Outdoor wedding seating

Maybe benches? If you are having a cocktail hour could the chairs be moved to the reception site during that time? That way you could just use the one set of chairs.

Huh? Why can't you rent chairs?

Can you tell me a little bit more info? Are you getting your tent, tables, chairs from the same company? Is it possible to get some things from one rental company and the rest from another and so on? I need more info before I can try and give good advice... I too am having a back yard wedding so I figured I have something in common adn could give advice...

There are some party places where you can rent benches. If you look around online I bet you can find some that would be more cost effective than 500 chairs.

Depending on the length of your ceremony you might be able to get away with having just standing room for most and rent some chairs for people who actually need it (elder guests and such). You can use metal poles and ribbons to delineate areas for people to stand in so you don't just have one huge mob.

But are all these people invited to the reception as well?

Benches are a great idea! Also, maybe if you have a farm like theme or country chic theme you can DIY partial seating adn do some seats with hay stacks with a lower table?

Yes, I'm confused as well. I would think a rental place that could provide a tent big enough to handle that many people would be able to provide the chairs. Or at least benches? What are the missing pieces?

Oh ok sorry i forgot to explain,

We cant rent 1000 chairs its too expensive for us so we need something DIY or very cheap. Or an effective way to move the chairs from one field to the other without asking guests to carry their own chairs. The cocktail hour idea has potential though thanks!

Oh! I had this problem! I need chairs for the ceremony and then chairs for the reception dinner (I'm a fellow back yard bride) I talked to my caterer, who we are renting our chairs from and she said that we can rent one set of chairs and they will move all the chairs from the ceremony, in the back yard, to the reception area inside the house... I don't need 500 I only have about 150 guests but it was so great that they will handle it for me... are you renting from a company because they might be willing to help too... even if you have to pay for the labor it might be cheaper than renting a whole new set of chairs...

Move the chairs. Have some of the guests pitch in. If they are folding chairs, you can fold them, put them on a flat trailer and drive them over to the reception tent where there are people ready to take them off the trailer and set them up. It sounds like you will need several trips. The only other option is hay bales, (a lot of work), or standing during the ceremony. Personally, I would have about 100 chairs for the ceremony where family and elderly guests would be seated. Your ushers could handle explaining it to the guests. The rest of the guests could stand. Unless your ceremony is longer than 20 minutes or so, most people can stand. There's no way to hide the fact that chairs are being moved. You will need a lot of ushers anyway for 500 people!

If I understand correctly, you need to move about 500 chairs from one location to another. This usually works fairly well if your rental company and/or caterer sets up the chairs in the ceremony area first. Then, after the ceremony, as your guests move to the cocktail area, have the catering staff and/or rental company staff move the chairs and place them around the tables. (or hire a few people for a few $$$ to move all the chairs)

Good luck!

Teens will do it for a few bucks..... I've seen plenty of couples do that.... or frat brothers, etc. Cheaper than the catering staff.

What about Hay, I went to an outdoor wedding and along with chairs they had hay barrells or whatever you call them that we could seat about 4 on. They were so cute with ribbon all around them and decorated very nice.

Yes, I understand the dilemma......we are going to use the same chairs for ceremony and dinner....while guests are on the deck for Cocktail hour, a select few helpers will form a human chain to hand off chairs from meadow, up to sideyard.