Seating Your Guests

The last thing you want is guests arriving for your wedding ceremony and left standing in the lobby wondering where to go or where to sit. Avoid this by having your guests met at the door by a host attendant who shows them were to sign your guest book and an usher or groomsman who will direct them to their seat. The usher should offer the ladies an arm and the gentlemen will follow behind.

Your groomsmen/ushers should know which pews or rows will be reserved for family and which rows are available for guest seating. Make sure this is discussed at the rehearsal. In fact, I learned many years ago, after a groomsman set guests in the family row, that pew cards placed where family is to sit, is a great idea. We always do them. It’s just a simple card with the name of the family member or special guest printed on it that is placed on their spot on the pew. They are a great insurance policy that the right people are seated in the correct spot. You can also have the family section roped off or marked with flowers if there is money in your budget for this.

Tradition has it that the bride’s guests are seated on the left and the groom’s guests are seated on the right side of the ceremony (unless it is a Jewish ceremony). It is best to keep the sides as evenly matched if possible, so for a Willrich wedding we instruct ushers to not ask “bride’s or groom’s side” but rather to seat guests so pews are evenly match, unless the guest specially requests a certain side.

Don’t take it for granted that your ushers and groomsmen know what to do. They don’t. Go over the seating of the guests carefully at your rehearsal in order to avoid any mistakes on the wedding day.