Ceremony Seating

They say there is a time and place for everything, right? Well, the same is true for wedding ceremony seating. Here is what you need to know to rock the who, what, where and when of seating:

Timeline:

30 minutes prior to invitation start time~

Guests, friends, and immediate family members are seated. This includes siblings not in the wedding party, as well as aunts, uncles and so forth.

10 minutes prior to the ceremony~

The groom's grandparents and great grandparents are seated followed by the bride's grandparents and great grandparents.

5 minutes prior to ceremony start time~

The groom's mother is escorted to her seat by an usher, son, or the groom himself. The groom's father follows, to be seated next to the mother of the groom or his wife, if that is the case. The bride's mother follows the groom's father and should be the last seated just before the ceremony begins. On a side note, traditionally, seating is started on the groom's side, but to each his or her own.

Placement:

Following tradition, the groom's family is seated on the right side of the venue with his parents, grandparents, and any siblings or other immediate family not in the wedding party filling the first two rows. Family and relatives remaining should be seated directly behind the immediate family, i.e. aunts, uncles and cousins. The rows farthest from the ceremony are for the groom's friends and guests. The same set up is true for the bride's side of the venue which is traditionally the left hand side.

If you choose a less traditional route when it comes to your seating for your ceremony, a sign is appreciated by your guests stating so, for example: "Welcome, pick a seat not a side because you are loved by both the groom and bride."