Standing Room Only Ceremony

checkthedramatics

I'm looking at the Como Zoo Conservatory as a venue. It's a good mix of outdoor (what he wants) and indoor (what I want).
The only problem is that the Conservatory can only put a maximum of 10 chairs for the ceremony. We're going to keep the ceremony under 25 minutes but I feel a little "eh" about making people stand, but then again, I will be standing for the entire time, so...
Thoughts?

Peavy

A chair for every butt.  25 minutes is a long time to stand, assuming your ceremony even starts on time.  Add on to that arriving 15-25 minutes early, and people will be standing for 45 minutes.  Put on a nice dress and heels, then go stand outside for 45 minutes, and you'll see why everyone needs a place to sit.

Cackle6

The space she's talking about only fits 10 chairs - the rest of the guests stand along the side (it's a conservatory with a long skinny pond in the middle - the guest stand on one side, the other acts as an aisle). It's a beautiful space, but I didn't consider it after learning most guests would have to stand.

OP, have you looked at Black Bear Crossings, right down the street from Como Conservatory? We had our wedding there - it's outdoors, but covered by a huge pavillion so even if it rains you're covered. It rained our entire wedding day and everyone stayed nice and dry under the pavillion My siggy pic is from our ceremony there.

RebeccaB88

Every butt needs a seat.  Period.

banana468

So your're saying you're fine asking your guests to stand for about 45 minutes?   Many will get there early and no seating means you're telling them that you just don't care.

Standing only sucks.   If they won't let you have seats in that space then it's not the space to exchange vows.

NOLAbridealmost

Definitely don't have a standing ceremony.  My brother had a wedding with about 130 guest and only 20 chairs for "immediate family."  I was one of the "immediate family" so I had a chair and I felt SO uncomfortable to be sitting while other people were stuck standing behind me like second-class citizens.  There weren't even enough chairs for the whole immediate family so my husband had to stand in the back while I sat by my parents.   I would have been mad if I had been standing, but I felt enough guilt from being able to sit while others stood that it was not much of a consolation. 

Guests were talking about it that night and STILL mention it months later. 

And, yes, you'll be standing the whole time, but the adrenaline and the fact that you're actually participating in the event (and the fact that you're choosing to stand the whole time whereas guests would just be caught off-guard) makes your situation completely different than your guests' situation.

PP from your local area had a GREAT and beautiful suggestion for another venue. 

Your other option is having a private ceremony with only 10 guests. 

HobokensFury

People need chairs. Period.

lostmykeys

I'm pretty tolerant.  A lot of things that people on these boards find "rude" I would be okay with.

That said, I think it is rude to ask guests to stand for a wedding.

MoxieMickie

If you don't think you need chairs, put on a dress and heels and stand without moving an inch for 45 minutes.
Back when I could stand, I would have been okay if it were a 5 minute ceremony with procession, short greeting, and vows. If I were standing there for 25 minutes listening to readings,  watching the couple listen to a song and light candles, I would have been upset.
Now that I can't stand (but don't look like it), I would skip the ceremony and I would skip the reception, unless someone confirmed there was a chair for each person.
ETA: I understand you will be standing for the ceremony itself. You are probably putting a little more effort into this wedding than your guests, so that's not an accurate comparison.

checkthedramatics

I realize I'm posting 1mo + after my orignal posting, but we saw the site and passed.
In regards to the standing room only, a friend of mine had a beautiful cermemony last fall in NYC, and it was mostly standing room- no one cared.

Thanks all for your input.

awelter

If you let them know what's going on most people won't care, plus having people stand and gathermaround can actually feel more intimate.