The Reception Seating Plan

The reception seating plan can seem like a gargantuan task for most couples to take on during their wedding planning process. Inevitably couples have to juggle the wishes of so many friends and family members, including their own, and complete the puzzle of where will everyone sit. Here are a few tips to help you through this process.

Seat groups either by their relationship to you or by their ages. For example, seat teens together, aunts and uncles together, friends from college together etc.

Seat anyone you feel will be visiting the bar often close to the bar, so they don’t have to disturb your other guests walking through all of the other tables.

As for the head table, you have several options. You and your better half can sit at a raised table with your wedding party below you. You can have your own table with a table on either side of you with your wedding party. You and your husband in the middle of a long table with men on one side and women on the other, or boy, girl, boy, girl. Parents and grandparents at the table or not, it's up to you!

Stick to table numbers. Famous couples, places you've been, etc., are hard to see from across the room. Otherwise, have table numbers accompany your theme place cards.

Reserved tables are all you need. Once at the table, people like the option of choosing their seat.

It's a good idea to have a "Reserved" card for seats for parents and close family. They are the only ones that need preferred seating.

Follow these rules, and remember its your wedding, everyone there is there to celebrate you, and as long as they have a seat they're happy to be there to be a part of your day!