Yorch Medina Photographs

Between selecting your wedding decorations, setting your wedding reception, and choosing your vows, you probably haven't thought about how you'll seat your guests at the ceremony, so before time runs out, check out these tips, whether you're exchanging your silver rings in church, under civil law, or in some other rite of passage.symbolic.

In a religious ceremony

Felipe Cerda

Just as there is a specific order for the procession to enter, the same is true for seating in a church wedding. According to protocol, the bride should be positioned on the left side of the altar and the groom on the right side of the altar in front of the priest.

Then, the following will be arranged for the godparents seats of honor The first pew will be reserved for immediate family members, either the parents -if they are not the godparents-, grandparents or siblings of the bride and groom, or the parents -if they are not the godparents-, grandparents or siblings of the bride and groom.

Also, if a friend or non-direct relative has been assigned to read the bible or state petitions with frases cristianas de amor, then you should also take a seat among the first rows, always respecting that the bride's family and friends will be on the left, while the groom's family and friends will be on the right, from the first seats to the back.

For its part, bridesmaids and best men will be located between the second row or in the side pews, if there are any; the women will be on the bride's side and the men on the groom's side. For the pages Finally, a place will be reserved for them in the front row on the left side of the church, where they should always be accompanied by an adult. However, if the location allows, a space could also be adapted where they can sit more relaxed, for example, on a rug at the side of the altar.

In a civil ceremony

Jonathan Lopez Reyes

If you will be exchanging your gold rings at a registry office, you should first consider that space is limited Therefore, only their closest family and friends will be able to accompany them. How to place them in their respective positions?

The truth is that there are no protocols Civil marriage in Chile requires that, at the time of the ceremony, the bride and groom present themselves with two witnesses over 18 years of age, preferably those who participated in the proceedings prior to the wedding.

In the other seats, meanwhile, you will be able to place your parents, siblings and closest friends However, instead of the pews you will find in church, you will have to sit on chairs in a Civil Registry office. In fact, there may not be enough chairs and more than one person will be left standing.

Now, whether you decide to move your civil marriage indoors or raise your wedding glasses in an event hall, the way your guests take their seats will be quite free That is, from front to back according to the closeness of the bride and groom, but dispensing with the rule that the bride's family sits on the left side and the groom's family sits on the right side.

In a symbolic ceremony

Daniel Esquivel Photography

More and more brides and grooms are opting for symbolic ceremonies and, if this is your case, you are probably wondering how people should be positioned. Always will depend on the space available and the type of location. Although most of the symbolic rites invite you not to turn your back on your loved ones.

For example, in the ritual of the tying of hands In this way, since all the action will take place there, the bride and groom can set up an outdoor circle with flowers and candles at the cardinal points, which is an ancient Celtic custom. the chairs formed a crescent so that all guests have visibility.

Or for other rites, such as the sand ceremony or the wine ceremony With the bride and groom positioned in the center, while sketching beautiful phrases of love, with this scheme you can reserve the first chairs for your closest friends and family. As the spiral progresses, the view will be equally privileged. Not so, for example, as the spiral progresses, the view will be equally privileged,with what happens to the last pews in a church.

And another way to seat guests is by creating two blocks of seats in horizontal rows The bride and groom will be facing each other and the bride and groom will be in the center, guaranteeing their guests a view from both sides.

You can see that there are several ways to arrange the guests, depending on whether it is a religious, civil or symbolic wedding ring ceremony. In addition, according to each case, you can decorate the seats with flowers or olive branches, among other wedding decorations. You can even demarcate with signs the places of some important people, such as witnesses or groomsmen. Although, byOf course, if you want to get away from all protocol and let your guests sit wherever they want, welcome!