Everybody stand up!

I don't know about how the guests feel, but if I didn't do this, I bet they'd think I forgot.

If you want your guests to stand, have the officiant say so. If the officiant doesn't say anything about it either way, I always assume I should stay seated.

Thank you! This is helpful.

I think most ppl just stand anyways.

Kind of depends on the crowd I think. If you have a lot of guests who have not been to many weddings they may not know. Totally up to you though!

The officiant didn't make any comment about standing at my cousins wedding. So when the bride entered like two people stood up, I started to stand up but did that awkward sit down quickly because no one else stood up and people were looking at each other like do we stand or not?

I would have officiant say something!

Huh. I've never heard "please rise." Everybody just knew to stand when they see the bride.

I thought it was just standard for the officiant to say this. As Celia said, if they don't say it, people might think presume they messed up and forgot.

Jeez, I'm glad I looked at this thread. I would have assumed that people knew to stand without having to be told.

I didn't think about this but my officiant did say it and I liked that. At a previous wedding we were told to stand but then it got akward as half the guests remained standing through half the ceremony. They were waiting for someone to ask them to sit. I didn't know that was a thing but based on our experience at that wedding, asked our officiant to mention something for when people can be seated again.

Thank you for all this feedback! I honestly cannot remember if the officiant has said anything at the weddings I've been to, so it's very helpful to know that they probably did and I just don't remember. I think I'll have ours say something just to be safe.

I've been to several weddings where nothing was said but people stood anyway.

My officiant did tell ppl to stand for the bride. It didn't even occur to me that that's something she would say/do, otherwise I would have specified to leave it out so people remained seated, because it was awkward as fuck for everyone to stand as I walked in. Like, I'm not judge Judy coming here, just relax.

I have been to weddings where some ppl stand and others sit and some ppl cant see so i would have them announce it

We actually didn't want people to stand, because a) we don't see why people should stand only for the bride, b) it's annoying to sit down, then stand up, then sit down, then stand up, and c) people can't see when everyone stands. So we asked our JP to announce that we were requesting everyone remain seated, and they did! It was perfect.

If you want people to stand, I would definitely have your officiant announce it.

I would have the officiant announce guests to "please rise" or "please stay seated" that way there is no confusion. I've been to weddings who have had guests stay seated and I've been to ones where they had the guests stand, so it's all up to you.

I'm not sure if the officiant said something at my wedding but everyone stood up. Then I went to a wedding after and the officiant did not say anything and no one stood up.

At the weddings I have been to I have seen the mother of the bride stand at the appointed time so everyone else followed

I think it's common knowledge to stand up and show respect for the bride

Our family doesn't need a verbal reminder. It's her moment, and somehow all of us know that we're supposed to get off of our asses and honor the bride. Never fails. Never.