Cross back chairs are timber chairs with an X in the back, and they are the chair of choice for farm, barn and rustic weddings. They look good at bare wooden tables, with greenery runners and candles, and need no covers. Hire firms stock them in natural, dark and sometimes white finishes, often with a cushion. Stock is smaller than for plastic or Tiffany chairs, so book early. Send your numbers, venue and date once, and independent hire firms near you quote you directly, free and with no obligation.
Cross back chair finishes
- Natural wood, the most common, which suits greenery and white linen
- Dark stained timber for evening receptions and moodier themes
- White painted cross back chairs for a softer, country cottage look
Most come without arms. Cushions in cream, natural linen or hessian may be included or an extra. Wooden cross back chairs are heavier than resin Tiffany chairs, so transport and set-up take more effort.
How to plan seating with cross back chairs
Cross back chairs are wider than Tiffany chairs. Allow about 60 cm a chair along a table, so a 1.8 m trestle seats 6 comfortably, and a 1.8 m round about 10. Long banquet tables in rows suit the rustic look; ask about wooden trestle or farm tables to match. Add about 5% spare. For a lounge corner, mix in couches and ottomans, and if the barn is too small, a frame tent on the lawn takes the same chairs.
Delivery, floors and care
Timber chairs don't stack as high as resin ones, so they come in fewer per load and often by truck rather than bakkie. Check them on delivery for loose joints, splinters and wobbly legs, and sit on a few. Uneven barn floors and cobbles make chairs rock; move them until they sit flat. Keep timber out of rain: water swells joints and lifts the finish. Wine and candle wax on cushions are the usual deposit deductions. If the venue is a working farm, agree where the truck can park and how far the chairs must be carried.
What affects the price
Cross back chairs usually cost more per chair than plastic or resin Tiffany chairs, because the stock is costly and heavy to move. Distance to a farm venue matters too: country roads and long carries add to the transport fee. Ask each firm:
- Are cushions included, and in which colours?
- Is set-up extra, and will you stack the chairs away after?
- What does a damaged chair cost, and how much is the deposit?
- Can you supply matching wooden tables in the same load?
What to include in your request
- Number of chairs and the finish
- Cushions wanted, and their colour
- Venue and road access for a truck
- Table layout: long tables or rounds
- Set-up wanted, or drop-off only
Cross Back Chair Hire for different events
- Families and home celebrations: a long table lunch, an engagement party or a big birthday at a smallholding
- Weddings and engagements: long banquet tables at a barn, farm or wine estate reception with greenery
- Funerals, memorials and unveilings: seating for a family memorial lunch at a farm after the service
- Companies, conferences and functions: a rustic team dinner, a client long table lunch or a wine estate function
- Churches and faith gatherings: seating for a church fellowship dinner or a retreat centre gathering
- Schools, colleges and universities: a matric farewell with a rustic theme or a staff dinner at a country venue
- Municipalities, clubs and communities: a harvest festival dinner, a club fundraiser or an agricultural show function
- Venues, caterers, decorators and planners: rustic chair stock for decorators and farm venues on busy wedding weekends
Frequently asked questions
How much does cross back chair hire cost?
Can I hire white cross back chairs?
How many cross back chairs fit at a trestle table?
Are cross back chairs fine outside on a lawn?
Cross Back Chair Hire by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg