Give me your opinion: upgrade chairs or use the free/venue chairs?

I think you should go with the default chairs because they look good and no one will notice or care about the chairs.

I like the look of the white folding chairs. (I had them at my outdoor backyard wedding!)


I wouldn’t get chiavari because they look fancy/ballroom and since your reception is outside you might be going for a different esthetic?

The brown is definitely cute but “sticks out” a lot against the white/ivory table linens.

I think it depends on the vibe you’re going for. Good luck! Let us know what you decide!!!

I suggest not upgrading the chairs and saving the money for other things that will be noticed more by guests. Guests won’t really notice the chairs much. Neither will you once pictures come back from the photographer.


I noticed during planning that the when vendors gave you multiple choices on the smallest of things, that was when you would question whether you should be upgrading/spending more. I didn’t even think about napkin shapes until my venue asked 2 days before my wedding. I was like “Wait…what…is that something I should have been thinking about?” Then I realized I wouldn’t care after the pictures came back and told them “Just lay them on the table 😂”

Save your money and stick with the chairs you already have.

The chairs in our venue weren’t my favorite necessarily. However, I didn’t think it was worth spending extra for other chairs. And I didn’t really think twice about them on wedding day. I don’t think the guests cared and I didn’t really notice them in pictures either. I would just stick with the chairs the venue has. I kind of like them anyway

Stick with the chairs you've got and save your money for something that you and your guests will notice/appreciate more

I upgraded the chairs at my venue because of their relation to past experiences with dance competitions and I didnt want to think of that during the wedding or when I see photos. That being said I dont remember even paying attention to the chairs during the ceremony at all! I think that if you'll be distracted by the folding chairs, then upgrade but otherwise save your money and use it somewhere that feels more important! Those folding chairs look great with your venue

I would stick with the folding chairs. I think they actually fit the garden aesthetic a lot better than the chiavari chairs. Also, from the looks of the photo, it appears the folding chairs actually have padding on them, which is going to be much more comfortable for your guests than sitting on a hard unpadded chair.

Those default chairs are really nice! Unless you’re super in love with the other styles, there’s no reason to spend the extra money. Folding chairs are a little bit more manageable to move as well in my opinion 😅

I chose the white folding chairs. They were perfectly comfortable and reasonably attractive.


I don’t like chiavari chairs. They’re not comfortable. If you are set on upgrading, I’d go for the brown cross backs. They’re cute, but does it matter? Probably not to guests. Guests just care if they’re comfortable.