I was wondering if anyone else has actually reserved ceremony seating?. By this i mean saving the first few rows etc of the seats at the place of wedding. I dont really know if its the done thing, but i didnt want people all rushing to the front, and not thinking about where my bridesmaids and Best men will sit etc, as we are not having ushers, its a long narrow room, beautiful, ....there are only 4 chairs each side of the 'aisle' with numerous rows...
So i have saved seats for My Mum, Brother, Daughter/BM MoH, Best man 1 Best man 2, Kevs mum and dad, then second row, ive got single best friend of kev, flower girl, her mum and brother, then My stap mum, sister BM, son Page, and my dad. Hopefully my step mum and mum will be out of glaring distance lol....
ive made lil reserved signs for the chairs...
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CommentAuthormadhen
Any wedding I've been to it's always sort of been accepted that only immediate family sit up front on each side, and sometimes the minister or registrar or photographer or whoever's already in there will mention it to people as they walk in.... I think your idea is a good one; little reserved signs are nice and discreet so people don't feel like they're being demoted but it still ensures the wedding party will be up front :)
CommentAuthorLegoWife
We're actually thinking of assigning seats for the whole guest list for the ceremony. But might be easier to do some key family rather than ALL of them, just so people aren't left thinking "why am I right at the back?!"
Gonna be a pain lol.
Cute seat cards though :)
~Wedding made of Lego~
*Married 30/03/13*
CommentAuthorInDreamland
edited
It's general well known wedding ettiquette that the front few rows are family only and for the bridal party. That's what the Ushers are for too, to ensure noone else sits there, so don't worry, no need to put any place cards down xx
Married the love of my life on Saturday 11th May 2013 xxx
Had our dream perfect honeymoon in Hawaii!
CommentAuthormadhen
And then at my cousin's wedding in June our other cousins on that side sat way down the back even though there was space for them up front, and we were all signalling them to move up! So people can just be awkward!!
I reckon people will want to sit in the aisle seats to get better photo opportunities. xx
Married the love of my life on Saturday 11th May 2013 xxx
Had our dream perfect honeymoon in Hawaii!
CommentAuthormadhen
good point, hadn't thought of that...
CommentAuthorGazza 122
We are not having ushers. I really wanted to reserve them with lil names so 1: My step mum and mum were not close by, 2: so another one of my guests was not right at the front as she does seem to think she deservs to be (but doesn't) 3: so you dont get all the 'excuse me's' when my dad etc is trying to squeeze past people who havent left space for him.
Im only having 5 family members at my wedding....so i didnt want a load of rows spare up near the front Indreamland, i know its known to leave some spare places....but i dont want a wide space lol x
CommentAuthorRaggedyAnne
At the top , there are chairs to each side specially for the bridesmaids.......anyone else can sit where they want as long as they dont take those seats. Its generally accepted that the first 2-3 rows of seats are left empty for the family to take up
I can resist anything but temptation
CommentAuthorGazza 122
Thanks Raggedy Anne, in my venue the bridesmaids will be on the front row as ive max capacity the room, so there is no space as the registrars will be sitting at the side (where BM's should be lol)
CommentAuthorInDreamland
I would just pop a sign at the end of each row you want to reserve saying "Row Reserved" if you are worried, then it's clear to all.
Alternatively, does H2B have a family member/friend to just take on the role of unofficial Usher? Someone should be at the ceremony venue to greet guests and direct them to where to go and round people up who are the stragglers xx
Married the love of my life on Saturday 11th May 2013 xxx
Had our dream perfect honeymoon in Hawaii!
CommentAuthorsuzky123
we are saving the first two rows on either side i.e. 4 rows in total.
cant wait to be Mrs Evans less than 3 weeks woooo
start weight 10st 1.5 lbs
weight now 8st 4.5 lbs
total loss to date: 24.5 lbs now need to maintain!
CommentAuthorsuzky123
daves dad is going to guide the main players to their seats and shift anyone cheeky enough to sit so close. At my friends wedding I sat at the back as I didnt want to be in the place of a family member but im worried that not all guests will be so considerate
cant wait to be Mrs Evans less than 3 weeks woooo
start weight 10st 1.5 lbs
weight now 8st 4.5 lbs
total loss to date: 24.5 lbs now need to maintain!
CommentAuthorMrscarter2b
yes, we've just ben discussing that as I want to reserve for the two girls doing the readings and the brides maids, I'm sure it wil be common sense for people to allow the family at the front and the groomsmen will also be guiding that one!!
CommentAuthorsuzky123
to save paying printers though dont write them on their oos, just get someone to point them out or do as other brides have said and put something on the side of the aisle.
cant wait to be Mrs Evans less than 3 weeks woooo
start weight 10st 1.5 lbs
weight now 8st 4.5 lbs
total loss to date: 24.5 lbs now need to maintain!
