cocktail reception = not enough chairs for everyone

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but are you asking about cocktail hour or the entire reception?

We can do cocktail parties for up to 75 and have a seat for everyone plus extra ones. I would not recommend or do them if there was not enough seating.

This is the whole reception, not just cocktail hour. Im fascinated because I can't figure out if people chose not to sit or weren't able to sit.

I'm perfectly capable of standing but I'd be annoyed if I can't have a seat. Particularly if I've gotten up early to travel to a wedding, and maybe I'm just tired or my shoes rub.

I'm doing a cocktail style reception, but there will be tables and chairs for everyone. I'm also not trying to max out the number of people in the space.

I went to a wedding like this, even the ceremony didn't have seats. We awkwardly stood in a semi circle. It was quick though. For the reception they had a handful of high tops and we ended up staking claim to it early on. It was sort of like being at a happy hour guarding it. Sure enough someone came and stole a few stools while people were dancing or over at one of the food stations making a plate. Instead of mingling with the crowd, we were sort of pit against each other for real estate. Heels and standing is not a good combo so we ended up leaving earlier than planned. Definitely in the "seat for every butt" camp after that experience.

I'm doing a cocktail style reception in that there will be no formal sit down dinner (serving smallish plates) or seating charts. I think it is a good alternative to the standard banquet style dinner, especially for a small crowd and a more casual feeling. There will be smaller tables with chairs spread throughout the venue as well as other seating - a lounge area, outside. But there will be enough seats if everyone decided to sit down at the same time, which is a luxury I don't have when I throw parties at my house.

I would pissed if I couldn't sit down and eat, even at the prettiest of receptions.

Must have seats for everyone some people such as myself have health issues with our feet And can't stand for long periods of time

This style of reception is very common where I am from and is what I am doing. It is a very traditional style in the South from when it was expected that the bride's family hosted the wedding on their estate. People bashing cocktail receptions as a hunger games situation for chivari chairs fundamentally misunderstand all of the additional seating options not available at the empty banquet hall venues the vast majority of people here have. I cannot speak for the particular blogger or wedding mentioned but I will agree that if she is counting the lounge seating in her "not enough chairs" definition this is rude. I am only counting the seated chairs at round tables that I am renting.

For 250 expected guests, I will be renting 220 folding chairs at 22 tables in addition to 20 cocktail tables. In an empty banquet hall or bare tent where the guests are not allowed in the house I can see this causing inconsideration to the guests. However, when you factor in the multiple garden benches and wicker already in place outside and the entire first floor of the house that has two parlours filled with settees and chairs, technically speaking there are chairs for every butt as people so crassly put it.

I will add that me doing my reception this way has tripled my catering bill. I could have pitched the largest tent imaginable in a section on the grounds far removed from the house and held a seated banquet. I already have to have a bathroom trailer. However, I wanted people to mingle around and be in the house my parents restored and have a huge variety of food they could eat on small plates. The huge tent might as well be a ubiquitous banquet hall and would defeat taking on the extra work of doing this at home.

A friend just went to a wedding at Oheka Castle, his #1 complaint? Not enough seating at the cocktail hour and that was just an hour. Some food requires two hands to eat and you're holding a plate and a glass.

The last wedding I attended only had enough chairs for half the guest list. The B&G wanted people to socialize and dance. The guests who had the chairs guarded them fiercely. Which meant that they didn't get up to socialize or dance. They sat seated in the chairs all night. The guests who were standing all night (like me) didn't dance because my feet were starting to hurt and I didn't have a place to put my purse. So it actually backfired on them and no one really danced.

I recently went to a cocktail reception and half the tables were for sitting and half for standing. Even if you don't have chairs, you do need tall tables. I stood the whole time and didn't mind (I work a desk job, a girl gets tired of being on her ass all day). I don't know if that's true for all of your guests - at the very least, make sure there are enough seats for older individuals, cranky children, and people with medical conditions that could make prolonged standing difficult (or pregnant women).

No one is bashing the style of reception; they're talking seats. And yes, there should be one for everyone in some way.

I work at a standing desk. After about five hours, I want to sit down....

@kirackle yours definitely seems like the right way to do this. I don't think anyone would argue that, as the more you talk about your wedding the more I find myself hiding in your bushes...

D&G114: I've heard several people say weddings at Oheka Castle are way overrated and way overpriced.

I am planning a cocktail reception, however, There will be seating for everyone at tables so that they can have a place to put their plates and drinks while dancing and carrying on.

i do not expect to sit the whole night either, but I know at some point I will need to rest and so will our guests.

I would be pissed if I have to hunt for a chair in a nice dress with 4inch heels and a food plate. I think cocktail receptions can be fun as long as there is enough seating areas, even thought is not the norm chair and table layout.

Another cocktail reception here with enough seats for every butt. Like Celia, I use a standing desk...also like Celia, I need to sit down after a while! (And that's with wearing flats to work, which I wouldn't to a wedding.)

I also hate plate and glass juggling, as do my friends. We ended up having a station even for the "passed" hors d'oeuvres because the WP was like "we hate that!"

All of the tables are 2 and 4 top, which adds to the informality...but which gives seats for you and a table for your stuff.

Ya know, I'm not fussed about most wedding ettiquette, but this is not cool. Your wedding is not a night club, people need their very own seat. I work in a restaurant and am on my feet for 35-40 hours a week. It gets excruciating to stand sometimes, even off shift. I can't imagine how much my grandma's feet would hurt after an hour or two of standing. Bottom line: this bride cared FAR more about the pretty than her guests enjoyment. She should have picked a large enough venue to allow chairs for everyone.