Extra seating for evening guests?

[JustAnotherManicMomday]

Wedding in August, whilst we hope the weather will be good in the UK you never know. Rather than hiring chair covers I plan to buy as found this may be cheaper and I can sell them on after.

We have 40 all day guests and around 70 evening. FH is of the opinion we only need 40 chair covers as once evening guests arrive people will be moving about using the picnic benches outside marquee. He thinks we can reduce the covered inside seats for the evening if anything.

I think we need extra for evening incase the weather is crap and when it starts to get cooler. Thinking about 60, what's other's opinion?

Who is FH?

You don't need chair covers for the evening. Are you going to feed the evening guest, will they need to sit to eat it? It's an odd split.

What do the venue say about bringing out extra chairs for the evening?

FH = future husband I assume

No chair covers at all would be my opinion. A wedding venue which provides chairs should have nice enough ones not to need covers and if you’re hiring in just hire nice chairs.

The venue is a marquee in village pub garden. The chairs are OK but not overly nice and the colour wouldn't go with our decor.

FH is Future husband. Planning on white chair covers. Venue is not remotely fussed about extra chairs in evening. The dance floor and bar area are separated by a door from the marquee and can store the extra chairs in that area. I'm just not sure 40 chairs in the evening is enough.

Sunset is about 8pm in August. I doubt you'll get 70 people willing to sit at picnic tables outside in the dark, with the temperature starting to drop. Plus you get midges.

You need enough chairs in the marquee for everyone, unless your wedding finishes unusually early.

Also, while in theory picnic tables will seat 6, in practice people rarely do that (especially if you are mixing strangers) so would they provide enough seating anyway?

My plan is 60 seats as some of the guests will be children. Some will be on the dance floor. Smokers will be outside, we do have a couple outdoor heaters so I think with that in mind 60 chairs inside should be fine. Not everyone will be seated at once in the evening with dancing, bar and food etc.

I agree with this.

However, re number of chairs, I think you are right.
If I were one of 30 people turning up for the evening do, I'd want to be able to come in and sit down.
Yes, I like a dance, but I'd want a chair and space at a table where I'd leave my drink and bag. Many people will want to put their jacket on the back of a chair, etc. After a bit, I'd probably want a sit down. When eating, I'd want to sit down.

I’d want a chair and table if I was an evening guest.

People want to sit down and chat to their friends and family. There needs to be a chair for every single guest (& not just a picnic bench in the cold).

One chair per person. Children also need chairs. I understand it's an extra expense for the covers but I doubt anyone would care that the evening chairs were different as long as they could sit down!

People don't 'hotseat' because of visiting the bar, loo, dancing, going for a fag. You really need a chair for everyone. Including children over baby age.

A couple of years ago, I went to a wedding as an evening guest and there wasn't enough seating for us all. People congregated in a separate bar instead, and numbers thinned out quite early. I'm not standing up for 5 hours like a second-class guest.

Please get enough seats for your evening guests! We went to an evening do in a marquee and they had no extra seats, assuming people would be outside or moving around but no wet weather plan and it was awful! Wet and windy outside, Marquee was rammed and nowhere to sit, worst wedding I've been to it really spoiled it unfortunately.
I don't think the evening chairs need covers though

You need at least as many chairs as people. I wouldn't care if they were covered or not it I would be leaving very early I'd I couldn't sit down.

If there were no chair for me I’d stay an hour or so to be polite, and then find a pub.

I wouldn't be hovering about waiting for someone to go for a fag (presumably they’d leave their coat or bag on the chair anyway).

Guests care more about comfort than whether stuff matches the colour scheme.