Picnic blanket seating

Jen4948 · April 2014

Chairs. Even for families, chairs are necessary for every person. Picnic blankets give the impression that it's okay for kids to run around and even for supposedly mature adults to engage in horseplay and other inappropriate behavior while the ceremony is going on.

Pinterest unfortunately tends to be a source of ideas that seem cute but are not practical or polite.

Peaseblossom55 · April 2014

I vote chairs for everyone too. I have bad knees and back so it would not be fun for me. Especially dressed up for a wedding.

MobKaz · April 2014

ktjanesmom said:

But its not your wedding, its hers. And if she wants to provide the option for blanket seating she can. I do agree that there should also be a chair for every guest.

Indeed it is. But that does not give any host/hostess carte blanche to do as they wish. The OP asked whether her idea was a good one. My opinion was that I found it odd to have guests of any age sit on a ground floor for a wedding. I'm not really sure why you are choosing to be combative on a post that specifically solicited opinions.

Simply Fated · April 2014

tesskerr said:

I wouldn't be able to get up off a picnic blanket. My knees and hips wouldn't let me do it. I'd really prefer a chair.
Yup, I totally understand the blanket idea is not for everyone. But if you and your husband had 3 little girls, and your knees and hips are fine, would you rather 5 chairs crammed in rows, or a blanket with a good view? I am not set on the idea at all, which is why I asked. I just thought it would be easier for the bigger families, and the young families coming. They can keep sitting on the blankets for cocktail hour also. (Reception room will be open straight after ceremony so there will be a seat for everyone in there also)

The thing is, you don't know for 100% that both her and her husband have fine knees and hips. In fact, most men do have knee problems, as they are the first to go when playing sports. Most people don't advertise all of their ailments, so you can't be 100% sure who has ailments and who doesn't.
"Young families" ≠ No physical problems with sitting on the floor.

If anything, it's often easier to keep little kids still in seats. If they're on the floor, they have tendencies to crawl around, get into each other's space, play with the grass, etc. Kids are used to the fact that when they are put on blankets on the floor, it usually means they can play or take a nap lol. There is also the issue of disciplining the children if they do misbehave. This is harder to do on the floor while being discreet.

Finally, I'm not sure how they'd get a better view on the floor if everyone else is on the floor, too... unless they were seated in the front with no one in front of them?

RebeccaB88 · April 2014

Nothing to add that hasn't been covered already. Just putting in my vote for chairs, everywhere, anywhere. I'm not going to stand or sit on the ground. Just no.

Fairyjen1 · April 2014

I'm the only weird one that likes sitting on the ground, but only if I wasn't expected to also be wearing a cocktail dress (I always wear flats to weddings now after one too many times having to unexpectedly stand on grass.) If it were clear it were a casual wedding and I could wear jeans or business casual attire (hey, they do happen) I would be fine with it. I wouldn't go by me, however, I'm a dancer in good shape and can get up and down off the floor easily.

Maybe have a seat for every butt, but a basket of picnic blankets that people could use if they prefer.

huskypuppy14 · April 2014

grumbledore · April 2014

tesskerr said:

Ok cool. So a tick for hate the idea?

Very few people would want to sit on a blanket on the ground at a wedding. It's just not sensible. If you want blankets available for the kids, that's fine, but there needs to be enough chairs for everyone.

grumbledore · April 2014

Also, as a parent, I can tell you that my daughter would love sitting on a blanket but I would hate it.

grumbledore · April 2014

Kieralynn said:

Everyone has made excellent points in favor of chairs but I want to add one thing...

If your wedding is a casual outdoor event land you are not requiring people to dress up then I see nothing wrong with having a few blankets for those who may want to do that, as long as the ceremony isn't long. BUT I would still provide enough chairs for everyone.

Your idea actually inspired me, i'm getting married on the beach and we may not have enough chairs for everyone requiring some to stand, so now I'm thinking throw some blankets on the ground for anyone who wants to sit on the warm sand.

