No Seat Ceremony Formation

The fact that there aren't seats won't go over very well. Hopefully it is a very short ceremony and you start exactly on time.

I don't think it's appropriate to ask your guests to stand for your ceremony. If it was maybe 5-10 people and the ceremony was less than 10 minutes but 50? How will they all see?

I'm not sure I'm understanding correctly. Are your guests standing for your ceremony?

Absolutely no seating? What I would try to do is, if you really can't/don't want seating for every guest, rent enough seating for the older guests and your parents. You can put a cute little reserved sign on them. Then everyone else would naturally stand behind those seats, thus ensuring the bridal party has enough room.

Your ceremony needs to be in a location where there is a seat for every butt.

You need to have seats and then you'll be able to have your space defined.ETA: if you are going to go through with making your guests stand, which is awfully rude, you need to let them know ahead of time so they can decide if they don't want to attend the ceremony.

@stephanie was thinking the same thing and then noticed the wedding is in one month. OP do you have a pic of the ceremony space to give a better idea of what you're working with? ETA: spelling

Wow, I didn't know everyone would be so quick to judge. At no point did I indicate it was going to be a long ceremony or that my guests did not know. My guests do know and our entire interaction with our pastor lasted about 8 minutes during the run through so I'm going to go out on a limb here and saying the 15 minute ceremony won't cause anyone to stroke out. AmandaJEffery221, I really like your suggestion! I hadn't thought of that! Thanks!

OK, so we're planning on having our guests standing as well -- gathered around us, alongside the ocean. We will have chairs available for anyone who may need one, and the ceremony will be 5-10 minutes only. We'll be in the shade on a grassy lawn. Our wedding will be super casual, and in my mind, I feel this will create a sense of intimacy a la "we are gathered here today..."

I think standing for a short small ceremony would be fine. Maybe have a hostess direct everyone.

As a vertically challenged person (5 foot) I would not like standing to see something this important. If I am not in front, I miss the whole thing and I wouldn't feel comfortable pushing my way to the front at a wedding. I would be worried I was blocking mom or grandma. So I would miss the whole ceremony.

We are planning on having our guest stand for the ceremony. Our venue simply does not have space for 100+ chairs. They have had ceremonies there before. What they do is have 20 or so chairs that we can use for family and elderly guest. I plan to put signs on the seats reserving them and to let our guests know via the website that it's standing room unless you tell us you need a seat. We will have seats for everyone at the reception which is at the same location. As long as your ceremony is shortish and you have some chairs for guests who can't stand, I think you will be fine. Is there someone who can direct your guests to the general area to stand? That way they won't make the circle to small.

I would be ok with standing for a short ceremony. In fact, our inclement weather plan would likely have immediate family sitting and all other guests standing behind or on the loft above so that they can all see.

I think, based on your description of the set up, standing would be just fine as it sounds like an intimate space. If it were a big open space but everyone was forced to stand, that would be weird, and I'd probably be thinking 'why didn't they give us chairs?!'

Where is your wedding taking place? Hopefully somewhere warm. And I don't think guests will appreciate standing no matter what the length. Eta rjmargo are you seriously having 100+ guests standing during your ceremony and only20 chairs? Wow. Good luck with that. Sounds like a horrible idea unless your ceremony is literally 5 minutes and you really don't care if people can see or not.

I agree with those who say it's rude to make your guests stand, regardless of the length of your ceremony. I would also add that having some chairs reserved for VIPs is even ruder, honestly.

Uff. Everybody's a critic. You're fine. I'm sure your ceremony will be beautiful, and the suggestion of having a few chairs for elderly / infirm guests act as the guide for where people should be standing should work out well. If you're not able to do that though, do you have anyone who might be able to act as an usher to guide guests to their designated space? Or possibly put little decorative flags in the ground (cute ones, not like, construction ones or anything) to act as signs?

I highly doubt your 50 closest family and friends would consider it rude that you gave your grandmother a chair while they stood for 15 minutes to see you get married. Honestly.

Yes, it also solves the problem of people being worried about blocking mom or grandma. As they've been given a seat up front. Is it ideal? Of course not. Of course it's best for everyone to have a seat. But she's not 6 months out asking if this is a good idea. She's 1 month out and realizing there are logistical problems. Still too late to change venues or anything like that. And as FutureMrsMcCoy said...it's not 200 people being forced to stand while 4 sit. The 50 who are there will most certainly not resent giving the elderly and the parents a seat in the front row. Isn't that what we do at most weddings anyways?

I attended a wedding like this - there were just enough seats for family and elderly guests. Funny enough, we wouldn't have sat anyways because it POURED right before and during the ceremony, so all the chairs were drenched. They were able to dry a few and put umbrellas next to them for the elderly guests and an ill family member, but the rest of us were hiding under umbrellas by the side of the house. I wasn't terribly offended - the ceremony lasted about 10 minutes. Definitely have enough seats for elderly/ill guests, though

FHS cousin did this in the woods of the great smokie mountains and it was beautiful! Some reserved seats for parents and elderly and the rest stood. It was very intimate and quick, nobody had any issues.