Who sits where at a wedding reception?
So you’ve had the big ceremony, the tears and the photos. The nerve-racking part is over and its time to relax and enjoy the wedding reception. And the word on everybody’s lips at the stage is the food. Whether you’re having a lavish buffet or a sit-down meal, it’s likely you have seating arrangements planned for everybody to tuck in. But where is everybody meant to sit? Planning this can be fairly challenging. You want your guests to mingle but equally enjoy the company you’re in. You may have individuals coming who don’t know any other guests. What with everything else on your plate, this is a challenge you don’t need. We’ve put together a guide on where to seat people at a reception.
Traditionally
The traditional rules for seating are a lot different from the way modern couples choose to be. The newlyweds originally sat alone on a “sweetheart table.” Of course, most couples see this as too isolating when they want to mingle with friends and family. Traditionally the bride sits on the groom’s left, with the best man on the bride’s right and the maid of honour on the groom’s right. It was also common to have guests sitting boy next to a girl, which is probably too much like school for anybody’s taste.
Seating your guests
When it comes to seating your guests for your wedding, there’s no need to worry, simply be mindful. Get in done in plenty of time and you can always make adjustments in the days leading up. If there are individuals coming who definitely don’t get on, place these people subtly away from each other to avoid drama. Put any couples together, of course. If there will be children coming, consider having a kids table with toys and colouring pencils to keep them entertained. It tends to be a long day for little ones. Consider people’s friendship, families and if there will be people who haven’t seen each other for a while. Seating them together is great to create a catch-up. If you’re left with an abundance of people not seated, think about their common interests. It would be a great feeling to have made a long-lasting friendship from your table plan.
Place cards
You can have fun with the place cards for your guests. Turn them into little personalised keepsakes such as candles or photo frames. This way everyone has something with their name on to take home and remember the day. If you’re on a budget, raid your local craft store for discount icons to make them. If you end up having to make them all differently, this is quirky and will probably look deliberate anyway.
If you are still searching for the perfect place to have your dream wedding and reception, look no further than Eastwood Hall. We are a contemporary event and conference venue in Nottingham with 36 modern and stylish spaces, which are ideal for hosting meetings, conferences, weddings and more. Don’t hesitate to get in touch for more information.
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