The Seating Sketch: Planning the Wedding Seating Arrangement

Little or large, wedding receptions invite a flow of guests. While it is every couple’s dream to wow their guests with their top notch décor, they forget there is the seating arrangement to consider. Where it is highly essential that guests are properly seated, we cannot also ignore that the wedding décor shouldn’t be compromised just to fit a wedding party.

Irrespective of whether the reception is set indoors or outdoors, guests need to be seated, and seated well for that matter. Our San Antonio Wedding experts, Principles in Action have summed up a few noteworthy considerations to keep in mind when planning the seating arrangement for your wedding reception.

Setting a top table looks elegant, and it puts the entire limelight of the event on you, which is exactly what the day is about; so do consider placing one. However, the placement of the top table is crucial as well; you can’t just place one just for the mere purpose of it. The background behind the top table needs to have the right contrast. If it doesn’t, well you are sure to lose all the attention, and it entirely kills the purpose of sitting at the top table. Make sure the backdrop behind the top table accentuates your presence.

Your guests need to know where they are going to be seated. You need to make sure there is enough room for placing place cards on a separate table for guests to see where they’re to sit. Moreover, if you are hosting a large party make sure the table is placed in a wide area, approachable from both sides so as to not create a large traffic around it. These details are essential when planning a seating arrangement. What if you learn on the day of the wedding how the area is too constricted for the guests to approach? Yowch! Let’s not settle for worse, and plan ahead so that the table (or the easel) is placed at a proper place.

As much as you would love to just jumble the placement of your guests here and there, and be done with the seating arrangement, it is not possible. Not only would it clearly reflect upon your lack of consideration towards the attending guests. Apart from that, try not to fill in the space that your guests start to feel claustrophobic, give them room to breathe and to roam around to meet other guests.

If you are hosting a candy buffet, make sure the buffet table is set up properly so that guests can approach it at ease without crowding. Moreover, the candy buffet table shouldn’t be set so far away for guests to feel the hassle of crossing over a dozen dinner tables just to get their hands on some candies.

In addition to this, the placement of the dance floor needs to be considered as well. You wouldn’t want it taking too much of unnecessary space, nor would you like it if your guests felt constricted moving a muscle.