Wedding Forum - Seating plans...

Talking with the H2B last night, and as we are only having a fairly small wedding breakfast (around 35 people including top table) we thought it might be nice (and a lot less stress for me lol) to not have a seating plan and to just have 1 table for everyone to sit around and the top table. That way people can sit with whoever they like. Do you think this would be ok or should we just stay traditional and make people sit where we say to avoid having my family one side and H2B's on the other? x

it depends,..... if you want to control the mingling then go for the seating plan but if you want something more relaxed then leave them to their own devices.

We are having the tables in a horseshoe style and letting people sit where they want except on the top table of course. Carl and I could not be bothered with having to plan where people sit as most of the guest are on Carls side anyway I only have a very small family.

We can't decide whether to seat everyone with who they would expect to sit with or mix it up a bit. The problem being my family is small,h2b family is big. We've made a special effort to make sure we have a lot of friends at the wedding so it's not taken over by family. Some tables will just end up too crazy and full of fun people all on one table, other tables will be full of odd couples that dontknow anyone. Ay thoughts?

Hmm, well the veggie options will be easy anyway, thats just me and mum, i think i am just going to let people sit where they like. The last wedding i went to me and H2B ended up getting spilt up and as it was a wedding on my side H2B didnt really know anyone and spent the entire day sulking!! Plus i get the added bonus of having no stress doing the seating plan!!!

I'm going to have a seating plan, having said that I'm sitting people beside folk they know... I want people to enjoy the night, not feel awkward. The only reason I'm bothering with the plan is so that I can sit people who dont know many people with others that I know they'll click with. Imagine turning up to a wedding, not knowing anyone then trying to decide who to sit beside... wouldnt fancy that much! x

I think it's a good idea,just look at the ways u can have the table so that ppl can keep conversations flowing around them... Ppl won't want to have to shout over to the other side of the table xx

If you're worried about people not knowing the people they're sat next to, why not have a little slip of paper with a fact about the person to their left/right, as an ice breaker?
Or a sort of people bingo, where they have to find out 'who has cats called bill and Ben?" or "who spent 3 months travelling in Australia?" Then they submit their answers for a prize?

I was going to not do a seating plan and let people sit where ever they wanted but then someone pointed out that if there are single places left on tables and couples they won't be able to sit together. You could possibly have the top table and then have the table made into a square shape with people sat around you. If that made sense. Like a straight lined C.

Oh dear, what a poor excuse. I had my son's girlfriend moaning as she was not sat with him!!!!! We had all our kids on the top table with us, we did not want the traditional one and seeing as it was about joining our family into one that's how we did it. I had two tables left with one seat on each, the easiest solution was to put the girlfriends in those seats. The other one did not mind at all and was quite happy about it. I put them with people they knew but this one moaned saying she knew nobody!!!!

I think it depends on the venue layout. If you are having a large round table or a horse shoe shape, no seating plan works well.

I think with seperate tables you're better off with a seating plan. For example at our wedding I would say ninety percent of the guests know each other, however there are a few who will only know one or two other people their and they might feel a bit awkward with everyone grabbing seats. I went to one wedding and a couple nipped out for a cig break, when they got back to sit down the only two seats left where on different tables and with people neither of them knew very well.

I'm a bit worried as we will have a table full of 'odd ones' who don't know many people....oh well, it's only for a few hours!

Xx

Just be aware that you might have 1 person sitting amongst people they have never met and as I would not really care about that myself some people would. Children may get split up from parents or husbands from wives etc.

Me I'm having a seating plan, I have to as most guests are mine and his family are very small and he has friends coming over but they neither know my family or his so I really must have a seating plan.