We all have them, aunties who don’t get on, a lovely uncle who gets a bit embarrassing when the drinks are flowing and divorced relatives who can’t look at each other, but what do you do on your wedding day? How do you keep the peace?
At the Ceremony
Traditionally the bride’s family and friends sit on the left with the groom’s family and friends on the right, but times, they are a changing, and if it makes your day a little smoother, why not let all your guest sit where they want? This is a good choice if there are more guests from one family than the other- as they will be mixed together, no-one need know! It also means that if you have joint friends attending they don’t have to choose a side. Little signs at the entrance that explain your seating arrangements are pretty and will definitely give a relaxed feel to the day.
At the Reception
If you are having a sit down formal meal at your wedding reception a table plan is a must. It will help guide guests and save any fussing or panic from guests who’d rather be seated elsewhere! It is, however, no secret that getting your table plan just right can be tricky. The key is time! Give yourself plenty of time before the wedding to plan, re-plan and review what you have come up with, and make it a joint effort with your other half. Don’t go in blind and try to work out where your inlaws-to-be should sit, it could all end badly!
Your wedding reception is going to take up a large chunk of your wedding day so it is also important that your guests feel happy and relaxed about where and who they are seated with.
Here are a few tips to make sure you stay on the right track…
- Guests should always know at least two other people at their table, never ever sit complete strangers together.
- Seat young children with their parents, older children may be seated all at the same table, if they know each other, like cousins.
- Parents with young children should be seated at a table close to the toilets, entrance etc. If their child starts to fuss during the long speeches it’s a lot easier to escape without having the whole room looking at you!
- Try your best to keep guests together in their own groups, workmates with workmates, university friends together, aunts with their sisters (if they get on!) etc.
- Consider elderly guests. If they are hard of hearing or short-sighted try to place them close to the top table so that they can see and hear the speeches.
- Remember your single guests. Do not try to matchmake them to someone else at their table, or at least don’t make it obvious! Never make up a table completely from single people.
- Avoid having a ‘leftover’ table of people who didn’t fit into other groups such as family, workmates etc.
- If you are mixing strangers together make sure a few of those guests are confident and chatty as to keep activity bussing in he whole room.
- Add a subtle little star, button or mini flag on guests name settings if they are vegetarian, celiac etc. This will be a big help to the waiting staff when it comes to meal time.
Finally, have fun with designing your table plan! Check back soon for a lovely post about fabulous seating plans.
If all else fails and you feel people are grumping about where they are seated, nicely remind them whose wedding day it is!
Good luck!
Image Credits
{Pinterest} {Pinterest} {Pinterest} {Pinterest} {Pinterest} {Pinterest}
The post Making Your Seating Plan Work appeared first on Mrs2Be.