Choosing event chairs can seem straightforward until you start looking at quantities, venue layouts, seating plans, comfort, appearance and the practicalities of getting hundreds or even thousands of chairs into position.
A wedding reception may call for elegant Chiavari or Crossback chairs that form part of the overall look of the room. A conference may need comfortable chairs arranged neatly in rows, while a festival, examination hall or major public event often needs a practical folding chair that can be supplied efficiently in substantial quantities.
BE Event Hire supplies chairs for events throughout the UK, with options covering weddings, conferences, exhibitions, festivals, corporate functions, hospitality areas and private celebrations.
Choosing the right chair therefore comes down to much more than appearance. The venue, number of guests, length of the event, layout and intended use all have a part to play.
Banqueting Chairs
Traditional banqueting chairs work particularly well for conferences, dinners, awards evenings, weddings and formal functions.
The padded seat and back provide additional comfort for guests who may be seated for extended periods. Their smart appearance also means they can be used around dining tables or arranged in rows for presentations, ceremonies and conferences.
BE Event Hire stocks several colour combinations, including blue and gold, black and silver, red, and blue and silver. Black ISO conference chairs provide another useful option for professional and theatre-style layouts.
For an event involving both a presentation and a formal meal, banqueting chairs can also reduce the need to hire different chair styles for different parts of the venue.
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Black ISO Conference Chair Hire
£3.30 exc. VAT per week -
Blue & Gold Banqueting Chair Hire
£2.95 exc. VAT per week -
Black and Silver Banquet Chair Hire
£3.20 exc. VAT per week -
Red Banqueting Chairs Hire
£3.00 exc. VAT per week -
Blue and Silver Banquet Chair Hire
£3.00 exc. VAT per week -
Linking Clip for Conference Chairs
£0.31 exc. VAT per week
Chiavari Chairs
Few event chairs are as closely associated with weddings and formal celebrations as the Chiavari chair.
Their narrow frame gives them an elegant appearance without making dining areas feel visually crowded. This can be particularly effective in wedding venues, marquees and function rooms where tables, flowers and other decorative elements already contribute heavily to the room.
BE Event Hire’s Chiavari chair hire range includes limewash, crystal resin, black, gold and silver options, making it possible to coordinate seating with very different event styles.
Limewash works particularly well with softer wedding schemes and rustic venues, while gold and silver suit more traditional formal settings. Crystal resin provides a distinctly contemporary alternative.
Wooden and Rustic Chairs
Natural timber seating has become an established choice for barn weddings, countryside venues, garden celebrations and events where the furniture itself contributes to the setting.
The wooden rustic chair hire collection includes wooden folding chairs, Crossback chairs, Bentwood chairs and other traditional designs.
Crossback chairs are especially effective around exposed wooden tables, where using chair covers and heavily dressed furniture would work against the intended appearance. Wooden folding chairs offer a simpler alternative and can suit ceremony seating as well as dining arrangements.
For events using natural timber throughout the venue, chairs can also be combined with BE Event Hire’s wider rustic furniture hire range, including trestle tables, barrel furniture and other complementary pieces.
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Limewash Chiavari Chair Hire
£3.15 exc. VAT per week -
Brown Wooden Folding Chair Hire
£3.15 exc. VAT per week -
Light Oak Wooden Crossback Chair
£5.75 exc. VAT per week -
Limewash Crossback Chair Hire
£4.70 exc. VAT per week -
Teak Garden Chair Hire
£9.30 exc. VAT per week -
White Wooden Folding Chair Hire
£4.20 exc. VAT per week
Contemporary Chairs
Not every event calls for traditional seating. Exhibitions, product launches, modern weddings, hospitality spaces and corporate functions can often benefit from something more distinctive.
BE Event Hire’s contemporary chair hire collection includes Tolix-style seating, Bentwood chairs, Umbria chairs, and a variety of modern designs in different materials and finishes.
These styles can be particularly effective where furniture is visible in photographs, forms part of a branded space or needs to complement a modern exhibition stand or venue.
There is no need to use one chair style throughout an entire event either. Contemporary seating might be used within a hospitality area while more practical chairs are used for presentations, dining or general audience seating.
