Wedding Forum - How have you sat your guests...

just trying to decide if it better to have mixed tables of friends and opposite family. I know it varies but how have you guys found it? also is it a good or bad idea to have a childrens table? I always thought people were dramatic when saying the seating plan is the worst, but it REALLY is the worst :') TIA x

I'm not sure about the mixing of friends and family yet myself, but I'm leaning towards putting people together that either know each other or we think would get on. Definitely not having a children's table though, I think a lot of parents might feel a bit nervous having their child away from them the whole wedding breakfast so I'm going to put the children with their parents when it comes to seating.
Plus, I think some kids like being amongst the grown ups for these kind of things, makes them feel more involved.

We are having a children's table as we're only having our nieces and nephews at the wedding (total of 8 kids- provided no one else falls pregnant/gives birth before the wedding!), the kids table will be positioned in between the 2 tables with their parents on, so they won't be far away from their parents at all. Plus we are considering hiring a trained nanny for the duration of the wedding breakfast, so they will be supervised at all times (if you like this idea, G00g1e "hire a nanny" and you can put in your postcode and they will tell you what qualifications they have/first aid etc, and how much they charge, how many kids they are happy to look after at a time- the one we have found is fully qualified and has full first aid training and she charges £9ph + travel expenses). Some people don't like the idea of children's tables and worry about their kids not eating or playing up, but we've spoken to all the parents and they are fine with the idea.

I was the same a wizbit and created the seating plan at the same time as the guest list, but it was pretty much pain free for me as we don't have anyone demanding they they wont be seated next to so-&-so, it all just fit together, but I know that this is pretty much unheard of in the wedding planning process! lol

We loosely stuck to friends andy family separately, although some tables we did fill in gaps on family tables with friends and vice versa. Ours was roughly:

Top table
Bridesmaids and very close friends/ immediate family
Groomsmen and close friends/ family
Husband's family
My family (probably about 3 or 4 tables with friends slotted in too - more family friends/ people who knew family already)
3 or 4 tables with friends which were a mix of husband's friends and my friends.

Everyone walked around and mingled anyway and those who didn't want to stayed were they were :-) xxxx

we are putting most family on the same tables together, and friends we are mixing groups but so they still have people to talk to but will get on well together :) xxx

We're thinking of mixing our families but also sitting people next to people from the same families that they don't see often, if that makes sense. A mix of his 'n' hers, close and distant families. Our friends are mostly old and mutual which helps a lot :)

We are having a separate children's table and seating parents next to it, two friends from my teaching degree course have agreed to be table minders for us during the meal x

Best of luck with this.

We're having ours family style with us all around one big table just because there is only going to be 30 of us. It hasn't made things any easier though when it comes to where to sit everyone as families will be families.

If it really comes to it though we'll just let everyone fight for their own place.

i actually found doing it not too bad, I kept certain family members together and the bm's/groomsman then I worked people in around them. I've made sure everyone knows someone at each table and they are around similar people. I did mine when OH was on his stag, he was so impressed when came back that not only was it done but it works well lol xx

I will be brutally honest it is up to you, as I said above I have tired to mix but I have also had to bare in mind some people don't speak and I have also been sneaky in the sense I have put a table full of family I'm not keen on at the back where I can't see them. If your sister keeps dropping in and out keep a space for her but make sure you can fill it in case she drops out short notice (if that makes sense)

I understand, it is a pain in the backside you just wish people would get over it for one day for the sake of someone else's happiness