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Ceremony Seating

Ceremony Seating Arrangements

Since your ushers will escort guests to their seats, it's not necessary to have assigned seating. However, you'll want to section off a reserved seating area in front for your immediate families.

Traditionally in church weddings, the bride's parents sit in the front row on the left side, along with her grandparents and siblings. If the bride's parents are divorced and prefer to sit separately, the mother and her husband might sit in the front row, while the father and his wife sit in the second row. Other special relatives may sit in the second and third rows. The groom's family is seated in the same manner, but on the right side of the room. (At Jewish ceremonies, all the seating is reversed.)

Your ushers will show your guests to their seats as they arrive. As with the families, the bride's guests are traditionally seated on the left, the groom's on the right (again, reverse this for Jewish ceremonies). But if more guests are expected from one side, simply seat guests evenly on either side so that everyone has a good view. An usher should offer a female guest his right arm to escort her to her seat. Male guests may simply be led. When a number of guests arrive at once, seat the eldest ones first.

If you're having a military wedding, you'll need to consider the ranking of your guests and develop a seating plan. Consult with a representative from your or your fiancé's branch of service for specific guidelines.

After the ceremony, the immediate family seated in the first few rows exits after the bridal party, and guests follow by row starting from the front. This will prevent a pile-up at the door.