Ceremony Seating?

bbyckes

I'm torn.   The cremony and reception are in the same location.

I originally wanted to have seated rows for my guests during the ceremony.  If I go with this option, someone will have to move all the chairs to the tables.  I don't want my guests to do it.  I have hired 2 serves, but that seems like a lot of work. 

The other alternative is to have guests sit at their tables during the cermony.  How do you feel about that?  I think it's convienent, but I had a vision of walking down an actual aisle.

Any suggestions or should I just suck it up and arrange the tables acccordingly?

briawna

I am also having the ceremony and reception at the same location, so I know some of the problems it causes!  On the other hand, it's very convenient for other reasons!

I would NOT have them sit at the tables curing the ceremony.  I think the ceremony should be a little more formal, and all eyes on you.  People will get more distracted sitting at tables, and I think it ruins the tight knit feel of a congregation.
Instead, I would let your wedding party (maids and groomsmen) know ahead of time that after the ceremony you will need to have all the chairs moved and have them help. 

One thing I was wondering:  How many guests are you expecting at your ceremony?  It only takes 5 seconds to move a chair, so if you have a hundred guests, that's less than ten mintues to have it all done.  You could provide a little something for your guests to do while the groomsmen all make the changeover, like have the bridesmaids gather everyone and place them in good spots for a "group picture" right after the ceremony.  Photographers usually take their sweet time arranging everyone and making them fix their hair and turn a little to the left.  I bet by the time you got a few fun group shots of just the guests, the new set up would be ready and then your wedding party could jump in for a few photos and then, on to the party!!!

BecW2be

I asked a couple of guys to help out and move the chairs as people went through the receiving line, and it worked just fine. They can move 4-5 at a time, and with 10 or so guys going it took literally less than 10 minues to move 100 chairs.

weddingchaplain

A common issue for sure. My advice is to have seating for the elderly only. If your ceremony is about 20 min you're good. At the tables you will lose the feeling of intimacy in the ceremony. And then you will no doubt need a microphone for the officiant. Good Luck
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subdola

As with some of the previous posters, we just had the groomsmen move the chairs after our ceremony.  It was super fast and they were done in minutes.

bbyckes

Thanks, guys!  You have totally made my night.  I did not think it was feasible.  We'll go with moving the chairs.  I totally agree about guests being distracted and not feeling as intimate.

Thanks so much for the feedback and suggestions.

BecW2be

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_outdoor-weddings_ceremony-seating?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:666Discussion:72a19e1c-cf03-4a90-b2d3-dedff0be0509Post:ebbaea54-984e-49e4-b258-e38aa9cee278">Re: Ceremony Seating?</a>:
[QUOTE]A common issue for sure. My advice is to have seating for the elderly only. If your ceremony is about 20 min you're good. At the tables you will lose the feeling of intimacy in the ceremony. And then you will no doubt need a microphone for the officiant. Good Luck <a href="http://www.weddingchaplain.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow">www.weddingchaplain.wordpress.com</a>
Posted by weddingchaplain[/QUOTE]

I suggest you put on a pair of heels and go stand in the grass for "about 20 min." Elderly or not, it's horrible. You need a seat for every person, no matter how short the ceremony is.

CaptiolBride

YAY for groomsmen!

fiddle14

I've seen it done both ways.  With people seated at tables, it can get awkward trying to turn chairs around to see (since half the room will have a chair with their back to the ceremony area).  And I know what you mean about an aisle.

I would opt for the "theater style" chair setup.  The tables can be set up and moved into place after the ceremony (usually guests enjoy a cocktail hour while the room is being "flipped").

I also understand your qualms about overloading the two caterers.  My solution there would be to hire some non-guest teenagers or college students (maybe your friends or coworkers can connect you with somebody) to do the room flip.  Students are usually inexpensive and happy to do a little work like this for extra pocket money.  Who knows - If you have a lot of guests, you may even want to keep them around all evening to help your caterers out (collecting empty plates and trash, etc.)

fiddle14

On reading the other replies... I would hesitate to give this job to groomsmen.  They are honored guests!! 

One of my male friends said he would never be in another wedding.  I asked him why and he said that the MOB basically put the entire wedding party to work all weekend - setting up chairs, tearing down afterward, doing "go-fer" tasks the night before the wedding etc. etc.  It was a total bummer for him. 

etaraskewich

I've been to one wedding where we were all seated at our tables, whoever set them up put an aisle down the middle of the room, and it was beautiful. It was honestly the most intimate and beautiful wedding ever...there's something nice about being at a table instead of in a row (rows remind me a lot of movie theaters or big churches where you have to sit next to strangers). LOL...I'm using rows, though.

btsettles

Have you thought about benches for seating.  They are about 25 dollars per bench to rent and can hold up to 5 people per bench.  If you need more help on finding them send a message.

thks

IDzine01

I have been to a few weddings similar to yours. At one, everyone stayed at their tables. For a smaller wedding this worked out fine. For a large production I would worry the people in the back may have trouble seeing/hearing. I also went to one where a few small rows of chairs were set up and reserved for those who couldn't stand for 20 minutes. Everyone else stood and it went off without a hitch. No complaints that I was aware of. Longer than 20 mintues though and people may begin to get uncomfortable.

I haven't yet been to one where the chairs were moved. Again I think this could work for a smaller wedding but 10 minutes of chair moving for 100+ guests sounds like a very long time to me and I guarantee you your guests WILL help whether you want them too or not. That at least will cut down the time. ;-)

MrandMrsBigRedTractor

I attended a wedding where the entire ceremony & reception was crammed into the restaurant of a small country club. The tables were set on a diagonal in the room and the altar was in the far corner of the room. There was about a 7 foot wide aisle running down the middle of the tables. It was a very small wedding (about 50-60), but it still seemed cramped. And then there was this awkward silence while all the guests were waiting & thinking "okay now what?". I think it's a great idea to have everything in one, space, but DEFINITELY do not recommend for a guest list of over 50 people. OR you could have a detailed program to hand out explaining what EXACTLY is happening so guests aren't left hanging.  @:0)