they couldn’t see or hear the ceremony.

Having chairs makes it easier to reserve places up the front for close family members, including a place right next to the bride’s mother for the bride’s father after he has walked the bride down the aisle. I’ve seen too many outdoor weddings where the bride’s parents ended up being separated by the crowd when being together to share the moment their cheri

The trend to more casual outdoor ceremonies for weddings, baby namings, commitment and other ceremonies has seen an increase in ceremonies where all or most of the guests are standing.

While you may not want to go to the expense of full-blown wedding decorator red carpet aisle and decorated chairs, the traditional theatre-type seating arrangement has many benefits:

• Guests “settle” before the ceremony starts
• During the signing they are less likely to wander off, gather into conversational groups, or light a cigarette
• Everyone will not only see better, they’ll also hear better. Bodies absorb sound, so if the main participants are standing, the sound will better reach those at the back.
• On hot days seated guests are less likely to pass out or suffer heat stress than those who are standing, and it is also easier to make sure everyone has access to water by putting a bottle of water (nicely decorated if you like) on each chair
• Standing guests may mean you have to have a ceremony shorter than you would like
• The aged and frail will be able to attend your wedding, and everyone will be more comfortable
• And, of course, it is easier to make an entrance down a defined aisle.

If budget is an issue you can ask people to bring their own folding chair, or you could hire the ubiquitous plastic green or white garden chairs for little more than a dollar a chair, an amount that would be easy to pare off your reception budget. People will forget the favours you give them – but they won’t forget that they were tired, their feet ached, or they couldn’t see or hear the ceremony.

Having chairs makes it easier to reserve places up the front for close family members, including a place right next to the bride’s mother for the bride’s father after he has walked the bride down the aisle. I’ve seen too many outdoor weddings where the bride’s parents ended up being separated by the crowd when being together to share the moment their cheris

before the ceremony starts

During the signing they are less likely to wander off, gather into conversational groups, or light a cigarette

Everyone will not only see better, they’ll also hear better. Bodies absorb sound, so if the main participants are standing, the sound will better reach those at the back.

On hot days seated guests are less likely to pass out or suffer heat stress than those who are standing, and it is also easier to make sure everyone has access to water by putting a bottle of water (nicely decorated if you like) on each chair

Standing guests may mean you have to have a ceremony shorter than you would like

The aged and frail will be able to attend your wedding, and everyone will be more comfortable

And, of course, it is easier to make an entrance down a defined aisle.

If budget is an issue you can ask people to bring their own folding chair, or you could hire the ubiquitous plastic green or white garden chairs for little more than a dollar a chair, an amount that would be easy to pare off your reception budget. People will forget the favours you give them – but they won’t forget that they were tired, their feet ached, or they couldn’t see or hear the ceremony.

Having chairs makes it easier to reserve places up the front for close family members, including a place right next to the bride’s mother for the bride’s father after he has walked the bride down the aisle. I’ve seen too many outdoor weddings where the bride’s parents ended up being separated by the crowd when being together to share the moment their cheri

ess than those who are standing, and it is also easier to make sure everyone has access to water by putting a bottle of water (nicely decorated if you like) on each chair

Standing guests may mean you have to have a ceremony shorter than you would like

The aged and frail will be able to attend your wedding, and everyone will be more comfortable

And, of course, it is easier to make an entrance down a defined aisle.

If budget is an issue you can ask people to bring their own folding chair, or you could hire the ubiquitous plastic green or white garden chairs for little more than a dollar a chair, an amount that would be easy to pare off your reception budget. People will forget the favours you give them – but they won’t forget that they were tired, their feet ached, or they couldn’t see or hear the ceremony.

Having chairs makes it easier to reserve places up the front for close family members, including a place right next to the bride’s mother for the bride’s father after he has walked the bride down the aisle. I’ve seen too many outdoor weddings where the bride’s parents ended up being separated by the crowd when being together to share the moment their cheri

e an entrance down a defined aisle.If budget is an issue you can ask people to bring their own folding chair, or you could hire the ubiquitous plastic green or white garden chairs for little more than a dollar a chair, an amount that would be easy to pare off your reception budget. People will forget the favours you give them – but they won’t forget that they were tired, their feet ached, or they couldn’t see or hear the ceremony.

Having chairs makes it easier to reserve places up the front for close family members, including a place right next to the bride’s mother for the bride’s father after he has walked the bride down the aisle. I’ve seen too many outdoor weddings where the bride’s parents ended up being separated by the crowd when being together to share the moment their cheri

they couldn’t see or hear the ceremony.

Having chairs makes it easier to reserve places up the front for close family members, including a place right next to the bride’s mother for the bride’s father after he has walked the bride down the aisle. I’ve seen too many outdoor weddings where the bride’s parents ended up being separated by the crowd when being together to share the moment their cherished daughter takes her vows is an important event in their lives as a couple, and should be celebrated together.

Many naming ceremonies are held to coincide with a child’s first birthday, and a one-year-old can get pretty heavy. Having two chairs up front, facing the guests, gives the parents the option of sitting down with the child on it’s mother’s or father’s lap, or of standing with the child seated or standing on a chair for part of the ceremony.

Being seated can help a nervous bride and groom to relax too, and, particularly where there is a major discrepancy in height, makes it easier to get well-composed photographs.