CommentAuthorPB
I think its quite a good idea.Its all very well saying that people will follow wedding etiquette bu they don't when it comes to rsvping so maybe they won't.We need to keep the first 4 rows on each side for family.I am hoping that the best man will sort it but as he doesn't know my family it might prove tricky so maybe a discreet sign saying immediate family only on the first 4 rows could be prudent? x
CommentAuthormadhen
I agree, I think Kev's Angel's little cards are spot-on. You can't rely on people to do as you hope...!!
CommentAuthorJill
Due to circumstances I think it's a great idea. I'd probably have gone with just reserving rows but you've done the wee cards now - which are lovely - so you may as well use them :) I was at a wedding last week and there was so much space left because people were leaving space for the family. I think it's good to let people know which rows are free to anyone x
29th September 2012
Cant wait to be Mrs D!
CommentAuthorRedSez
I'll be making little cards I think for the bridesmaid and my Auntie who is doing a reading. Maybe my Dad who is giving me away as well. Also what I'm doing is putting the button holes on the seats for the guests. Immediate family have got slightly more expensive ones which will be given to them before hand so its a case of if there is a flower on your seat you an sit there. Slightly odd i know but hopefully it will work!
CommentAuthorx~Hails~x
edited
Yep I am, they will have little place names on for my bridal party, best friend n partner and my sisters and husband and his brother and partner and his sister in law! so a total of 22 seats lol out of 60 guests!!! (Both sets of parents will have little poems on the reverse as well)
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For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart
It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.
CommentAuthorBobsi
your little cards are so cute. If your worried then id put them out just to make sure you get the people you want where you want. xx
Got together June 11th 2006
Getting married June 11th 2014
8 years to the day and I'll be Mrs T.
CommentAuthorJakesmummy
I am going to make some little cards, i know its common sense that the first 2 rows are for family but not all people have that much common sense all the time lol x your cards are so cute x
CommentAuthorGazza 122
Thank you - i would hope as you say Madhen, that guests would use their common sense, but i will put the cards out - to make sure ive got everyone where i want them x They will look really pretty hopefully on white chair covers with the green sashes, so not like they will look out of place.
CommentAuthorTsukijin
It's good manners that the immediate family get to sit at the front but as my oh or my family don't have manners and will take up the entire 4 front rows, I am putting reservations in to make sure the parents and siblings get a look in.
There are always overzealous guests that will rush to the front like it's some sort of festival lolg
eru, shiteiru ka? shinigami wa ringo shika tabenai?
^_^
CommentAuthorOfficially Mrs M
they look great :-) our church do this automatically for us
8th September 2012 I married my best friend
1st September 2014 our little family grew by one
Women are made to be loved, not understood. - Oscar Wilde
CommentAuthorJonathanM14
Are some people that ignorant that they just dont know any better, such as the immediate family of the couple sit at the front? Are some people really this stupid?
CommentAuthorGazza 122
Yes some people are not very considerate lol. Im not taking any chances at my wedding. x
CommentAuthorLegoWife
I'm not taking chances at mine either, h2b has a group of family who always sit at the front so that the closer family end up at the back or hidden somewhere else. I don't want that happening at our wedding!
~Wedding made of Lego~
*Married 30/03/13*
CommentAuthorJoanna
I hadn't even thought of this, I just hoped everyone would know to leave the front for family! I don't think it would be a problem to reserve seats and it'll be a weight off your mind too :)
The greatest thing you'll ever learn
is just to love and be loved in return
CommentAuthorGazza 122
Ive checked with the functions person at my venue and she said its always a good idea and loads of couples do it now. xx all good then x x
CommentAuthormadhen
Happy days :) I think you're right to do it - for your own peace of mind and to avoid any awkward incidents on the day it's definitely worth it :) (Plus the cards are so lovely it'd be a shame not to use them now!!)
CommentAuthorGazza 122
Ahh bless ya - thanks hunny xx
CommentAuthormadhen
;)
CommentAuthoremmaaa
I hadn't really considered the possibility of not giving EVERYONE a designated place to sit to be honest! We'll max out the capacity of our room, so I'd have thought it would be horrendous having spaces and people shuffling around as more poeple come in then people having to separate from their partners / people they know to fill in the gaps! Is this just being overzealous? I know none of the other weddings I've been to have had this, but all the weddings I've been to have had seats to spare anyway, I really can't see any other way of doing it that wont just end up being farcical!
CommentAuthorLegoWife
I know the feeling emmaaa, especially if you're paying for chair covers! There won't be spaces!