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Dark Bentwood Wooden Chairs
£6.00 exc. VAT per week -
Cane Back Louis Chair
£9.00 exc. VAT per week -
Tolix Bistro Chair Hire
£7.20 exc. VAT per week -
Green Stacking Weatherproof Lisbon Chair Hire
£5.00 exc. VAT per week -
Amber Umbria Chair Hire
£5.10 exc. VAT per week -
Red Stacking Weatherproof Lisbon Chair Hire
£5.00 exc. VAT per week
Folding Chairs For Large Events
For events where practicality, quantities and efficient use of space matter, folding chairs are difficult to beat.
BE Event Hire holds more than 26,000 Samsonite style folding chairs. Their lightweight tubular metal frames and plastic seats make them suitable for conferences, exhibitions, examinations, festivals and other events requiring substantial seating capacity.
They fold flat and can be packed tightly into stillages, helping with transport, storage and movement around a venue. Linking clips are also available where chairs need to be connected into organised rows.
This type of chair is particularly useful where the furniture needs to perform a practical job without becoming a major visual feature of the event. For temporary venues and events involving several seating areas, the ability to move and store chairs efficiently can be just as important as the initial hire cost.
Matching Chairs To The Venue
Before choosing a chair based purely on appearance, look at the practical requirements of the venue.
Available floor space affects both chair choice and seating capacity. A wide chair that looks excellent individually may significantly reduce the number of guests that can be accommodated once hundreds are arranged around tables or in rows.
Access is equally important. Temporary structures, upper floors, narrow entrances and venues with restricted loading times can all influence the most practical seating option.
For outdoor events, the ground surface and expected weather also need attention. Not every decorative chair is intended for prolonged outdoor use, while some practical seating options are specifically suited to both indoor and outdoor events.
Guest Comfort and Event Duration
The amount of time guests will spend seated should influence the choice of chair.
A short ceremony or presentation has very different requirements from a conference lasting most of the day or a formal dinner continuing well into the evening. Padded banqueting chairs can provide additional comfort for longer periods, while folding chairs may be preferable where seating needs to be moved, cleared or reconfigured quickly.
It is also worth looking at the complete event schedule rather than one individual part of the day. Guests attending a wedding, for example, may use the same chairs through the wedding breakfast, speeches and evening celebrations.
Chair Quantities and Seating Plans
Start with the expected number of seated guests, but do not automatically assume this is the final hire quantity.
Some events require chairs in several locations at once. A wedding might need ceremony seating and dining seating, while a conference may have a main auditorium alongside breakout rooms. Depending on the timetable and venue, moving the same chairs between areas may not be practical.
A small number of additional chairs can also be useful for late changes to seating plans, additional guests or replacement requirements.
For events requiring substantial quantities, availability becomes especially important. BE Event Hire holds more than 26,000 Samsonite style folding chairs alongside an extensive selection of other event seating, allowing us to cater for anything from additional chairs for a private gathering to major events requiring thousands of seats.
Choosing Chairs For Different Events
There is no single event chair that works best in every situation.
For weddings and formal celebrations, Chiavari, Crossback, and other wooden chairs can make the seating part of the overall venue styling. Conferences, dinners and awards events often suit padded banqueting chairs, while exhibitions and contemporary hospitality spaces provide more freedom to use distinctive modern designs.
Festivals, examinations, public events and large conferences tend to place greater emphasis on quantities, storage, transport and efficient layouts. Folding chairs are often particularly well suited to these requirements.
The best starting point is therefore the event itself. Consider the number of guests, venue, seating duration, available space, and the look you want to achieve, then choose a chair that meets those requirements rather than selecting based on appearance alone.
Event Chair Hire from BE Event Hire
BE Event Hire has been supplying furniture for events since 1972, from private celebrations and weddings to major exhibitions, festivals, conferences and public events.
Our extensive chair stock means we can supply anything from a handful of additional seats to thousands of matching chairs for a major venue. Nationwide delivery is available, with our team experienced in the logistics involved in getting substantial quantities of event furniture to venues at the required time.
Browse our complete chair hire range or contact BE Event Hire with your event date, venue, estimated guest numbers and preferred chair style for a free, no obligation quotation.
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