One hundred is not one hundred when you’ve invited one hundred guests to your wedding ceremony, but the last ten arrive to find no chair available for them to sit in. But why, you ask, would this happen? Because there are going to be empty chairs in a number of places, leaving your final guests standing awkwardly at the back of the ceremony space. Here are a couple of scenarios I’ve seen at recent weddings:
Scenario 1: One couple did not spend time deciding exactly which family members they wanted seated in reserved seating at the front of the ceremony space. They casually said, “Just leave the first two rows on each side of the aisle for family”. Each row had 10 chairs on each side of the aisle. The result – the last four to six seats in each of the first two rows were empty as the last guests arrived. All other seats were taken, and guests were standing around looking lost, having been told the first two rows were reserved for family. The venue had set out exactly the number of chairs asked for by the couple, which was exactly the number of guests they were expecting. Solution: Either ensure that the family will fully utilize the chairs in the reserved rows, or have extra chairs set up so non-family guests have a place to sit.
Scenario 2: Many couples are opting for a more relaxed approach to seating their guests. Rather than having ushers formally escort guests to their seats, the guests are handed a program (if one exists), and invited to seat themselves wherever they wish, leaving the first x rows for immediate family. With these instructions, guests often leave an empty seat between groups, resulting in a scattering of empty single seats throughout the ceremony space. The last 10 to 20 guests are greeted with inside seats that are difficult to gracefully reach and without the ability to sit together. So they stand in the back. Solution: Have your ushers ask people to not leave empty seats between themselves, and have some extra chairs set up, knowing that some people will still leave empty seats. Another way to address this situation is to ask that the chairs not be placed right next to each other. Leaving just a couple of inches of space between the chairs provides an extra bit of shoulder and elbow room for your guests, and can usually be easily accommodated in outdoor ceremony venues where you’re not constrained by walls.
In each scenario, setting a few extra chairs removes some stress for your guests, makes everyone feel that they are expected and welcome, and allows your guests to take their seats quickly and without fuss. That allows you to start your ceremony on time and begin your wedding celebration on a happy note… all with the simple addition of a few extra chairs.