful of high tables without chairs, and low tables with chairs, for around 50%.

badbnagdway

bizzy592 said:

Thanks all. This is closer to what I've experienced as a guest, so I'm glad to hear that I won't need to clutter up the place to provide a 3rd seat for each guest (on top of chairs in the garden for the ceremony, and on the terrace for dinner). So we'll get a handful of high tables without chairs, and low tables with chairs, for around 50%.

I think this sounds fine. The only thing I would add is, if you have a coordinator or someone else in charge of getting people where they're supposed to be on time, make it clear to them that cocktail hour is only one hour long, and that if you are taking pictures during cocktail hour you expect to be cued when it is almost time to head to the reception. 

I say this because I think a lot of times cocktail hour is supposed to be an hour, but the bride/groom/WP/photographer are in the photography-zone and lose track of time. A solid hour turns into 90 minutes. At that point your guests would be wishing for more chairs. 

bizzy592

badbnagdway, that's a good call. We're debating doing a first look so that we can spend cocktail hour with our guests (and be more present hosts), and this definitely adds weight to that argument.

ETA I love your signature!!

banana468

Our cocktail hour was in the same room as the reception but I've been to plenty that didn't have enough seating. 

That said, the most annoying ones were those that ran long.   I'm cool walking around without a seat for a short time but once you push me over the one hour mark I start to think you suck. 

bizzy592

Fair enough! I wonder if it would be feasible/practical to ask the planner to read the room, cutting the hour short if people are getting tired/hungry/whatever..

Has anyone done this?