Who Sits Where During the Wedding Ceremony?

You can organize every detail of your wedding – even who sits where during the ceremony. There are usually rows of chairs for guests, and you can decide exactly where everyone should sit.

Seating for Guests During the Ceremony

You can assign everyone a specific seat using name cards if you like. That way, guests know immediately where to go, and you can make sure the most important people are seated up front, while others are placed further back.

Master of Ceremonies

If you don’t want to assign every seat but still want to guide the guests, you can ask your master of ceremonies to help. They can direct guests upon arrival, answer questions, and make sure the closest family members, bridesmaids, and witnesses are seated at the front. You can also decide whether to divide guests into two sides – one for the bride, one for the groom.

Name Cards During the Ceremony

If it’s really important for certain guests to sit up front, you can place name cards on a few seats – for example, for your parents. The rest of the guests can then be directed by the master of ceremonies. It’s common to reserve the first three rows for close family, followed by best friends, then the rest. What matters most is that you feel comfortable with the seating plan. Don’t feel obligated to seat anyone closer than you’d like. Talk about what you both prefer, and also consider whether or not you want to separate guests by “team bride” or “team groom.”

Seating for the Couple During the Ceremony

Where the couple sits depends on the location. At a civil ceremony, the bride sits on the right and the groom on the left. The bride’s family sits behind her on the right side, the groom’s behind him on the left. When walking out, the bride goes on the groom’s left. In a church, this is reversed: the groom sits on the right and the bride on his left. But when exiting, the order is the same as in a civil ceremony – bride on the left.