Weddings can be notorious for drama, but can also shine brilliantly in bringing together people from many different parts of life. Your job is to demonstrate your appreciation to your guests on your special day. In other words, be a host(ess)!
For the reception, unless you are having a smaller-sized wedding with a buffet, most wedding guests prefer an assigned seat to a free-for-all. As discussed at length on theknot.com, “People like to know where they’re sitting — and that you took the time to choose where and who they should sit with.”
- Your wedding venue. What will be the optimal configuration of tables. Will they surround a dance floor or line up in rows?
- The head table. There are several ways to do a head table:
- Wedding Party Table. All your bridesmaids, groomsmen, and their partners.
- Exclusive Wedding Party Table. Just the wedding party without their partners.
- Limited Wedding Party Table. Includes just your Maid of Honor, Best Man, and their partners.
- Sweetheart Table. This is just you and your betrothed!
From there, group your guests according to categories such as:
- Elderly guests. Seat some distance from the music, but with easy restroom and/or buffet line access. Elderly relatives (e.g. grandparents) sitting at a family table are an exception.
- Singles. Don’t cast your single friends as a reality show! Mix them in with familiar faces and couples.
- Couples. Keep couples together that know one another.
- Children. Seat them with their parents.
- College friends. How close you seat them to the bar is up to you. At least keep them together.
- Co-workers. Again, group together or mix strategically with either single friends and couples.
- Distant relatives. It’s best to seat them with other relatives.
These are just some typical groups you can consider to help you organize your tables. They key is to label every guest with one of your group categories. This makes it easy to start putting together tables.
Once your RSVPs start arriving, start building your tables! If it gets confusing or if you get stuck, just remember one golden rule: seat at least one familiar face for each guest. For a tool that lets you visualize and change around your tables, check out theknot.com’s Seating Chart Organizer.
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