Guest Seating
Here at Weddings Simply Unique, LLC our brides ask lots of questions about how certain wedding traditions came into being. We are happy to share the source for many of the unique and time-honored customs all of us have come to know. A recent bride asked us why her parents/family/friends were to sit on one side of the church and the groom’s family/friends sit on the other. She asked us “Does it matter?” The answer is that while the seating “rules” are generally followed, many couples choose to provide balance to the church seating arrangements rather than adhere to the guidelines that have been in use for a very long time.Here’s the history of that tradition. Brides can decide if they wish to maintain it. In ancient times, brides were often abducted or stolen or sold. To marry for love and by mutual consent is a relatively contemporary idea. When warring tribes decided that they would no longer battle, peace was generally arranged through intermarriage. That act made them family and they would not/could not fight and cause bloodshed. Members of both tribes would attend the marriage to witness the joining, but they maintained a little distance between groups so that a fatal interruption to the ceremony could be avoided.
Now when the bride’s family sits peacefully on the left hand side of the church and the groom’s on the right, you know the origin of the tradition.
Vera Fernandes, Owner, CWS
Weddings Simply Unique, LLC
203-583-6702
Member Weddings Beautiful Worldwide.
