Wedding Planning || Seating arrangements - Guest Tables

I recently wrote a post on seating arrangements for the Top Table, today I'm continuing with the Guest Tables. Unless you've planned or are currently planning your own wedding you won't understand the pressure couples feel when putting theirs together. 

I am often asked by my couples "why do we need a table plan, won't it be easier if guests can sit where they like?" No no no...this can be the kiss of death for any relaxed atmosphere you hoped to have for your wedding reception. We're not involved in a conspiracy with the stationary company to make you spend more on a beautifully decorated Table Plan. 

Why do I need a table plan?

Imagine this:- your Master of Ceremonies calls guests through to the dining room, you had previously decided that you preferred the idea of free seating so guests need to find their own seat. You have 80 guests and of course your parents, Best Man, the Maid of Honour and two Bridesmaids will sit with you and your new Husband on the top table. There are 7 guest tables with 10 seats around each table - it should work,

shouldn't it?

But what if two of our couple friends decide to sit together, one family has three children and the other had two children - that's 9 seats taken leaving 1 free. What if this happens across the room? What if two groups sit together - three of your girl friends and 4 of your new Husbands mates leaving 3 seats empty at their table. Once the majority of guest are seated you'll have empty seats dotted around the room, couples and possibly families will be forced so sit apart. The guests don't enjoy your wedding breakfasts and neither do you because from your table you've seen how impractical it was for your cousin to feed two of the children by herself while her partner sat several tables away on his own.

Or maybe your work friends sat at the table closest to the top table, and by the time your Grandparents made their way to the dining room - the only space for them was on table number 6 which is really far away from you.

Maybe you requested a specific meal for one of your friends with complex dietary needs, the venue doesn't know where this guest is seated so they have to walk around the room trying to locate the guest - only for another guest to take a fancy to that meal.

When should I start working our table plan?

If you want your wedding breakfast to be organised and stress free on the day then you need to put in the work as soon as you send out your invitations when you decide on your venue. Ask your wedding co-ordinators how many guests they can comfortably seat around each table and how many tables they would suggest for the number of guests attending your wedding.When you start your draft copy of your guest list start allocating guests to tables; who would they know at their table? Who do you think would get on when they finally meet? Who's had a falling out and you wouldn't want them to feel awkward by seating them at the same table? You can chop and change these arrangements as your RSVP's start coming back.

Of course, you want your Grandparents/ Siblings/ Aunts & Uncles/ Cousins seated at the tables positioned closest to the top table followed then by the tables for Friends/ Colleagues/ Neighbours.

It is your wedding day and in a perfect world everyone should sit where you've stated on the table plan, for the sake of a couple of hours what does it matter who they're seated next to? But it does matter if you want to see people enjoying the wedding breakfast you spent over half of your wedding budget on. You want to see people eat, drink and be merry. There is nothing nicer than the sounds of guests enjoying eachothers company and possibly making new friends.

Try to seat your groups together, or at the very least ensure each guest make sure each person knows at least one other guest at their allocated table. 

Children would probably be better seated at their parents table, but I've had several weddings where they've successfully pulled off a "kids table" with activity packs and games to keep them happy when they've finished eating and the speeches have begun. 

It's a lot of work, there will be lots of changes and you'll probably still be moving people around up until the night before your wedding. But when your sipping champagne listening to your father read out his speech you'll take a look around the room and everyone looking relaxed - you'll know it was all worth it.

If you have any tips for our Bride & Groom's planning their wedding - I'd love to hear from you.