RESOLVED: butt=seat! Having some guests stand during ceremony

A chair for everyone.

I think 100 chairs would be better than 50-60 and telling people to stand.

This is a terrible idea. What kind of host invites someone to stand?

Standing would most certainly cheapen your event.

You absolutely need a chair for everyone.

I've been to weddings that do the sit-stand mix and it gets hella awkward very fast. cram in the chairs, including a few extras. every butt needs a seat both for your ceremony and the reception.

Butts = chairs. I wouldn't side eye a packed ceremony, but I would freak out about a standing one

If you're worried about tacky - making any of your guests stand is tacky - especially if its solely to conserve your aesthetic

Get a seat for every behind.

I'm running into this problem with several of the venues I've looked at as well! As much as I would personally hate to be cramped at a wedding, I would feel weird if it seemed like first come first serve for chairs- I wouldn't feel right asking a child to give up their seat for a grandmother you know? It would be awkward for everyone. I feel like cramping people in would be the better option!

No, this is not a plan. For starters, a 20 minute ceremony ends up being more like 35 with pre-seating, a processional, and then leaving. It's uncomfortable. You can't dictate who will sit and who won't; hunger games for chairs? No.

Get chairs for everyone. And what if it ISN'T 70? What's plan B?

Alrighty... well that is a very clear consensus! Thank you all. We'll have all the chairs upstairs for the ceremony and will lessen the decorations to make it look less crammed.

I've been to a wedding that was in a paved garden and everyone stood, I didn't realize that this was a frowned upon thing. Thank you for clarifying! I can see how the half chairs would be confusing to guests!

@Olivia - Boca Raton. While there's always the chance that it could drop into the lower temps, our winter average is low 70s/high 60s.

Definitely cram the chairs. Standing will be awkward for guests.

You absolutely cannot ask people to stand. No no no. Rent enough chairs for the amount of people you'll have.

And I'm curious how you know your headcount already when your wedding is the week before mine...

A chair for everyone. I attended a wedding recently where it was very hard to find a chair and I thought we would have to stand and was furious.

@Katie, that's the max headcount. I'd rather plan for 100%. I'll have rented enough chairs for everyone, I just was trying to get an idea of the wall to wall chairs would be more inconvenient/cramped for guests... but, i VERY CLEARLY got my answer. lol. Chairs for all!

Unless this particular venue has special meaning to you, I would advise either insuring everyone has a place to sit or finding a venue that will be better suited for your number of guests.

But is the number you're giving for guests the RSVP total or is it just your estimate?

Oh never mind, sorry I didn't realize so many others had said the same!

@OP - I would update your title to include the word -RESOLVED

or people ill continue to put in their two sense

@Munchkin - great idea! Thanks

Curious, do those giant columns not block the view for, like, half the guests?? I mean, it's a pretty venue and maybe I'm not looking at it right, but...

If you already have the chairs, why wouldn't you use them? Is it because of how it might look or will there not be a wide enough aisle? How many chairs is that in the picture? I also don't get where people would be standing from the picture that's here.

I'm apparently in the minority here about standing ceremonies as I've been to several and they've worked out well. But, they were all casual and very short ceremonies with a very small crowd in a location away from the reception. That sort of thing can work. Not using chairs you already have possibly because you just decided you don't like like the way it looks and didn't think about that before you booked the venue is pretty rude.

ETA: Update posted while I was looking at the comments. Glad it's resolved. I'm still curious how many chairs are set up in the picture (if there are some not seen?)