Wedding seating is an important consideration to make. After all, happy guests make happy wedding. The more thought placed into the seating arrangements, the happier guests will be. The following are some tips for how to arrange wedding seating to ensure guests are as happy as possible.
Wedding seating can be done in one or two ways: guests can be assigned to tables but allowed to choose their own seats or they can be assigned to both specific tables and to specific seats. When deciding on the seating, it is important to remember the most important rule of wedding seat charts: guests should feel comfortable wherever they’re sitting.
The first thing to consider is couples who are coming to the wedding. Both married couples and folks with dates will want to be seated together. Nobody wants to come to a wedding with their loved one only to be separated from them. Thus, take the time to review RSVP cards and to place couples at the same table.
If children are coming to a wedding, it is common for those under the age of ten to be seated with their parents. A separate table is set aside for those children and teenagers between the ages of 11 and 15. Any teenagers over the age of 15 can be sat near adults.
Often, arranging wedding seating is all about risk management. A wedding is supposed to be a joyous occasion. Don’t let past events or spats ruin the big day. If seating is carefully organized to keep strong personalities away from one another, one can prevent an awkward situation.
Some guests may have special needs. It is important to consider such needs when planning the seating chart. For example, elderly guests may need easy access to bathrooms and to the food tables.
Once the seating arrangement is decided, it is time to print out placards or large cards to indicate who is sitting where. Either print these cards out using high-quality paper or find someone who can write out these cards using fancy handwriting or calligraphy.
Make sure to work on the seating arrangements as early on as possible. As more and more guests RSVP, seating may have to be rearranged a number of times. Don’t forget to make a wedding party table. This generally consists of the bride and groom, their parents, and the wedding party.
A wedding is bound to be full of people from all areas of the couple’s lives. This is a chance for such loved ones to really meet one another. Thus, it’s fun to try and shake things up so that one’s friends and family can get to know one another. A general rule is to make sure that everyone at the table knows at least one other person, not counting their date.
Lastly, it is important to have any seating chart double- and triple-checked for errors. Have a family member or friend help with this. Wedding seating charts are a bit like a puzzle. Reviewing the chart will ensure that no one has been mistakenly left out or that divorced parents aren’t sitting next to one another.