So... she should have enough chairs for everyone, but it's ok for you not to? Oy.

sabrina69barnes · April 2014

I'm a mom of 5 kids. I'd want chairs for the reasons above and also because a chair provides a visible boundary that a picnic blanket that has to be shared does not. Also, unless there are enough chairs for everyone and blankets in addition to that, this feels like tiered seating.

Viczaesar · April 2014

tesskerr said:

Hi everyone. What do you all think of picnic blankets for seating? Thanks to good old pinterest I have a few ideas for ceremony seating. I quite like the idea of round seating so everyone can see, and I was thinking of maybe having 2 of the sections picnic blanket style. We have heaps of kids coming, and I thought it might be a nice choice for families. Do you hate/like the idea? Would I have to have enough seats for everyone, and enough picnic blankets for everyone, or I was thinking, 100 guests, 75 seats and 75 picnic blanket seats?

I hate the idea.

Kieralynn said:

Everyone has made excellent points in favor of chairs but I want to add one thing...

If your wedding is a casual outdoor event land you are not requiring people to dress up then I see nothing wrong with having a few blankets for those who may want to do that, as long as the ceremony isn't long. BUT I would still provide enough chairs for everyone.

Your idea actually inspired me, i'm getting married on the beach and we may not have enough chairs for everyone requiring some to stand, so now I'm thinking throw some blankets on the ground for anyone who wants to sit on the warm sand.

Hold up, what do you mean by "requiring people to dress up"? You don't get to require people to dress up. That's not an actual option.

And as to your second point, fuck no. You need enough chairs to have a seat for every single butt. Having throw blankets on the ground is not really any less rude than requiring people to stand. Not having enough chairs for ALL of your guests to sit in is seriously and horribly rude. Either provide enough chairs or cut the guest list. Those are your options.

aurianna · April 2014

Something else to consider... yes, you need a chair available for every butt, though if you want to have picnic blankets too, go for it, as long as no one will be forced to use one of those instead of the chairs.

I really suggest an usher or a coordinator in your case as well if you only have exactly 100 chairs for 100 guests. Because I know when I go to a wedding I tend to not squeeze myself right next to someone else if possible. I also always opt go for emptier rows in the back than filling in seats up front. I give myself some buffer. If everyone does that at your wedding, just leaving one chair free here and there, you're going to have parties that won't be able to find seats together.
So really, I'd have more than 100 seats for 100 guests. 120 maybe.
If that's not possible, while I don't really like the idea of telling guests exactly where they can sit in general, I think in this situation it would be better to have someone letting guests know about the picnic blanket option and then for those choosing chairs, gently asking them not to leave gaps in the rows, rather than having sets of guests come in and be separated from each other. But other knotties please speak up if my judgement is in error!

lyndausvi · April 2014

Kieralynn said:

Everyone has made excellent points in favor of chairs but I want to add one thing...

If your wedding is a casual outdoor event land you are not requiring people to dress up then I see nothing wrong with having a few blankets for those who may want to do that, as long as the ceremony isn't long. BUT I would still provide enough chairs for everyone.

Your idea actually inspired me, i'm getting married on the beach and we may not have enough chairs for everyone requiring some to stand, so now I'm thinking throw some blankets on the ground for anyone who wants to sit on the warm sand.

My wedding was to be on a beach (weather prevented it actually happing. ) Dress was on the casual side (dh wore a button down and linen pants.) It never occurred to me NOT to have enough chairs for everyone. Casual dress to wedding still includes a dress or skirt for me and pretty much every woman who attended. There is no real good graceful way to sit and then get up from the ground in a dress or skirt. It's awkward. Why even encourage them sitting on the ground (blanket or not)?

lyndausvi · April 2014

ktjanesmom said:

But its not your wedding, its hers. And if she wants to provide the option for blanket seating she can. I do agree that there should also be a chair for every guest.

