Standing Ceremony???

If I were invited to a standing only ceremony, I'd probably decline. I can't stand for 20-30 minutes, plus however long I've been there waiting.

In a perfect world people would see in advance what kind of wedding it is and dress/adjust accordingly but that's too simple to actually happen. Grass and heels don't mix. So that's the first no. People generally like to come to weddings a little early to ensure they are on time so while the ceremony might be short it won't be to them bc they'd be standing longer

@OP

I did a search in your area, and you can rent simple white chairs from a company called The Table Guys for $1.25 each. They even deliver for free if your order is over $100. Seems like a worthwhile investment in guest comfort!

Here's their website:

http://www.thetableguysks.com/Products.html

That is very kind of you to research, Del!

I have been to several standing ceremonies and they have been nice. Short ceremony, small crowd. If you have more than like 30 people, or people will be at the ceremony spot more than 20 minutes, try to get seating for everyone. I am not renting chairs since they come with my venue, but most places I looked had simple chairs for $2 or so each.

Sorry I agree with them. Our ceremony is in another area from the reception but on the same property so I'm getting the cheap white chairs for the ceremony then the nicer comfy chairs for the reception since, like you, I'm having a short ceremony and don't feel like spending a lot of money on it.

You’ll need chairs - people will definitely come early and may end up standing for nearly an hour. Think about it this way - this is your ceremony, arguably the most important part of your big day. You’ll want your guests there to witness, enjoy, and cherish your unity! Spending for them to sit even if it’s for a short time is definitely not a waste!

Guests standing is not a great idea. Some people are taller/shorter than others, can't see, others uncomfortable shoes and will already be dancing later. Some may have medicine or medical conditions you may not be aware of...lots of things can be overlooked when it comes to a standing wedding ceremony. I suggest maybe finding your church(if you have one) or someone in the family who can help with chairs. Someone from churches, schools, hospitals, etc may be able to help if you know anyone? Maybe even benches or something to put out, anything someone might have to help.

Rent chairs. Or benches if it's cheaper. It doesn't have to be anything fancy but you don't want your guests to be uncomfortable even for a short time. Your guests are going to be wearing heels and dress shoes, which aren't always the most comfortable so being forced to stand for a prolonged period of time isn't ideal. Plus there's plenty of health issues and physical ailments you can't see and might not know about that might make it hard for someone to stand for long.

I am having a standing wedding ceremony but not because I don’t want to pay for chairs. I will have some chairs, about 25 for VIP guests, elderly, and some friends that are pregnant. Beyond the chairs we are doing about 5-6 highboys with 3-4 barstools each- so another 30 options for seats. There is also a balcony looking into our wedding courtyard that will have another 8 seats.

We are also serving alcohol at the ceremony. Before the ceremony there will be a jazz band playing and cocktails served. Then the music will change and the groom and officiant will enter and tell everyone we are starting. Then we’ll go.

I’ve meet two other couple who did the same thing, where they basically threw a wedding ceremony in the middle of a cocktail party and everyone loved it. Maybe my situation is unique in that there are no grandparents and only 5 people over 60 coming to our wedding and it’s in New Orleans- so it’s a manageable and practical environment for this type of wedding.

It’s all in the execution. Also, I warned guests on our website that the ceremony would be standing room only with limited seating and that we would also be having a second line parade for about 3/4 of a mile to the reception, so think about footwear! I will send special notes to those that we arranged to have seats, so they know they can sit around the alter area.

Melanie, I would politely decline if I received an invitation to a wedding where there's no sitting and I had to walk 3/4 mile.

You have to have seats. Do you have seats for reception or it's ALL minimal seating?

There's young people that can't stand, there's invisible illnesses. Just because they're under 60, doesn't mean they can stand for hours and walk 3/4 mile.

@Juliet benches are as bad an idea as no chairs. People with back issues, the elderly and pregnant women would be as uncomfortable as if there were no chairs.

@Melanie...it's not all in the execution. It is rude not to have a seat for every butt no matter how you 'dress it up' and act like it's appropriate. I am 27 and have major hip and knee issues. If I'm not lucky enough to be one of your VIPs I don't get a seat? It's ageist to assume someone over a certain age needs a chair and to act like young people don't.

I wouldn't be paying as much attention or be as emotional for your ceremony as I would if I were sitting, because I'd be counting down the minutes until it was over. Standing in the same spot for too long is really uncomfortable.

You need seats. We do standing elopements all year round but they are literally six guests who all arrive within minutes of the couple, the ceremony is less than 10 minutes and they all leave.

It is less than 15 minutes total. And that is the only scenario where a 'standing ceremony' works.

Please ditch this idea. It is not up to you determine who can't stand for five minutes, let alone 15. You are inviting people to witness a ceremony, and part of that means providing a chair -- regardless of what it looks like.

I attended one standing wedding -- in a field, in the rain, without a single chair -- and between the umbrellas, the restricted vision, and the lack of speakers, we were, really, just a group of dressed up people standing in the rain and waiting for it to be over.

Just rent the chairs. No excuses, okay?

I would definitely suggest having seats if you are planning on having a ceremony over 10 minutes. A good friend of mine had a standing ceremony in a park as well. However the the ceremony was only 10 minutes long, and seating was made available to those who could not stand during that time frame.

No, standing ceremonies are annoying, especially for ladies in heels. Husbands friend had a standing ceremony in the backyard of a neighbor. Entire wedding was a shit show, the standing ceremony being just one of many annoyances for guests.

Melanie, it is not all in the execution. Guests may be too polite to express discomfort, but it is really shitty not to get seats for all. Do the VIPs get champagne and lobster and the others beer and sandwiches? What if someone is pregnant and does not want to tell people? What if someone sprained an ankle the day before.

We didn't do traditional seating at my ceremony. The ceremony was at the bottom of a hill, and we asked guests to stand on the hill. Overlooking the hill is a small building that has a deck over the hill with some seating, so people could choose to sit up there. The parking lot is right next to the building and hill, so seating in their cars would be less than a minute walk away. I don't have a good picture (haven't got pro pics back yet) but this one gives an idea. We socialized the idea ahead of time, so people generally knew how it would work. We also had a lot of extra chairs in the building that we could have brought out if additional chairs were needed by anyone.