Wedding Ceremony Seating
We all know that families are complicated. There is always one person fighting with another which means that things can get difficult at the best of times. This is perhaps most evident when you start making plans for your wedding. With that in mind, below are a few tips to help you with what can be a very tricky situation.
Ushers?
You can get a few of your groomsmen to act as ushers or you can enlist the help of a few relatives and some of your invited guests to assist you. The general ratio is one usher for every 50 guests. These days, ushers can just ask guests which side they would like to sit and escort them there.
Where Does Everyone Get to Sit?
This is probably the most important aspect of the job as certain people sit in a particular place. Here is a quick rundown of the most commonly asked questions:
- Â Guests who are elderly should be seated near the front of the ceremony.
- Â Those who are in wheelchairs or have crutches need to sit at the end of a pew.
- Â The first four or five rows are for immediate and extended family (such as aunts, uncles, cousins and godparents) as well as other special guests, and can be marked by tying ribbons across these rows.
-  Immediate family is normally seated just before the ceremony begins. Siblings are seated before the grandparents. Siblings either sit in the first row with parents or in the second row with grandparents. One begins the seating with the groom’s side.
- Â If there are step-relatives, the ushers need to know who they are. They are seated first before birth relatives. It is always a good idea to reserve a few extra rows behind immediate family for step-family.
- Â Having divorced parents can be tricky. The parent who mainly brought the bride or groom up is seated in the front with his or her spouse. The other parent is seated in the third row. Both parents can sit together in the first row, but this needs to be discussed ahead of time to avoid awkwardness.
-  In Christian ceremonies, the bride’s mother is always seated last. The groom’s mother is seated just before her. The seating of the bride’s mother let’s everyone know that the ceremony is about to start.
- Brothers of the bride and groom normally seat their mothers. The chief usher can do it if the brothers are in the wedding party.
Plan Your Wedding Ceremony Seating Wisely!
Now that you know what to expect, get ready to enjoy your wedding!
If you have other ideas or tips about wedding ceremony seating, please let us know.