Chairs and Arbors Advice
Useful Chairs/Benches and Arbor Advice ~
Decor: we offer our unique, signature beach sand and seashell Heart Art as decoration, but NO seating or arbors / arches BECAUSE among our 2,000+ past couples decide against it as follows:
- 90% don’t get chairs (ceremony is 10 minutes) and
- 95% don’t use an arbor/arch after they read why in this article, BUT…
- If you REALLY want or need them, we recommend these reliable rental companies (click here) but first read on…
- We DO decorate the wedding site around your feet in our gorgeous, handmade, unique Sand Groomed Heart & Shells (click here to see more pics) or see some pic below.
- MORE INSIGHTS:
- ceremony & arbors last only 5-15 minutes for this event.
- Lightweight, thin arbors are a risky wind hazard of falling or striking someone especially with drapes on it, and
- Renting heavy bulky, fancy ones are pretty but cost $200-$800 or more!
- HOWEVER, the lovely oceanscape / soft beach backdrop alone are very unique and profoundly pretty!
- Also, most Guests do not sit down even with chairs available … over 2,000 weddings’ experience–its the truth.
CHAIRS & BENCHES ADVICE:
Wedding ceremony lasts about 10 mins + guests assembling (5-15 mins) + photos session afterward (up to 60 mins):
- BUT if any guests are elderly, handicapped, pregnant, then seats/chairs are a GOOD IDEA!
- If you have fewer than 30 guests and no elderly or handicapped, then consider no chairs. Let them stand, and move comfortably, in a half-round formation around the couple instead (click here to see that in our Facebook album photos).
- Or consider bringing out a few patio or folding chairs for the “first row” of special guests (parents, g-parents, elders, handicapped), and invite fit guests to stand around them.
- If you rent chairs/seats or an arbor, we recommend renting from vendors we trust (avoid rusty, greasy, dirty, broken chairs, seriously) – click this link to see a list of Rental websites here: Suggested Vendors webpage.
- When asking Rentals for quotes, be sure to ask for delivery fee and setup/breakdown fee…those are 2 additional, and often separate, fees besides the chairs or arbor.
ARBOR ADVICE:
- With officiating, we include an artful marking on the sand for your ceremony site with our unique sand grooming and seashells heart at your feet, (see pics below) and our cast iron hook-and-shell horn.
- But, some people like the extra color and framing of an arbor in their photos… so it’s personal taste.
- FYI: arbors can be white PVC (shiny plastic), painted metal, bamboo or other woods. They can be 4 or 2 posts, in various shapes. People sometimes add flowers or drapes or similar things.
- Arbors with 4 posts, chunkier and professionally well-anchored with metal stakes 2 feet deep, are safer and more lovely.
- The thin, light, department store arbors are cheaper AND VERY LIKELY to fall over in the beach wind with soft sand beach (especially with fabric draped on them–acts like a boat sail!).
- FYI: about 60% of the “homemade” arbors we’ve seen don’t work…hard to transport, delicate, breakable, not anchorable, not wind resistant, and fall right over during setup! Pretty much high-maintenance and stressful for the couple.
- Honestly, if you really WANT an arbor, shop around and rent a sturdy one from trusted pros on our other page: beachpeopleweddings.com/suggested-vendors.
