In Christian Weddings, it is tradition for the bride's family to sit on the left side of the church and the groom's family to sit on the right side of the church. It is more important though that the guests sit where it makes sense and where they feel most comfortable. Don't cram the guests of the bride on one side of the church while the groom's side is half empty. Seating should be traditional and logical.

Here are some tips for seating at your wedding ceremony:

Ushers

Ushers can be extremely helpful for helping people find their seats. If you have assigned seats in certain pews, make sure that the ushers know who should sit where. Provide them with a list because it is unlikely that they'll be able to remember every little detail when the guests start arriving.

Most wedding planners will recommend one usher for every 50 guests. This is a good ratio to abide by. Smaller weddings may need less ushers or no ushers. Larger weddings may need a higher ratio of ushers to guests.

Who Sits Up Front?

The front four or five rows should be reserved for the immediate and extended family of the bride and groom. Elderly people should also be seated towards the front of the church.  If the parents of the bride or groom are divorced, sit the parent that primarily raised the child on the first row and the other parent on the second row.

Who Sits Down When?

The immediate family is seated just before the start of the ceremony and begins with the grooms family. Siblings are seated first, followed by the grandparents. The mother of the bride is always seated last in a Christian ceremony to signal that the ceremony should begin. The mother of the groom is seated just before her. The mothers are usually seated by their sons.

Planning Your Seating

As was mentioned earlier, you should provide a list to the ushers to assist them with seating. After you have finalized your guest list, you can create the seating chart. A form for planning the seating is available to the Fantasy Wedding Premium Subscribers.

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