Bridal Club Magazine

Seating Your Wedding Guests At The Reception

You've put so much thought into inviting your beloved friends and family - so how do you begin to seat them all at your reception?

We give you a few tips to get you started.

First Things First

• Divide your guest list into sub groups. Separate into co-workers, family, college friends, etc - then you'll know that they will feel familiar and have something in common.
• Make a floor plan of your reception site (or ask someone at your reception site for one) that includes how many tables there are and how many guests each table seats. Use graph paper - it makes the job simpler when it can be planed to scale.

Keep The Conversation Flowing

• If you have a group that is larger than one table can accommodate, but too small for two tables, divide the group in half and place at tables next to each other. Fill in the extra space with people that don't fit into any group.
• If you have a lot of unmatched guests, place people together whom you think would be compatible. Consider ages, interests and marital status of those you put together. Your widowed next-door neighbour would probably not appreciate sitting next to four newlyweds.
• If you are going to have some empty space, divide it among several different tables. It is better to have two groups of 8, than to have a group of 10 and a group of 6.

Think Before You Seat

• Don't put feuding family members or friends near each other, unless you don't have music and are looking for some free entertainment.
• Seat elderly and disabled guests away from the music speakers, especially if they don't have the freedom to get up and move around during the reception.