Of all of the events that happen throughout your wedding day, your wedding ceremony typically holds the most meaning. It’s when you will be officially pronounced as married after all! So much thought goes into the attire you, your love, and your wedding party will wear as you make your debuts at the end of the aisle. Plus, there are florals and backdrops to consider. But, what doesn’t receive quite as much airtime is your ceremony seating. And, we think it deserves to be highlighted!

Many wedding ceremonies are hosted outside in Texas, particularly because we have a host of beautiful venues with gorgeous properties at our fingertips. Unlike houses of worship, outdoor ceremonies mean you can choose how you would like the chairs (or other seating – stay tuned) to be arranged. So, today we’re diving into five ceremony seating options below!

Circular Ceremony Seating

Circular ceremony seating is something sometimes referred to as a wedding ceremony “in the round”. It means your wedding altar will be positioned in the center of a circle, and your guests’ seating will surround you. The wonderful benefit of circular ceremony seating is it creates a truly intimate environment for you and your guests to experience. Because you will be surrounded on all sides (literally!), you will feel as though your guests are very much involved in your ceremony, which is especially poignant if they will be repeating any statements, like “We will”.

Half Circle Ceremony Seating

Half circle ceremony seating is an excellent choice if you still would like to create an intimate wedding ceremony environment while highlighting a particularly beautiful backdrop or an altar. Think of this as a happy medium between traditional ceremony seating, where guests are seating in straight rows, and the circular ceremony seating we highlighted above.

Cluster Ceremony Seating

One of the benefits of social distancing has been the debut of a new seating style – cluster ceremony seating! This involves placing chairs into mini family groupings with plenty of space in between each group. Visually, it creates a whimsical, cozy feel with the benefit of ensuring everyone is comfortable. Cluster ceremony seating also looks particularly welcoming when vintage furniture (think: sofas and arm chairs) is used to create each “pod”.

Chair Alternative Ceremony Seating

Chairs are the most common option used for ceremony seating, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only option! If you’re hosting your wedding that you want to feel comfortable, but modern, think about turning to bench seating. We’ve also seen couples use church pews and vintage furniture is also a wonderful idea (see above for how we like to use it for cluster seating!).

Standard Ceremony Seating

Last, but certainly not least, is the most common type of ceremony seating, standard! When we think of standard ceremony seating, wooden chairs placed in straight rows on either side of an aisle is typically what comes to mind first. This style will never go out of style because it’s timeless and classic, not to mention everything needed for a wedding ceremony is present: seats for guests, rows that can be reserved for VIPs, an aisle for everyone in the wedding to walk down, and a clear line of sight toward the altar.

Looking for more creative ideas and design for your wedding? We’re here to help. Contact us today!