I agree, it's her wedding and she can do what she wants. However, she asked what we thought of the idea. When you ask, you have to deal with the answers.

ktjanesmom · April 2014

Yes she certainly CAN throw some blankets on the ground if she wants to. As long as there is a chair for every guest they can choose whether or not to use the blanket. And I was not being combative at all. Simply stating the truth. I wonder if all of you are so perfect in your every day lives or just when it comes to a wedding.

doeydo · April 2014

ktjanesmom said:

Yes she certainly CAN throw some blankets on the ground if she wants to. As long as there is a chair for every guest they can choose whether or not to use the blanket. And I was not being combative at all. Simply stating the truth. I wonder if all of you are so perfect in your every day lives or just when it comes to a wedding.

Who claimed to be perfect at everything? Or even having the perfect wedding? There is a difference between that and wanting to properly host your guests and having their comfort in mind.

ktjanesmom · April 2014

As long as there is a chair for every guest, who would it hurt to have blankets available for ground sitting? That is all I am asking. She asked one simple question and the ranting and raving commenced. Not from everyone no, but certainly a ridiculous amount of it. I think she got the point after the first 2 or 3 opinions. Sometimes the ladies on here absolutely over react to things and I just wonder if they are that meticulous in their every day lives. Treat people as kindly as you can yes but gosh if the lady wants to put some blankets out why the hell not?

lyndausvi · April 2014

Why ask the question if you don't want to know people actually think?

I don't know about you, but I've never had good luck with blankets sitting nicely on the ground or a beach. Wind seems to pick up one end and blow them around. Sure it might look nice on pinterest, but in reality they might be more of a PITA than necessary and confusing. Save yourself (general you) the time and possible frustration of buying and securing blankets if you are just going to get enough chairs for everyone anyway.

ktjanesmom said:

As long as there is a chair for every guest, who would it hurt to have blankets available for ground sitting? That is all I am asking. She asked one simple question and the ranting and raving commenced. Not from everyone no, but certainly a ridiculous amount of it. I think she got the point after the first 2 or 3 opinions. Sometimes the ladies on here absolutely over react to things and I just wonder if they are that meticulous in their every day lives. Treat people as kindly as you can yes but gosh if the lady wants to put some blankets out why the hell not?

Kauris · April 2014

Pinterest is THE WORST!

MobKaz · April 2014

ktjanesmom said:

As long as there is a chair for every guest, who would it hurt to have blankets available for ground sitting? That is all I am asking. She asked one simple question and the ranting and raving commenced. Not from everyone no, but certainly a ridiculous amount of it. I think she got the point after the first 2 or 3 opinions. Sometimes the ladies on here absolutely over react to things and I just wonder if they are that meticulous in their every day lives. Treat people as kindly as you can yes but gosh if the lady wants to put some blankets out why the hell not?

I don't understand why you are so defensive regarding this post when the OP seems quite content with the answers she is receiving. Can you be specific about the ranting, raving, and over reacting you seem to think permeates this thread? I don't see anything that comes even close to such a description.

You are the only one that began some irrelevant rant about perfect and meticulous lives. You sound a tad bitter about something and seem to be taking it out on this thread and the women who posted.

The OP asked for opinions. She did not say, "After the first 2 or 3 responses, kindly stop." Many of these posts said that although a chair should be available for every guest, there is no harm in having blankets available as an option.

MairePoppy · April 2014

ktjanesmom, what is the problem? OP asked, "Do you hate/like the idea?" We answered. She doesn't seem to be offended, so why are you?

Simply Fated · April 2014

ktjanesmom said:
As long as there is a chair for every guest, who would it hurt to have blankets available for ground sitting? That is all I am asking. She asked one simple question and the ranting and raving commenced. Not from everyone no, but certainly a ridiculous amount of it. I think she got the point after the first 2 or 3 opinions. Sometimes the ladies on here absolutely over react to things and I just wonder if they are that meticulous in their every day lives. Treat people as kindly as you can yes but gosh if the lady wants to put some blankets out why the hell not?

I'm not sure if you understand how discussion forums work. I'll try to explain...

