Stand or Sit??

amberhanson · June 2010

We are thinking of having our guests stand for the wedding and maybe having one row on his side and mine for those who can't stand. We are thinking the ceremony will be at most 20 min. Will this be OK? Any suggestions?

jagore08 · June 2010

I've stood for a 15 minute ceremony before and didn't mind it but there were only about 25 guests. If you do this then you should think about making sure there's enough room for everyone to be able to see you (hence it working well for smaller guest lists).

If you're having a larger guest list or there isn't enough room for people to spread out to get a good view then I would opt for sitting.

agk0125 · June 2010

I wouldn't go chairless unless there is a place nearby for your guests to sit while they wait for the ceremony to start. Yes, your ceremony may only be 20 minutes, but guests will arrive early and will have to stand the whole time while they wait. If you don't start on time that's even longer people have to stand. Not to mention heels on grass never ends well.

Then, they will go to cocktail hour if you are having one, which almost always means even more standing.

Definitely get chairs.

bbyckes · June 2010

No. Chairs for everyone.

FutureMrsDudley55 · June 2010

Every butt needs a seat. Standing for 20 minutes is still quite long, and your guests aren't going to arrive right when the processional starts. Many will begin arriving about 30 minutes prior to the ceremony actually starting, so having to stand for 50 minutes will not be percieved well at all.

MISSCOURTNEY20 · June 2010

Chairs for everyone. You never know what people are going through, physically, and someone who may not usually mind standing, might need to sit down.

ecsmiles · June 2010

Definitely chairs....Often times people show up early so for your 20 min ceremony they could end up standing for closer to 40.

mrs.c21 · June 2010

Chairs for everyone! FutureMrsDudley is right, people will be standing almost an hour if they arrive early. Also if something goes wrong and the ceremony starts late, it will be even longer. Younger people generally don't have problems standing for that long, but if you have older people (grandparents, etc), they're definitely not going to like standing that long.

kashibear · June 2010

I agree with everyone.. Get chairs. It may not seem necessary since its a smaller guest list, but you don't want to run the risk of anyone being uncomfortable.

Plus, like the girls said before, most of your guests will be there early.

Leanne&Bruce · June 2010

Hmm I don't have chairs but i have the stair railings for my 30 guests to lean on. I do have chairs for the elderly. Our ceremony is only 20 minutes too but people do have the option of sitting inside while drinking wine and eating cheese before the ceremony.

theobaldk1 · June 2010

My wedding is also taking place outdoors, and we too are having an extremely short ceremony. Our guest list is expected to be around 200 persons and our wedding is extremely formal. Because of the venue we have chosen (a beautiful historic home overlooking the Queen City and the Ohio River), we are limited by space for the ceremony seating. We will only provide 50 chairs for those guests that require seating due to age or health. I have discussed this with my wedding planner and she feels as though it is fine, and has shown me photographs of numerous wedding in which the bride and groom have chosen this option (they were all beautiful). Our reception tent is a mere 20 meters away and houses a/c and enough seating for all of our guest. The only suggestion I have to you is to provide your guests with the information that the ceremony will be outdoors (assumable) prior to their arrival, this way the weather is not a concern. Remember that this day is about your and your fiance. It is not about your guests! While we all want our friends and family to enjoy themselves, and spend months planning to insure that this happens, twenty minutes of standing will most likely not ruin any person's evening!

shoegal715 · June 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_outdoor-weddings_stand-sit?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:666Discussion:c7581ea6-9cb8-47a3-ada0-3c0ce2c78c71Post:ce14632c-c01a-456d-83cc-d637283e55ee">Stand or Sit??</a>:
[QUOTE]We are thinking of having our guests stand for the wedding and maybe having one row on his side and mine for those who can't stand. We are thinking the ceremony will be at most 20 min. Will this be OK? Any suggestions?
Posted by amberhanson[/QUOTE]

<div>NO - it is not ok to make people stand. I have a condition where I can't stand for more than 5 minutes. All of the blood rushes to my legs, and I get very swollen and uncomfortable. I can walk for 5 miles, but I can't stand still. </div><div>
</div><div>The people considering having no chairs or limited chairs should really re-consider. It's extremely inconsiderate. Even if I was one of the lucky few who got a chair, I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself - I would feel guilty sitting while other guests have to stand. </div><div>
</div><div>I think no chairs / limited chairs is one of the rudest things a couple can do. Way ruder than no open bar, long wait between ceremony and reception etc etc.</div><div>
</div><div>EVERYONE should get a chair.</div>

eholtz89 · June 2010

I think it depends on how many guests you have and the percentage that would have to stand. I'm in a similar situation - the garden we're having the ceremony in only seats 20, and we'll have about 55 at the wedding. It's a weird layout, not a traditional garden, and it's what they have, so we're going with it. We are planning on having a very attentive usher make sure that older people get seats and my college friends are standing in the back. Since it's a small group, we know pretty much everyone's health situation, and I'm planning on making sure people are okay with standing. I guess if we get a big uproar, we will move it inside.

I'd also say cut that ceremony time down to 10 minutes or so if you can. That will lessen the discomfort for the people standing.

tashala107 · June 2010

This is something I put my foot down with my FI. He wants to go without, saying people would only be standing for a short amount of time, but I insist. I want our guests to be able to relax and enjoy the ceremony, not be shifting weight trying to find a comfortable position to stand. Plus, I think guests standing will make for horrible pictures haha

apartin83 · June 2010

Another thing that I've noticed at ceremonies where people are standing is that there is less attention paid to the ceremony itself. People can't see, they're shifting around, and they naturally start whispering to one another - I felt terrible at the last wedding that I attended with standing because NO ONE was listening to the vows or really paying attention at all. So unless it is an extremely small wedding, I would say everyone should have a place to sit. Yolu want the attention on you and the special moment!

Midgie373 · June 2010

Everyone needs a chair.

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