When it comes to a wedding reception one of the biggest things to plan out is the seating arrangements. The location and the number of guests play a large role in your decision. Some couples have seating arrangements and other opt to not have one at all. Lets dive into the main factors of this decision.
Seating arrangements are meant to help, not be a hassle. They are put in action to help keep things organized, ensure that all tables and seats are filled, to help the flow of traffic into the reception area, and to reduce the anxiety of guests trying to find seats with the individual(s) they came with.
When developing your seating chart be sure to look at the entire guest list. In most cases couples keep their families together sitting across multiple tables. When it comes to the rest of the guests you can put specific friends together or mix and match those two people you that have been trying to get to meet up! Most people also always put the children together at a kids table. If you do decide that you are having seating arrangements you should also have place cards, escort cards, or a seating chart to make things even more organized.
Now, not all wedding require seating arrangements. If you wedding is going to be small and intimate then setting aside time to create a seating chart should not be your focus. For example, a wedding of 50 people may not need a detailed plan.
So the decision is entirely up to you! For a smaller party seating arrangements are not a must, but for larger parties you would greatly benefit from setting aside the time to plan out your guests seats. Whatever you do make sure it is the right decision for you, and one that will cause as little stress as possible during this crucial planning process!
Reception Seating Etiquette Musts. (n.d.). Retrieved July 30, 2016, from
https://www.theknot.com/content/etiquette-seating-charts
Amber Bentley
Social Media Manager/Event Assistant
Devoted to Your Event, LLC