Your Definitive Guide To Creating Your Wedding Reception Seating Plan
For brides, there are many aspects of planning your wedding that are more enjoyable than others such as choosing your bridal dress, selecting your bouquet, and picking out your and your future spouse’s wedding rings.
Unfortunately, some decisions can create headaches more than they do pleasure.
One of that many soon-to-be-married couples always seem to mention is the seating plan for the wedding reception.
It seems they spend more time discussing and even arguing over this than any other aspect of their wedding.
As there are likely to be two families and two sets of friends, planning seating to ensure everyone feels they are seated appropriately, and next to other guests that they should get on with, unfortunately, becomes a complete nightmare.
We are going to come to the rescue if you are in this predicament and provide you with a definitive guide on how to plan your seating so that not only are you happy with it, all your guests will be too.
Floor Plan
You have several options for your floor plan which are influenced by guest numbers, the size of the room, and the table types the venue has. These options are:
- U-Shaped – More suited to weddings with smaller guest lists where you have two long rows of tables that are connected with a third table at one end.
- Single Tables – Tables are situated at an equal distance apart across the floor space, although you do have the option to place two tables together to form one larger table.
- Rows – These can be any length, and the number will be influenced by the space available, and how many guests you want to seat at each table. Another option is to have guests sit on only one side of the tables or face each other.
Assigned Or Not?
You have three options regarding assigning where guests sit.
The easiest for you, although possibly not for your guests, is other than the bridal table, you leave your guests to find a seat for themselves wherever they please.
The next option is to assign them a table although not a specific seat. The final option is the most work for you and that is assigning seats where you must specify which seat each guest is to sit on.
The Bridal Table
Your first decision here is whether you have one or not, as some couples prefer an informal approach and simply sit at a regular table.
If you do have a bridal table, although there are some traditions that you might choose to follow, there is no right or wrong here.
It is your wedding day, and no one should question who you choose to sit with you at your bridal table…although some eyebrows might be raised if the groom is not one of them!
Seating Parents Including Divorced Parents
In most cases, if you have a bridal table, then you will likely have your parents and your spouse’s parents sitting alongside each of you.
In a scenario where you have a small bridal table with only room for you, your spouse, your maid of honour, and the best man, then seat your parents at the closest table to you.
What you do when you have divorced parents will very much depend on the relationship you have with them and what they have with each other, especially if either or both have remarried.
Each family will be different so, at the risk of passing the buck, we recommend you discuss this with all concerned to arrive at an amicable solution to where they all sit.
Single Guests
Finally, there is the issue of guests who are on their own, such as an old school friend or work colleague who does not know any of your family.
If there are several singles, you could sit them all together. Who knows, cupid might just hit a target.
If not, then sit single guests next to someone you know will make them feel welcome, or who is a similar age and background.