Four pew marker ideas for weddings, funerals and events

One way to make your most honored guests feel special on your wedding day is by making sure the people most important to you are seated in the front giving them a good view of the ceremony. Pew or aisle markers are just what they say they are - a way of marking the pew, bench, chair, aisle or even a hay bale (okay, so I live in Georgia!) as reserved seating for your guests of honor.

How many should you reserve?

Mark the first five to ten rows of seating as reserved for your parents, grandparents, immediate family and honored guests. Try using ribbons, tassels, bows, flowers or greenery in your designs. Candlelight can be added to the decorations as well. For limited honor seating, you can make a list of names for the ushers and introduce the honorees to them in advance so they know whom they will be seating in each seat. If creating a larger reserved seating area, place small 'between the ribbons' cards in the invitations of guests selected to sit in these pews of honor. The guest then presents their card to the usher who will escort them to this area.

Four suggestions

• Place a special aisle candle at the seat of the deceased parent or grandparent in their memory. You may choose to mention this detail in the wedding program.
• Arrange flowers, branches, candles, photos, seashells or handcrafted items and place on the floor next to seating areas, hang them from the seats or affix them to free- standing stanchions that border the aisle.
• Layer flower petals, piles of Fall leaves or drifts of faux snow massed along the side of the aisle to lend the natural color and texture of a seasonal wedding.
• Create a window box effect for an outdoor wedding by alternating short rectangular containers on the ground alongside the chairs and fill them with flowers preserved and supported in OASIS Floral foam. Or use appropriate lengths of OASIS RAQUETTES® Holderas the flower base to create a pathway of flowers.

Remember...

The aisle leads to the altar, so the décor chosen to mark the seating should continue the style, color harmony and variety of flowers used for altar decorations.

A word of caution

Most facilities have strict rules about how decorative materials can and cannot be affixed to furnishings. Several OASIS products can help. The shape and size of the pew or chair will guide you in which decorative style and product works best.

Leave no residue

Oasis BIND-IT Tape is great for this purpose. Clear BIND-IT is hardly noticeable, adheres to itself and leaves no residue on the decorated area. Keep décor weight in mind as you design. Attach Bind-It to your design and wrap it around the decorative top rail of the pew. Overlap the tape to create the self-fusing, watertight seal that holds the design in place. Clip the tape with clippers to quickly remove after the ceremony.

Design, deliver, clip and unclip!

Another possibility is the LOMEY Pew Holder. This plastic clip expands to securely attach over the end of a pew or chair. The foam-filled cage acts as a water source and design mechanic for your flower arrangement. Your pew decoration is easy to deliver, clips into place quickly and removes just as easily. This saves you time and money. Enjoy experimenting with different pew marker styles and products to find your favorite. More questions? Let us know. We can help you find design solutions. Celebrate life with flowers!