Wedding Resources

Wedding Ceremony Seating Etiquette?

I'm having my ceremony and reception at the same location. The reception will be inside the building while the ceremony will be at a gazebo about 20 feet away from the building alongside a beautiful river. Problem is, due to the small area (building, riverbank, etc) they can only put out 30 chairs for the gazebo ceremony, but there would be some standing room. So the question is, is it rude to have Standing Room Only at your ceremony? If so, should we only invite 30 (out of 120) guests to just the ceremony and invite everyone else to the reception only? I know that would probably be the logical thing, but the ceremony is literally right next to the reception hall so guests arriving a little early to the reception would probably walk right by the ceremony. Any ideas on whether it's considered really rude to have to stand during a wedding ceremony? The ceremony will be very short (about a half hour or less). Thanks

Public Comments

1. No it's not rude at all. Reserve the 30 seats for the elderly and people who need to sit and have standing room for the rest. Congratulations
2. As long as you keep the ceremony short, I would make it a standing ceremony. The guest would need to know this & a few chairs for those unable to stand would be needed. I rarely attend receptions if not invited to the ceremony. Your only other choice would be a wedding & reception for 30 people. Be sure to start ceremony on time & end it timely too. Good luck & try to relax.
3. I am having a standing Wedding there nothing rude about it. You have chair for those that cant stand and non for those that can. Good luck
4. well first there are a few questions u need to ask... what the weather is going to be hot..cool.. that can be an problem with standing room only....then is there alot of old peeps , kids...what day is it Fri is a good day only close family would take off of work to come and the rest would come to the reception. i have been at a wedding just like yours in ill. in July i want not in the wedding but my date was and i was standing in heat for about 45minutes ....might as well have been 3 hrs... anyway no it is not rude.. maybe putting a little note in the invite would be nice... we had over 200 peeps at my wedding and i think i was lucky if about 40 show up at the church mine was a Sunday and the rest showed up for the reception... all the wedding i ever been to you are luck if you get 40- 50 people to the church
5. Yes, a standing wedding is fine. Just make sure that you have some seats right up front for grandparents and elderly people who can not stand for the 15-20 minutes it will take for the ceremony.
6. Considering the limited space having standing room only is fine... Have a few folding chairs for grandmothers and grandfathers who may not be able to stand for the duration... Make sure to have a short ceremony... Vows and exchange of rings... save songs and reading for during the reception so people can sit comfortably... Be sure to indicate "standing room only for ceremony" on the invitation... Make sure to have light refreshments available during the gathering time I.E. A cool drink ( lemonade/iced tea) and nibblies (relish tray: carrot sticks, celery sticks, olives, broccoli rosettes) and a fruit"melon"tray (water melon, grapes. honey dew and cantalope cut into bite sized cubes) You don't need alot of the refreshments just a bit so people can have a drink and a nibbly while they assemble for the ceremony... Make sure everything is finger/ tooth pick food... Have a refuse receptical close have nice party plates and cup available and guests can serve themselves the nibblies and dispose of thier refuse... The nibblies will keep guests happy and social as they await the start of the ceremony... (The groomsmen / ushers can help direct guests to the nibblies and drinks ... it will give them something to do while waiting besides pulling at thier bow ties and acting the fool)...
7. i think it is a bad idea not everyone is able to stand and it will be uncomfortable can't the place be opened up so all can be seated and see the ceremony. Other wise; family and wedding party only at the ceremony and have it a bit earlier that the reception so guests wont arrive during it and then invite others just for the reception
8. I am planning my mom's wedding right now, and she and her fiance are getting married on his lake. Between close friends and family there are about 80 people, which will be invited to both the wedding and reception because there isn't enough room for 150 people in his backyard. The other 70 will be invited to the reception following the ceremony (reception will be about 2 and a half hours after ceremony begins so that everyone will get to reception spot on time after pictures and all). Still there will be only standing room at the ceremony except for a few chairs for the elderly. Standing room only is fine if the ceremony is rather short (We're planning on about 30 minutes). All of that to say, no, it is not rude; it's perfectly acceptable.
9. i am also having the same situation, it's not rude to make guests stand i have been to many wedding in my family who have had there wedding outside and they provided chairs for the elderly, pregnant or mums with babies. because the ceremony is short people wouldn't mind standing. it is ok to provide 30 chairs and everyone else to stand. i was even told so from a wedding planner (they run a ceremony in there gardens, they've made there house and the one next door into a wedding sanctuary.) so it's perfectly alright.
10. It is perfectly OK to have standing room only at informal outdoor weddings. Put coloured bows or something on the seats which are reserved for particular people. Just make sure important family members and elderly people have a seat. Young people can stand, that's no hardship especially in a beautiful location. Tell you friends the situation when you speak to them about the forthcoming wedding. . .
11. Standing room only is fine as long as you have reserved seats for the older relatives & imediate family. I went to a wedding, like that, it was great. The only problem was that the recieving line was longer than the ceremony.
12. You only invite the same number of guests to both. If only 30 can attend the ceremony, then you invite those 30 to the reception. You don't invite "extra" just to the reception, that is plain rude.