Unless you’re having a very small number of guests when it comes to a seated dinner, it’s generally a good idea to plan exactly where you would like people to sit. This allows guests to find their ‘place’ in the reception room quickly, and also helps your caterer to know exactly where guests with specific menu choices are sitting. Finally, it means you can seat people together who you feel will get on well (or apart if you think they won’t!). Follow our useful tips to ensure all your guests enjoy harmonious reception conversations
- Don’t start organising your seating plan until all your guests have responded to the wedding invitations. There’s no point getting started until you know exactly who’s coming. Equally you don’t want to be doing this at the last minute. Try and complete it at least a week before wedding - you can always make some last minute changes.
- Write the names of all your guests on to small individual pieces of paper or Post It notes, draw out the table plan and start moving the names around to see what works. Give yourself plenty of time - this isn’t a ten-minute task!
- Decide on your top table. The traditional top table is rectangular, but you might prefer to have a round top table in the centre of the room, or even a table for two.
- Spare a thought for elderly guests. If your evening entertainment is in the same room as your wedding breakfast, it can be best to sit them furthest away from the music.
- If you are inviting children to your wedding, decide whether or not you are going to sit them with their parents. Very young children should ideally sit with their family, but slightly older children might enjoy being on a ‘children’s table’ with colouring pens and a paper tablecloth. A good tip is to keep all children relatively close to their parents so they can be supervised.
- Traditionally, parents of the bride and groom sit on the top table. However, in some cases, this doesn’t work well. If, for example, parents are divorced and perhaps remarried and relationships are strained, consider an alternative option. The most important thing is that people are comfortable and happy, so scrap tradition and do whatever suits people best. You may even decide to sit parents with their friends, while you and your new husband sit with your bridesmaids, best man and their partners.
- Spend time thinking where people would like to be seated. Pay particular consideration to guests who know very few people, sitting them with guests who will be friendly and welcoming.
- Equally, separate guests who you know don’t get on well. Your wedding is not the time to mend family feuds or force friends to get along.
Photo Debi Treloar