Someone starts a thread bringing up a topic for discussion. Users then comment on the thread. They might give ideas, opinions and sometimes even ask follow up questions. This helps further along the discussion.
A successful thread is when a discussion takes place, which is what was happening here. An unsuccessful thread is when someone tries to put a stop to the discussion, usually when they don't like the comments given. This is what you are trying to do.

In this particular duscussion thread the Original Poster asked us what we thought of picnic seating. We're telling her what we think of picnic seating. So far, most people do not prefer picnic seating. Most of us prefer chairs instead of picnic seating. Which do you prefer?

Viczaesar · April 2014

ktjanesmom said:

Yes she certainly CAN throw some blankets on the ground if she wants to. As long as there is a chair for every guest they can choose whether or not to use the blanket. And I was not being combative at all. Simply stating the truth. I wonder if all of you are so perfect in your every day lives or just when it comes to a wedding.

I'm perfect at all times, in each and every way. Just ask me.

schellzinator · April 2014

I don't have anything to add except, the only portion of Pinterest I think is NOT the worst is the appetizer/food sections.

RebeccaFlower · April 2014

I think so chairs is a seriously terrible idea, but just to add... where exactly would you be putting these blankets so people could actually see the ceremony? In front of the chairs sounds like a mess since kids are likely to be more rambunctious than sitting in chairs and why put them where people can't see?

crunchymamaof2 · April 2014

ktjanesmom said:

As long as there is a chair for every guest, who would it hurt to have blankets available for ground sitting? That is all I am asking. She asked one simple question and the ranting and raving commenced. Not from everyone no, but certainly a ridiculous amount of it. I think she got the point after the first 2 or 3 opinions. Sometimes the ladies on here absolutely over react to things and I just wonder if they are that meticulous in their every day lives. Treat people as kindly as you can yes but gosh if the lady wants to put some blankets out why the hell not?

Do you think before you type? Because you just repeated what almost everyone else has stated- there needs to be enough chairs for every guest but blankets in addition to that is fine. So try to read before you make yourself look silly.

edited for confusing two posters

sofakingmad · April 2014

I had to look up what the OP meant when she said "picnic blanket seating" and while I hate jumping on the bandwagon of "this is a horrible idea," I have to say that it's a horrible idea.

I know that you saw it on Pinterest and I see that it can look really cute and be great for a photo op, but there are so many things that just won't work out with this. No one wants to sit on a blanket in formal or even semi-formal wear. If you are ok with people wearing shorts and t-shirts, then it could be somewhat ok. But also some older guests (and even younger) wouldn't be able to get up from that position. And what if the ground is wet?

If you want some picnic-y pictures of you and the wedding part or something, then maybe you can throw down some blankets after the ceremony, but don't expect your guests to sit on them.

Also, I honestly cannot imagine paying attention to a ceremony while sitting on a blanket. Your neck will get a stiff and the lack of back support would be annoying.

KPBM89 · April 2014

Ditto PP: have chairs for everyone and maybe a basket of blankets somewhere if people want to use them.

Our wedding has a picnic feel to it and there are lots of ways to make a wedding like a picnic without making guests sit on the ground or on hay bales or what have you. We saw that blanket thing on Pinterest, too, and aren't doing it; we immediately thought of my mom, who had both knees replaced within the last 12 months.

Personally, we're using small picnic baskets in our centerpieces and a large picnic basket for cards from guests. We're also making bunting for some of the decor and also pinwheels. It gets the picnic point across, while keeping the comfort of our guests/ proper hosting in mind. If you're going for a picnic, maybe some of these ideas might help you out?

Maggie0829 · April 2014

Chairs!

If I were sitting on the blanket at the beach my ass better be in a bathing suit with a cold drink in my one hand and a good book in the other while I worked on my tan.

FFS, why do people think it is okay to not have enough chairs? How does that thought even occur to them as being appropriate? You invite 100 people to your wedding then you have 100 chairs regardless of your venue location or casual feel of your wedding. Period.

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