Ceremony seating issues!! Help!!

I was in a wedding down in Texas a few years ago, they had their ceremony outdoors but only set up about 30 chairs, then cocktail tables towards the back for the "younger" crowd to stand at during the ceremony...but they were able to drink during it, I wouldn't have that at my wedding but to each their own Just an option! Good luck. I think the total number of guests were around 100

I wouldn't do the picnic blanket thing. How long is your ceremony? I would bite the bullet and get the chairs. Or maybe you can find benches? It would be best to provide seating, people are going to be in dresses and nice clothes, they don't want to be sitting on the ground or standing in the grass with heels, etc. You don't want people to remember your wedding because they were uncomfortable.

Picnic blankets are probably a bad idea. Not everyone wants to sit on the ground (elderly or not).

I'm guessing the feel of the wedding is casual/rustic. Why not get hay bales and cover them with fabric?

I have been looking around all over and they all are about $3. I thought about using haybales and buying cheap springy fabric at Walmart to put over them! Or I can use blankets as well.

Madeline, I was thinking that. We can find hay bales cheap and use old blankets to cover them! That would be cute for a lake side wedding, right?

HopeRebecca's idea is a good one. Hay bales aren't bad, but I would imagine that could get rather expensive as well. You might have to bite the cost of the chairs. Or see if you can find enough friends and family that have some. But then you'd have to transport them out. Sometimes you just have to pay for the convenience of it all.

Hay bales could definitely be cute. Just make sure your ceremony isn't too long or people's backs might get uncomfortable.

Would there be an easy way to transport the haybales off the lawn? and/or a cute way to use them in your reception decor as well?

Well, I know a lot of people with trucks. My mom was thinking about hiring some college students to do that for us. There won't be too much room at the reception for them either!

Samantha - you may want to look into the cost of hay bales, because up here in Maine, even the mulch hay/straw can be about $3 a bale. I'm assuming that the cost of the chairs also includes the cost of drop off and pick up. If you're going to bring in the hay bales and have college students do it, now you're going to have to pay for a tank of gas for the truck and that's not cheap either. I think even if you find cheap hay bales, it's going to break even with the gas...not sure...just throwing that out there. Also, will the height of the hay bales even come up to a height where they'd be comfortable to sit at a table?

You could possibly have an RSVP for the ceremony and reception, that way you know how many chairs you actually have to order. (I know its not proper etiquette) but a lot of people do not go to the ceremony, just reception,

Well, there are regular chairs at the reception, but we are not able to use those chairs! So we will not need the tables.

Jessica, we have two separate lists for the ceremony and reception and ceremony is just family. I hope they all come. ha.

I agree with MnDex...if it is in your budget, you could rent hay bales for guests to seat on and put blankets over them. Very cute and perfect for your setting!

I'd also go back to your vendor and see if you can negotiate - I'm having approx. 200 guests at my wedding - because of the large guest count, I was able to create some wiggle room with quantities of things (chairs, dinners served, etc.) You're bringing them quite a bit of business and they will most likely accommodate your request. See if you can get them down to $1.50 per chair instead of $3?

I do like the idea of the high top tables but that would make me a little nervous about having too long of a ceremony too...

What about just renting enough chairs for the immediate family and elderly guests, and the rest of the guests could stand behind for the ceremony? Unless your ceremony is really long, I don't know that people would mind standing. I went to a wedding where the couple did this, and it was beside a lake as well. The ceremony was only 10-15 minutes so it wasn't really a big deal to stand.

That seems like it would work. I am not sure how long my ceremony would be. I would assume no more than 15-20 minutes. I want to go eat and drink as soon as possible! haha. That may be able to work!

Maybe try a combination of all of the above? picnic blankets for the younger crowd who don't mind that, chairs/covered hay bales for the middle-older crowd and then standing room at the back? That sounds really quaint and unique to me. That way everyone has staggered viewing...just a thought!

Ooh, that does sound awesome! And it would be so unique and cute!

Ooh! You can add a cute chalk board sign with some instructions in a rhyme, like maybe

"Today's our wedding day,

For seating anything goes!

Choose blankets, hay bales

or your own tippy-toes!"

Sorry, I'm not that good at rhyming, feel free to switch it up.

And maybe ask the groomsmen/ushers to help explain it a bit better.